2006-12-01 Planning Commission Minutes

Home

APPLICANTS: DENA AND SERGIO RAMIREZ (SPP 06-000037/SPP NO. 700) a. Special Permit to allow the establishment of a restaurant and related activities within an existing building situated on 2+ acres of land within the State Land Use Agricultural District. b. Revocation of Special Permit No. 700, which allowed the establishment of a physical therapy office on the same property as identified in item 4a above. The property is located along the north (makai) side of the Honokaa-Waipio Road (Highway 240), approximately 1,800 feet west of Nienie Gulch and two miles west of Honokaa, Kulihai, Hamakua, Hawaii, TMK: 4-6-1:19. Mr. Darrow oriented the Commission and public of the subject and surrounding properties on the location map and site plan, noting numerous letters of support were submitted into the record. He said the Planning Director is recommending favorably on the requests, with Condition 2 amended to say Special Permit application 06-000037 is approved and when the applicants receive a certificate of occupancy then at that point Special Permit 700 would be automatically revoked, and the remaining conditions would be renumbered accordingly. In response to Commissioner Iwashita’s inquiry, Mr. Yuen explained that if Condition 2 is adopted as amended, the applicant can have the physical therapy operation continue while working with the DOT, and do some remodeling; and if and when they resolve their problem with the DOT they would then come in for a certificate of occupancy on the restaurant, which at that point the physical therapy permit becomes automatically revoked. He said if the amended Condition 2 is not adopted there are a lot of different kinds of possibilities, such as having a physical therapy and restaurant at the same time, which is not what they want to see happen on the property. He added that unfortunately there is a possibility that the applicants are not going to be able to meet the commercial sight distance requirement of the DOT and might not be able to open a restaurant there. Because it was mentioned in the application several times, Mr. Yuen at this time recommended an additional condition be inserted that would read that the restaurant operation shall be conducted within the existing dwelling. The applicants, Dena and Sergio Ramirez, were in attendance. Mr. Ramirez stated their intention is to provide Honokaa with a new school and dinning facility. He gave some background information of providing gourmet Italian food in Honokaa for the past 11 years and noted this was his masterpiece, bringing this kind of business to Big Island. Mrs. Ramirez concurred with her husband’s comments. She added that they have trained several people already, and have been touched by many people in the community, and they want to give something back to the community, visitors and other people. In response to Commissioner Galdones’s inquiry, Mr. Ramirez said they are currently working with students from Honokaa High School and the University has approached them to start a culinary training program; and he added that their plan is to have two kitchens, one for the restaurant and one for teaching and production. Mrs. Ramirez added that she has talked with Jim Lightner on the other side of the island to coordinate such a program, but that a lot of this is contingent upon creating a certified kitchen, noting they are committed on giving back to the 7