REP PC 054 02/14/2006 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Communication 362 Bill 123 Page 1 I of 13 commercial area. Council Member Higa stated if we don't give the zoning, Applicant already has 48 units and will build anyway. The County will then end up paying for the road. Then if we don't give in, the County may lose its opportunity for a connector road, and, 48 units will be built anyway. If this road is important to Kona then give them the zoning to get the easement that would save the County money in condemnation. Wants to get KSBE to the table and is willing to call for a postponement to bring them to the table. Ms. Song stated Applicant is willing to give KSBE an opportunity to come to the table and is also willing to look at cost estimates of road construction. Council Member Virginia Isbell stated looking at the Kona Traffic Safety Committee testimony she is still concerned with moving this forward. There is no roadway plan and feels we should wait until there is a Roadway Master Plan in place. She stated the units will be very large and very expensive and will not serve the local people of this community. She is still opposed. Council Member Jacobson asked Director Yuen if we can't get a road easement from Applicant, would the County have to condemn property if we want to put in the road on KSBE land? Director Yuen stated Public Works has already mapped the alignment of this road through both properties and at this point it would be very hard to align the road entirely on KSBE's property. Council Member Safarik was inclined to agree with Council Member Higa's suggestion of postponement and give Applicant the opportunity to discuss road easement with KSBE. He would agree to a postponement but is still not convinced that the connector road will relieve traffic congestion in the area. Need to postpone the matter with enough time to allow discussions with KSBE of the overall design of this connector road and also plans for the entire region. This process should be an integral part of the Kona Community Development Plan. If we choose not to support postponement, then cannot support the project. Council Member Arakaki stated he can support postponement however, doesn't want to put the Applicant off any further. All the clocks are running and suggested we not prolong this matter for more than two weeks. If this can't be worked out, suggests that the Applicant build its project and don't give the County anything. If Applicant's property is condemned, the entire property as well as zoning will be lost and then Applicant can take the County to court. He suggested the Applicant build the project, take their money and go invest it somewhere else. Committee Chair Pilago there is no reason or cause to justify postponement. He stated Applicant is enabled to build 48 units and if so chooses, can build the project without further discussion with this Council. However, Applicant is the one who keeps trying to raise the density and trying to change the density to commercial. The Applicant is the one prolonging the matter by coming back asking to do more. The road is not the issue. The issue is the commercial zoning, K5BE's zoning and other commercial people in Kona who are severely impacting our community. Your commercial zoning is the "wrong project", "wrong place" and "wrong time" and he will not approve. PC REPORT NO. 54