2007-05-04 THICDC ORI - Laserfiche WebLink

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Anyway, I really believe that the community development plan process needs to be implemented island-wide, and it is being partially implemented mostly on the west side and in Puna now. But if they, you know, we had a community development plan that did apply to Pepeekeo and did have, and that plan would include how Pepeekeo is going to look in 50 to 60 years and this project was within it, you know, we wouldnt have had to spend all these hours and hours doing it. You would have to spend a lot more time coming up with such a plan, obviously; but in the end I think for us to have effective planning thats really what we need to do. And I would just add that as additional concerns on why I will be voting in favor of this negative recommendation. GRAHAM:Thank you, Commissioner Iwashita. Further comments from the Commissioners? Ill just put in my own two cents. For me the killer for this is the two-prong nature. I feel like its a real overreach of our mandate as a Planning Department or Planning Commission to try to go forward with something like this. The two-prong nature being that we would approve a rezoning, an upzoning of those Ag-20 parcels, those 118 acres, to the benefit of athirdpartywhoisgoingtotakesomeofthewindfallfromthatandgiveittoausethatwe support, which is affordable housing. I feel like if the County wishes to support affordable housing by funding it for the nature of the cost of the land or whatever, then the County should appropriate funds for that. But it shouldnt do that at the expense of our Agricultural lands and put through rezonings as a way to generate revenue that will be used for affordable housing. And to me for us to do something like this is way out of our mandate; and I hope I dont see more bifurcations like this, or however we want to characterize them. So, for me, the particulars of the parcel where the self-help housing would be doesnt even come into play, because of the nature of the whole process I found objectionable. Commissioner Alameda? ALAMEDA:Thank you, Mr. Chair. For me the testimony actually, you know, its just very strong that it is not in favor of this particular application. And although there are a lot of signatures that show, I guess, favorability, the people are just not here. And if theyre not here, theres not a supported letter of any sort -. So just gauging the testimony, it seems to me that the community is more against it than for it. And thats whats pushing me more towards actually being in favor of Commissioner Siracusas motion. So I just wanted to share that. GRAHAM:Thank you, Commissioner Alameda. Anything further? Commissioner Domingo? DOMINGO:Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. Basically I subscribe to the whole idea of a self-help housing concept. As a matter of fact, there are a number of those projects that have been done throughout the Big Island, and I can say that theres nothing but praise for such a project. Because I know a number of people who have participated in the program, and it has helped them tremendously. As I look at this particular project, my concern first is when you look at the improvements that you have to make and the cost of the improvements, for instance the drainage, and now were looking at a reduction of the number of units and then, of course, it has been mentioned that their per capita assessment would be in the vicinity of a little over $10,000, now aside from that -. Now it was mentioned that those money, those fees would be used to effectuate some of the improvements and needs to be made outside of the project area. And what I can look at right now is an increase in the size of that roadway with the Old Mamalahoa Highway, because were looking at addressing a number of additional cars traveling through there. And as I look at it then there certainly needs to be a bridge, a new bridge built, or some modification to address the increase in traffic, and that would be with the widening of the 31EXHIBIT A