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The reason for the request is that there is a clear need for pedestrian and bike trails that can
<br />complement and enhance the attributes of the Hilo Bayfront, including the dramatic views of
<br />Hilo Bay, and Mauna Kea, green spaces, historic landscapes, and cultural and community events.
<br />This project will also enhance a variety of recreational activities that occur along the Hilo
<br />Bayfront area, including walking, strolling, bicycling, picnicking, outrigger canoe paddling, and
<br />racing and paddle boarding. This is a portion of the master plan. And the reason why I'm going
<br />to break it up into three different maps is so that we can see a little bit clearer the different
<br />proposed pathways and bikeways that are being proposed. The actual beginning of the trail, or
<br />one end of the trail, will begin at the Hilo Harbor. You’re going to have a pathway that will
<br />consist of existing pathways, as well as new pathways and bikeways, that will work its way
<br />towards Wailuku River and along Bayfront. You’ll see that it also goes along Banyan Drive, as
<br />well as the Coconut Island area. You see little identifications that will have either a T, or an R,
<br />or a P. These represent where the trailhead and signage will be located, where the new parking
<br />areas will be identified, as well as restrooms along the pathway. This is the middle portion of the
<br />project. Again, you’ll see the different pathways that are working its way towards Wailuku
<br />River, as well as the associated bikeways that are working its way inland. One of the new
<br />parking areas will be at Maile Street; and this is identified in this particular area. Additionally,
<br />we're going to be looking at a new parking area on Ponahawai Street right in this particular area,
<br />just mauka of the existing gas station located in that area. And again you'll see the pathway
<br />work its way in and coming to Downtown Hilo as well.
<br />This is the legend that was provided with the application, as well as the final environmental
<br />assessment, which identifies all the different proposed pathways and bikeways on the master
<br />plan. This is a picture showing the different trailheads and signage that will be located along the
<br />pathway. And this is an illustration of what some of the bikeways may look like, as well as
<br />along the Wailoa Bridge area, Wailoa Bridge. They are looking at possibly extending out the
<br />barrier so that this area will be set aside specifically for a bike path, as well as pedestrian path.
<br />The Planning Department is recommending approval with conditions. Just for the Commission's
<br />attention we have received several letters of correspondence, mostly letters of support, as well as
<br />comments from different governmental agencies since the background and recommendation was
<br />passed out to the Commission. Are there any questions?
<br />KERN: Thank you, Jeff. Are there any questions for staff? Seeing none, thank you, Jeff, I
<br />appreciate it. All right, applicants, here we are.You're sworn in. Go and give us your side of it.
<br />DYKSTRA: This has been an interesting project to work on, and it has been going on since
<br />2006. It is taking a long time, a lot of public input. That's why it took so long. And the pieces
<br />of the plan that you see were not the invention of a planner. They were the community who
<br />came to the public meetings and mapped out exactly what they wanted to see and what they
<br />needed. And we had to do compromises about dreams and what’s reasonable and feasible. And
<br />that's a plan you see before you, because it has been something on the lines of probably three
<br />administrations that there is a need for this connection. It's all about connecting existing areas of
<br />recreation, providing safe recreation for children, bicyclists perhaps like me who aren't very
<br />good and want to stay away from cars, people in wheelchairs, elderly people, mothers with
<br />strollers, can do the whole part of the park safely, and make it aesthetically pleasing.
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<br /> EXHIBIT B
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