2010-02-26 TPARKERSCHOOL - Laserfiche WebLink

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while. ItÓs just really difficult. And we really need facilities for our kids, if we are going to continue to provide a really great education for them. So that was all I wanted to say, and I thank you very much for letting me testify. HOUSEL: Thank you. FORISSIER: Good morning, I think, still. My name is Kareen Forissier. IÓm here representing myself as a neighbor resident but also as the legislative assistant to Councilman Pete Hoffmann. IÓd just like to share that IÓve been to most of the community meetings that Parker School, Margaret Wille, and the community have organized all together, and I definitely support this expansion with the amendments that you were presented to this morning. I think that there was never ever any concern regarding the expansion; I think there was full support for the expansion. I think the only concern really was traffic, and we definitely understand that, you know, all the traffic cannot be solved by Parker School alone and has to be hand-in-hand work with the County and certainly our office as well from the Councilman. So, yes, please support this with the amendments made. I was also asked to read part of testimony from a Laura Williams who could not be here today. They did send in a written testimony, so you also have that. So IÓll be brief. There are a few points that they wanted to make as the fact that they are loyal supporters of Parker School with a child that graduated from Parker and a family member that works at Parker; however, they have some concerns and oppose approval of a commercial gymnasium at Parker SchoolÓs KapiÒolani Road campus. They have a few reasons, and I will state a few: Commercial use of the gym would be an additional use of the facility beyond an accessory use needed to reasonably provide for on-campus school activities; the proposed school expansion, including the increase in enrollment up to a cap of 450 students, and the possible use of these campus facilities by the Parker School Trust Adult Education program, will in and of itself have substantial, significant impact on the neighbors without the additional factor of a commercial-use facility; the proposed KapiÒolani Road campus is located in a rural residential neighborhood not zoned for commercial use, and is furthermore part of a narrow, winding cul- de-sac of one-lane roads that are in daily, including evening, use for pedestrian recreation; use of any recreational facility for commercial functions would increase neighborhood traffic; gymnasium activities usually generate a lot of noise that would impact our quality of life, and consequently real estate values; it is unrealistic to expect Parker School to educate and require non-Parker School gym users to be considerate of the surrounding neighborhood; the Waimea community is already committed to building a regional level gym in the proposed district park to serve community needs and there is broad community support for this facility; and lastly, Parker SchoolÓs intended use for the gym involving rental to community groups, will undermine our community efforts to build a sports facility designed for commercial use in an appropriately zoned venue. So again, thatÓs the letter from Laura Williams and Maureen McLaughlin. HOUSEL: Thank you. LYON: IÓm Theresa Lyon. I am a parent of two Parker School seniors, students not seniors Î high school students. I drop them off every morning, and then most of the mornings I walk around the community, so IÓm very aware of all the roads, the back areas. IÓve 20 EXHIBIT A