2010-07-08 THNMP - Laserfiche WebLink

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Highway 130 and Old Phoa Road has now the highest traffic accident rate in the State of HawaiÒi. What we have here before you is a T-intersection, if you take a look at that diagram, with a stop sign. The problem for the MetcalfÓs is youÓre going to have traffic coming in, a stream of traffic, major conflicts existing. The fact that the applicant is now working with DOT to go put together this opening to the Bypass is good thing. But letÓs look at the reasons why they are requesting an extension of time after the opening to put this in. In July of Ó09 when this project was supposed to have been completed there was nothing on the ground. Those photos that youÓve seen depict that. In December of Ó09 when we sent the letter to the applicant telling them you passed the time condition, we sent a copy to the County, nothing happened. Between then and April when the applicant fin request, they did, they worked hard to go put the improvements in. And now theyÓre standing before you saying, gee, give us a break, we want to be able to open this project and create a big th traffic mess and have until January 11 to go fix that. WhatÓs going to happen in between? And I can guarantee you that when this project opens and the public gets into accidents and thereÓs a major issue, and give me about another minute, please, the public is going to be asking the County, and the Council, and Public Works what happened here? So really the question before you is given the standards and the requirements of the concurrency ordinance, given the condition that we have there, what should this County do? Fine, provide the time extension, but letÓs look at what kind of mitigation measures are required, and letÓs implement it concurrently. If you look at Conditions C and D of the existing ordinance, it talks about requiring that sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and other improvements be done prior to the certificate of occupancy. Are those really the major issues that we have here? And if those were required prior to certificate of occupancy, why not this opening to the Bypass? ThatÓs basically our position on this thing. Thank you. WOODWARD: Okay, thank you, Mr. Yeh. Do we have any questions for Mr. Yeh? Okay, seeing none, Mr. Myke Metcalf, youÓre next. If youÓll give us your name and address, please. M. METCALF: Myke Metcalf, PO Box 1301, Phoa. My brother and I own the Auto Parts Store directly across the street from this project. WeÓve been there for 12, 13 years. WeÓve watched that intersection from its inception. It is the worst intersection in the State of HawaiÒi. And bythe CountyÓs own traffic impact analysis in 2006 itÓs rated 2 , 3 times the minimum requirement for an LOS F rating. That was three or four years ago. ThereÓs pretty close to an accident a day there. I mean before the LongÓs building went up, we could see them, we could hear them. And thatÓs bad enough. But three weeks ago to the day at 5 oÓclock in the afternoon, I got to feel it. Tourist, his wife, two daughters from Montana cleaned me out at 50 miles an hour, after I had already cleared the intersection. If my passenger hadnÓt screamed and I hadnÓt moved forward six feet sh have died in my truck. You would have had six people in that intersection. YouÓve got one ambulance 1300 yards up the road, the next one is ten miles up the road, the next one is in Hilo. You have six people in a -. I mean this is not an ÐifÑ thing. This is Ðwhen.Ñ YouÓre going to have the accident. I mean nobody wants to see tourists spread all over the highway. And I know that intersection better than anybody. I go through it multiple times a day; and I still got hit, and I was clear out of the intersection. He had a choice of taking a head-on from a car that was 4 EXHIBIT A