COM 0056.013 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ v S/ v'a.C LiS~- • JNAl.A1MA O PUNA P. O. Box 1524 Paiwa, Hawaii 9b778 (808) 965-2000 www.malamaopuna.org malamaopuna@.vahoo.com Aa•Satvl~ Hawal7 `s Pt+et'Iotis aatwrel /~rt9ta~ss TESTIMONY: JAN. 4, 2007, To the Hawaii County Council 1tE: Bill 220 State Land Use Boundary Amendment, and Bill 221 Change of Zone Applicant: Timothy Gardner h has been a longstanding policy of the Planning Dept. and the Planning Commission to deny applications for commercial development along Hwy. 130. The primary reason is to prevent precedents that would create strip malls. State DOT has concurred in this, but for different reasons - Yheu goals being to keep the traffic moving and not create logjams. These policies, however, do not have the force of an ordinance, and that is just what the Puna Community Development Plan participants aze working to create. There are some developments along the highway that are perceived as not complying with this policy, but this is only because the perceptions are based on insufficient information or ignorance. For example, Malama Marketplace is NOT on Hwy. 130, but off a parallel road; the Woodlands Center now being created has its entrance on a street off of Pahoa Village Rd.; the Sunrise Nursery by Paradise Drive is an agricultural endeavor and is therefore exempt; Athena's hulihuli chicken is an illegally zoned business and complaints have been filed against it by the public (although I do not know the current status of these); and, finally, the parcel that the County acquired from the State for Police, Fire and Parks and Recreation -this is not a Commercial use. Timothy Gardner is requesting a State Land Use Boundary Amendmem and a Change of Zone to allow him to allegedly build aself-storage facility on Hwy. 130. As you are aware, both Chris Yuen and the Planning Commission turned him down. I hope that you have all read not only the Background Report but also the hearing transcript to understand the issues that were taken into consideration in making this negative recommendation to you. Change of Zone runs with the land. There is absolutely nothing to prevent Mr. Gazdner, once you approve this, from fuming azound and putting in another type of business development that will conform to the Commercial-Industrial Zoning. He will not need any more pemrits, other than a Building Pemrit What will be the ramifications of this? 1. It will set a precedent for other property owners along Hwy. 130 to rezone their property, on the basis of "if you did it once you must do it again or you will be exhibiting prejudice". It is just a baby step from there to an ugly strip mall. Comm. No. Ref. To: ~asat~d kef. Late JAN 0 4 7007 _