2009-07-24 TPALAMANUI - Laserfiche WebLink

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WATANABE: Okay, thank you. If there are no further questions, then the four of you may be seated and IÓll proceed with the next testifiers. I have Denny Coffman, William Trask, Bo Kahui and Walter Kunitake. So would those four individuals please come up? Okay, may I swear you in? So would you raise your right hand, please? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth now before the Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: I do. WATANABE: Okay. And, again, as a reminder, please state your full name and address prior to providing your testimony. And shall we begin with you, sir? COFFMAN: Yes, so my name is Denny Coffman. I live at 77-258 HoÒokaÒana Street here in Kailua-Kona. And IÓm the State House representative for District 6 but IÓm not here in that official capacity. IÓm here as a citizen. And before I begin I want to, again, these are my opinions about development -. I believe in developers going into an area and what we as community members give them, we give them zoning changes which changes the value of that land; and for that privilege and that zoning change we agree to public infrastructure, fair share items. Okay? And IÓm saying that because I see several items tied into these documents that talk about occupancy. There is nothing that requires a developer to build anything. They can sell all the land off. And I see everything tied to subdivision approval. So thatÓs kind of my basic theme here. And part of that is is that we the citizens should not be part and parcel to their risk. The developers look at the land, if they can get this zoning, this many lots, itÓs their risk to be able to sell that land; and if theyÓre going to build houses on it, thatÓs a secondary risk. So all weÓre doing is trading off zoning and they owe us the infrastructure that weÓve agreed to. Having said that, my specific recommendations, I can agree with, you know, pulling out that 29.92 acres and allowing the commercial, MCX-20 zoning. I think thatÓs a fair request on their part. But as a condition of that, I think they need to start construction; and this gets a little confusing. And if you take a look at the Road 2, from Queen KaÒahumanu up to the intersection of Kamanu Street, which is, which would take you to the university -. WATANABE: The lateral connector? COFFMAN: Yes. They need to build that. And they need to build a portion of the Kamanu Street that takes you into where the university -. The university land is 72 acres of the 500 acres. All we need is development for that first section when they -. And this will all be predicated upon once they get subdivision approval for that 29 acres. In other words, they have the right to start selling land. But I see it has a fair tradeoff. And also part of the condition is that $5,000,000 towards as much of a building, the first community college building, they can build. So I think thatÓs a fair tradeoff. They get commercial property they can sell. And if you look at the condition for occupancy, they may build some commercial space in there. But I think theyÓll, if I were them, IÓd be looking to sell that land to various companies for development. Regarding the Section U, the 20-acre park, again, the same theme here. I think construction needs to start with the approval of the first residential subdivision in that development. And that park needs to be completed either within two years from the start of construction or possibly with the first occupancy permit, whichever -. EXHIBIT B 14