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owning and how do you manage the buffers, also questioning whether they should deed it to the <br />County and have the County maintain it. He noted his added concern of having on-going <br />maintenance costs transferred into on-going homeownersÓ fees and costs to the existing residents <br />of the community, noting they are considering a master community association for their <br />development. He added these questions are being considered right now and they would like to <br />have this buffer question worked out as they are going to be part of the community and did not <br />want to get into a hostile situation at the very beginning of their development. <br />Commissioner Thibadeau pointed out that it was not unusual for community associations to have <br />the requirement in their charter that they maintain common areas or, as in this case, the buffer <br />area. Mr. Yamashiro pointed out that a lot of people want the buffers to be a buffer of trees and <br />things that block the view from the neighboring property, but then somebody is going to have to <br />be responsible when the limbs fall; and if it was just an open space buffer, with just cutting grass, <br />there would be no problem. <br />Mr. Yamashiro added that they could also offer planting easements to individual property <br />owners, so they would have control over that piece of property directly behind their house, and it <br />would be up to those individuals to maintain it. Mr. Thibadeau said this would impact property <br />values and a lot of a lot of people do not want to buy a property thatÓs covered by an association <br />for that reason. <br />In response to Commissioner SpringerÓs inquiry about the level of specificity in conditions, <br />Mr. Yuen said it was possible to have this issue worked out after the rezoning process. <br />Commissioner Springer said she appreciated todayÓs discussion as she arrived at a conclusion <br />that the project district was an appropriate designation and pointed out that the discussion <br />included that notion of mixed uses and the comprehensive nature of that sort of application as <br />compared to acres of residential or acres of commercial use. She noted that the project district <br />does differ drastically from those areas in Kona which have been awarded the project district <br />previously where basically they are the pioneers of residential or commercial activity in that <br />region. <br />Commissioner Graham said his sense of the buffer is that the surrounding folks should have a lot <br />of say in how they want that buffer to be and his presumption is that it would not be just an open <br />space mowed area but would contain trees to make a visual block; therefore, he would say there <br />should be a condition that the Planning Director would meet with the area residents on the north <br />side of the property and develop a reasonable buffer plan, and that that should be done before the <br />Council approves the ordinance. <br />Mr. Yuen noted that the Planning Commission can put in any recommendations that they want <br />to send on up to the Council. <br />Commissioner McCall said the condition was unclear on whether there would be a concrete lined <br />ditch or a grassed swale, will it be deeded to the County, and who will take care of the <br />maintenance. Mr. Yamashiro stated they would be more than happy to give the drainageway, <br />8 <br /> <br />