2008-01-03 THUALALAI - Laserfiche WebLink

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GALDONES:Thank you. Commissioners, any further questions? Commissioner Graham? GRAHAM:Greg, when I was thinking about this one when it first ca one concern I had was sort of a long-term regional concern that the Mamalahoa Highway, even though it probably does not have the traffic issues we have on Queen K right now because of the slope there and everything, it seems to me itÓs unlikely to become a better road in the future. So especially with Saddle Road realignment going through and maybe thereÓd be more traffic from Hilo side wanting to come to Kona, it looks like kind of a longer term, doesnÓt look too good for that road. So I was kind of running in my head that at some point in the future the County would probably want some other way to deal with traffic that has been generated from new housing activity. And, so, maybe just the extra setback kind of gives them a little room to maneuver in the long run, although itÓs not any requirement on you that you improve that road. That was my reading of it. MOOERS:Are you talking about Kohanaiki Road or Mamalahoa Highway GRAHAM:Well, I was talking about Mamalahoa Highway becoming a problem in the long term and that the widening of a setback area on Kohanaiki Road gives the County more flexibility in the long term to try to build other collector roads that would take some of the stress off that highway. MOOERS:Yeah. I guess, IÓll make my, IÓll try to make my position clear. WeÓre not opposed to providing the 20 feet. I think what I need to make clear is the representation weÓve made in our applications and the representations IÓve made to people from the community who have spoken to us is that that was not our intent to use Kohanaiki Road for ingress or egress to the project. Our intention was to build an intersection on Mamalahoa Highway that will meet with the approval of Department of Transportation. In all likelihood itÓll be a channelized intersection. WeÓve had conversations with neighboring landowners about providing access over to Church of God Road and even to the properties to the north, so that some of those substandard intersections can be closed. And they would be able to use this intersection to try to improve the safety onto and off of Mamalahoa Highway. If the Commission and ultimately the Council makes a determination that they would lik widening setback, the Applicant doesnÓt oppose it. I just have to be consistent in saying that that was not our intention. GRAHAM:Thank you. Jeff, but if IÓm reading it correctly, the County is not intending that they use Hualalai Road for their access to this subdivision at all, is it? DARROW:You mean Kohanaiki Road? GRAHAM:The Kohanaiki Road, yes. DARROW:ItÓs more to provide relief to the area in regards to a connectivity, for this area here to be able to have some relief so that they can have an option. Instead 4