2007-03-16 TSUNSTONE - Laserfiche WebLink

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ILABAN:Yes, my name is Gwen Ilaban. My address is 76-6182 Alii Drive. ALAMEDA:All right, Ms. Ilaban, you may proceed. ILABAN:Okay. Aloha, Planning Commission members. With all due respect to the Planning Director, Mr. Yuen, I find that I differ with him. Its my recommendation that the SMA Use Permit application be denied. Ive lived in Kailua-Kona for many years, and there has been recurring flooding in this area and in some years very severe flooding. I spent yesterday afternoon examining the SMA application file relating to this property in the Planning Departments office. I found no evidence of any hydrology or drainage and flood studies for this project. Mr. Yuen apparently intends to require the applicant to prepare such studies for the project. Yet, he doesnt require compliance with any specific criteria; he merely required a study any study. This position fails to comply with the CZMobjectivesandpoliciesSMAguidelines.Isntthisacaseoflockingthebarnafterthe horses have escaped? The above referenced studies should have been completed prior to the Planning Directors recommendation, so that he and the public would have had the benefit of the information that would have been contained therein. Approving this project under these circumstances is foolish and reckless. It subjects the County to the risk of litigation, and additional hardship on homeowners and tenants that could be potential victims during an unforeseen catastrophic incident. Mahalo nui loa for your time. ALAMEDA:Thank you, Ms. Ilaban. Any questions? We appreciate your testimony. We appreciate your coming out today. Thank you very much. You can be seated, or you can sit there. Maam, could you state your name and address for the record? GOLDEN:Yes. My name is Susan Golden. I live at Kona Pacific condominiums, which is 75-5865 Walua Road. My opportunity to work with SunStone began many years ago when they were building Alii Cove on Alii Drive, between that and Walua Road. Because that increased the density in the area, as residents along Walua Road, we requested mitigation, so that pedestrians would have safe access along Walua Road. As part of that, there also was not only pedestrian access along Walua Road but another pedestrian/bikeway access going mauka-makai from Alii Drive all the way up to Kuakini originally. Neither those have been completed, but Alii Cove is built out now. And we are still waiting. Now talking to SunStone prior to this meeting, they indicated there is some plans. But the problem seems to be that although they intended an accessible ramp in both cases along their access north of Alii Cove, when they brought their plans to the County, the County said, No, we dont want a ramp. Lets put in steps. And thats what was done. There are steps instead of a ramp. I dont call that an accessible standard. And although Im angry at SunStone for not keeping their promise, my comment is that if you request anything of this developer, you get it done prior to them building what they want to build, because they probably wont keep their promise. Either that or you require some bond, so that if the County is left holding their bag on this developer theyll have money established for that purpose. Now what angers me, although Im angry at SunStone, Im outraged at the County. Im so outraged that I almost cant speak. And that is the attitude less than an hour ago from the County 14EXHIBIT C