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GRAHAM: Mr. Crowley, go ahead, yes. <br /> CROWLEY: Yes, I'm sorry. I can't speak personally of it, other than the fact I visited <br /> the mainland too and I've been to some of the supercenters that they have there, and their <br /> parking lots are not any much bigger than the one that we currently have in Hilo. It depends, you <br /> know, obviously on the size of the store. But just for the ones that I've seen they're not much <br /> bigger than the parking lots that we have. <br /> GRAHAM: Thank you. <br /> YATES: Can I also make a comment to that, Chair? <br /> GRAHAM: Yes, Mr. Yates. <br /> YATES: Okay. If you look at the demographics of our Kona store, right next door <br /> is the Safeway. The way I look at it is the traffic, if you go into a supermarket plus the general <br /> store that exists today, it benefits if you have one location. In fact, I think there will be less <br /> traffic by having to just go to one location. We're right next to each other, we're neighbors, <br /> everybody goes to the same location. The rest I can't really speak for. Our market manager had <br /> <br /> to step out so that would be my comment to that. <br /> IWASHITA: The other question I had for both of you is that, you know, one of the <br /> things that the Council resolution talks about is that, you know, state-wide we're trying to <br /> promote what's called smart growth or, you know, making our communities more pedestrian <br /> friendly and so forth. And, I guess, this superstore, super parking lot image that I have doesn't <br /> really promote developing more towns like Hilo, and, you know, those developed in a time when <br /> there were less cars, obviously. But that's basically the idea that the resolution talks about. How <br /> do you see a superstore, you know, adding to? `Cause I don't really see how it can add to the <br /> development of a more pedestrian-oriented town. <br /> GRAHAM: Mr. Yates? <br /> YATES: I have not <br /> IWASHITA: More simply put, how many people are going to walk to your store and <br /> walk away with bags in their hands and go home? <br /> <br /> YATES: I have not seen any plans for any type of blueprint for what might be <br /> coming or hoping to come. I can just tell you that even based on a statement here that our <br /> market manager was going to read Wal-Mart stands ready and willing to sit down at the table <br /> with our County leaders and discuss community problems, traffic. I've personally sat down with <br /> the Mayor and talked about homeless, drug problems, things that really aren't you know, a direct <br /> concern but we do have an impact on that on how we can help. So myself even traffic is a major <br /> concern there in Kona. So I don't know if that answers your question but I'm really not prepared <br /> to discuss or have any blueprints. I have not seen or been involved in any conversations with <br /> that. <br /> IWASHITA: Thank you. <br /> 13 <br /> <br />