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that dragged out too long and had tremendous community opposition, and the county ended up
<br /> condemning that, acquiring that, for use. There is currently not a good parking situation for
<br /> Honl's Beach Park, and this seems like it would be an ideal location to serve Honl's Beach Park,
<br /> as well as the Kailua Village area. So I just want to see if there has been any analysis or
<br /> discussions about the county condemning this property for public use.
<br /> CARR SMITH: Jeff, if you would like to chime in, go ahead.
<br /> DARROW: Thank you, Chair Carr Smith. Aloha, Chairman and members of the Planning
<br /> Commission. In response to Commissioner Vitousek's question, I am not aware of any, you
<br /> know, action or even consideration of this particular property being, you know, thought of as
<br /> being used for a parking lot or for a condemnation action. Normally, when the county addresses
<br /> or looks at a condemnation, there is usually a nexus of a public use that it's benefitting, and a
<br /> majority of times that use may already be in effect, such as an existing public access that has
<br /> been closed by a private owner, or if there is a particular segment of a roadway that the county is
<br /> looking at it that it needs for connectivity and it's been identified in long range plans and there is
<br /> a particular property that it needs to be able to fulfill that connection, they'll consider a
<br /> condemnation action. In this particular case, this would be very difficult because there is quite a
<br /> large existing structure there that would have to first be removed, which would cost quite an
<br /> exorbitant amount of money, and then to be able to improve the lot as a parking lot, I would, I
<br /> wouldn't say that it's impossible, but I would say that it would be highly unlikely that they
<br /> would consider that, especially, having to go through a condemnation action when the applicant
<br /> is ready to proceed with constructing this particular project.
<br /> VITOUSEK: Right, and the question is just about planning for contingencies in case the
<br /> applicant continues to be unable to carry out the commitments. And it's been identified by the
<br /> surrounding neighbors as a health and safety issue, which is a nexus for a condemnation, and a
<br /> similar situation has occurred less than a couple hundred yards away with the Honl's. So, for
<br /> me, again, ideally, ideal world, this developer is able to pull it together and complete this project
<br /> in the amount of time that we will allot them to do. If they can't, which they've given us every
<br /> indication that they can't, I think we need to be ready with an alternative so that we are not stuck
<br /> with this derelict structure for another 20 years. And that's why I recommend that the county
<br /> would consider this; I'm not recommending that they move forward with it in any way at all, but
<br /> just that it be considered as an alternative going forward.
<br /> CARR SMITH: Thank you, Mike. Jeff, go ahead.
<br /> DARROW: Thank you, Chairman Carr Smith. So what we can do is make contact with the
<br /> Department of Public Works, as well as the Department of Parks and Recreation, because this
<br /> would involve both of actions through their department. ThereI do recall the Sobay case and
<br /> the whole action there—whenever that does occur, there is, it's not as if the county gets this for
<br /> free; they do have to pay for that. And, again, this comes with quite a large existing structure
<br /> that may or may not be used in the use of a parking lot. But we will reach out to them and get
<br /> their thoughts on that. Thank you.
<br /> CARR SMITH: Thank you. Go ahead, Sid.
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