2010-06-04 T-MALOOF - Laserfiche WebLink

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So having gone through all of that we felt that it would be a good thing to do. So we went ahead and purchased the property in 2008. We spent the next year working on it, improving it. It was basically an eyesore entering into the subdivision. People used to sell their junk cars, put their junk cars there, and people would gather there; and it was a mess. So we fixed the place up, spent some money on it, and put some love and care into it; and now itÓs a nice looking entrance into the subdivision. During the time that we were doing all this, many residents would stop and make compliments and comments to us, and wanting to know whatÓs going on here. E going on here. So weÓd say, ÐWell, what would you like to see going here?Ñ Cause we originally wanted to put a greenhouse there which would have been selling plants that we had grown ourselves in the greenhouse; and I was hoping that we could add the people from the subdivision that come down from the hinterland to also sell their products down where thereÓs a little bit of pavement and access. So I went to the Planning Department, and actually I was referred Jeff Darrow, and Jeff informed me that if we plan to sell our potted plants and anybody elseÓs we need a special use permit. And he gave me a couple of cases to take a look at as a reference, which I thought was very helpful. But what I saw were people that had already set up businesses and were doing things without a permit; and they were approved. So we said, well, we donÓt want to do that. We would like to do this properly, and weÓll submit the special use permit and maybe weÓll do the greenhouse and sell plants for everybody in the subdivision, or let them come down and do it themselves. And after surveying the community, a lot of people were interested in having a little spot for themselves. They couldnÓt go out on the highway any more, itÓs against the ordinances. As you saw in that one photo, people even during the middle of t along Orchidland Drive because they cannot go out on the highway and sell things. People trying to scrape up a living, so theyÓll Î sometimes youÓll see 5 or 10 cars parked there, and trucks, people selling their manapua, selling whatever, and trying to make a living. So the thought was weÓll set up an ag products building, let people rent stalls in there full-time, or part- time, or whatever they want to do, and come out of their places up in Orchidland and have a place to make a living. So that was the idea. Some other people would say or would ask what type of a restaurant are you going to put in here. I said, well, we havenÓt thought of a restaurant but thatÓs a good idea. So the comments were weÓd like a nice sit-down restaurant so we donÓt have to drive to Hilo, we donÓt have to go out on the highway at night. So that was another thing. And then, you know, knowing how difficult it is to go through the special use permitting process, we added a few other things in there, so we wouldnÓt have to do it again, that would be useful to the community. And it looked like a real cumbersome thing to do, which it is. So I asked Jeff Melrose to help us out; and Jeff has been helping me, advising me on this. And this is where weÓre at right now. We have gone to the Board of the Orchidland Community Association, before we actually applied for the permit, and asked them if they had any objections to us using that parcel in the 9 EXHIBIT A