2008-10-14 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes

Home

Applicant Presentation The applicant, Michael Riehm, was present and introduced himself and Thomas Yamamoto who is the project manager and the owner’s representative. Mr. Riehm spoke about a flood issue they were faced with in designing the building. Although the proposed building is outside of the 100-year floodplain or any requirements by FEMA, it is within the 50-foot wide buffer zone required by a new County ordinance. He said that his understanding is that the Department of Public Works and the applicant are in agreement as to how to comply with the County requirements. Mr. Riehm said that another challenge they had was to design two very different characteristics – the sales element and the service element – as one project, and added that they try to emphasize the sales section as the front house, and try to conceal the service section from the public, using traffic flow and landscaping. He also described the design modification to the service building, which adds six bay windows to the wall facing Henry Street to modulate the façade. Mr. Riehm also elaborated on anticipated impacts on viewplanes with photos. He said that due to the 15 to 20-foot elevation drop from Queen Kaahumanu Highway to the site, only the rooftop would be visible from the highway, and that the view from Henry Street is mostly blocked by the hill on the parcel in between. He added that they are hoping to be able to work with the owner of that parcel to jointly improve the appearance of the area. Mr. Riehm mentioned that there would be a conference room with an audio/visual setup on the second floor, which is open for public use and designed to have direct access from outside without going through the sales area. Mr. Riehm mentioned that the building is designed to be a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified project, and that it was requested by the owner despite the additional costs for items such as sustainable materials, rainwater catchment system to supplement irrigation, and photovoltaic, which they hope would satisfy the project’s energy needs without HELCO’s services. Public Testimony There was no one from the public wishing to testify on this agenda item. Commission Discussion In response to the Commissioners’ inquiries about the archaeological site, Mr. Riehm said that he is almost sure it is a burial site, and that normally treatment for such sites include providing access for the family, a sign with the history, and protective walls. Mr. Yamamoto mentioned that although the archaeological report was done by Paul Rosenberg, Allen Haun is their current archaeologist. 2