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INITIATOR: PLANNING DIRECTOR <br />Continued hearing on a proposed amendment to the General Plan amendment procedures. <br />INITIATOR: COUNTY COUNCIL <br />Review and comment on a draft ordinance regarding the General Plan amendment <br />procedures. <br />Mr. Hayashi noted that the Commission has been discussing the County Council initiated <br />General Plan amendment procedures for the past couple of months; and is on today’s <br />agenda for possible action. He added that if the Commission so chooses they may <br />continue this item for further consideration. <br />Mr. Hayashi mentioned that the Commission has received a copy of an email addressed <br />to the Commission from Dore Dokos-Loewenthal objecting to the Planning Director <br />reducing the timeframe in which the public has to comment on any proposed <br />amendments to the General Plan. <br />Mr. Hayashi also said that the Planning Director is recommending denial of the County <br />Council initiated amendment and requesting a favorable recommendation on his proposed <br />amendment. <br />Chair Graham clarified, and Mr. Hayashi agreed, that the reason why the Commission is <br />recommending denial on the County Council initiated amendment is because there were <br />some legal issues that the Commission was not comfortable with, and that the Planning <br />Director has made some changes in the form of initiating a new amendment. <br />There was no one from the public wishing to testify on this agenda item. <br />It was moved by Commissioner Watanabe and seconded by Commissioner Iwashita to <br />recommend denial of the County Council initiated draft ordinance regarding the General <br />Plan amendment procedures. A roll call vote was taken and motion carried with five ayes <br />(Watanabe, Iwashita, McCall, Alameda and Graham) and three absent and excused <br />(Galdones, Rho and Siracusa). <br />It was then moved by Commissioner Watanabe and seconded by Commissioner McCall <br />that a favorable recommendation be sent to the County Council on the Planning <br />Director’s proposed amendment to the General Plan amendment procedures. <br />Commissioner Iwashita expressed his opposition and stated that shortening timeframes in <br />which changes are to be made to the General Plan and trying to make the interim <br />amendment procedures easier is not the right prospective, since the General Plan is <br />supposed to be a stable long-term planning document setting out what the community <br />wants over ten years or more and the Hawaii Supreme Court scrutinizes from such <br />prospective changes or actions that are in contravention of the General Plan, such as spot <br />zoning. Chair Graham said he feels that, although Commissioner Iwashita’s comments <br />2 <br /> <br />