2004-04-23 TNAKAKURA - Laserfiche WebLink

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SPRINGER:I agree with Commissioner McCall, and that was my reason for seconding the motion, that by granting the continuance if there’s an opportunity for the applicant and Mr. Wong and his party to discuss matters that may reduce the amount of time that would be spent on this application. If it goes to contested case immediately, it would be many months just in process. Thank you. GALDONES:Mr. Nakakura or Mr. Lee, did Mr. Wong indicate to you what the ground that he was concern with in your application or was there no contact made at all from him? NAKAKURA:No, no contact from Mr. Wong. Just the faxes to the Planning Department regarding -. I’m not sure what he has a problem with. Between our business, West Hawaii or Cremation Services of West Hawaii, and his property is going to be Kona Lua, a portable toilet business; and I have heard that there are smells emanating from his business that are going to be way more noxious than what we have. Ours is smokeless, ours is odorless. We have a roll-up door where we will drive our vehicles into; and there will be no visible bodies to, dead bodies to the public. Like I said earlier, we’re very concerned about being a good neighbor; and we will take every effort to make that happen. GALDONES:Jeff, did Mr. Wong indicate any reason why he wanted to, first of all, enter into contested, file a petition for a contested case hearing and now for the continuance, beside what you had to mention was to inform all the other parties within his tax map? DARROW:Mr. Wong, did not contact me personally as well. We just received the fax; and on the fax, unfortunately, he doesn’t go into detail. The only thing he mentions is that he is a neighboring property owner. And then on Subsection D it asks, “Are you a person or persons descended from native Hawaiians who inhabited the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778, who practiced those rights which were customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural, or religious purposes?” He puts, “Please note to be determined.” GALDONES:Mr. Yuen? YUEN:If I could make a suggestion here. It may be that if the Planning Commission does give a continuance, these gentlemen can talk to Mr. Wong and perhaps address his fears about this business. Ifthey’re not able to do so, my suggestion would be that we put the matter on the agenda for the May meeting; and then we get to this question of how long would it take to conduct a contested case hearing. Commissioner Springer asks the standard question about budgeting, and we are starting to get a little bit of a budgeting pinch on hearing officers. This particular application seems to be one where the issues might be, we might be able to handle as a Commission, hear what the applicant has to say, hear what the objections are, and make a decision as a Commission 8