2005-08-05 TDELOZIER - Laserfiche WebLink

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DELOZIER:Yes, I do. GALDONES:Proceed. DELOZIER:Hello and Aloha and good morning. Id like to begin my testimony today with an expression of gratitude. Thank you, Planning Commissioners, for failing toeacha recommendation on my Change of Zone st Application at the July 1 hearing. You may find it odd that I would thank you, but your failure to successfully reach a recommendation at that hearing has prompted me to ponder and look deep inside myself to consider all sides of the impact of my request. I came to the last hearing expecting my request to be pretty cut and dry. My application clearly meets and conforms to all allowable uses for this location based on the recent revision to the General Plan. I was shocked to find out that there was opposition in the neighborhood and was presented the letter and petition signed by the neighbors less than 10 minutes before my hearing began. None of the neighbors had contacted me for discussion, questions or concerns of my application prior to that time. Therefore, I encourage you to please consider all of the facts of my testimony this morning. First, I am just an average citizen looking to run a successful small business. My intention with this Change of Zone application is to have a comfortable place to work and housemyemployees.Thebiggestdrawbacktolocatingmybusinesselsewhere, especially in other larger office complexes closer to the downtown area of Hilo, is a severe lack of parking. The bulk of businesses that I work with located in town have parking issues. Even at our current location on Kilauea Avenue, parking is growing tighter and tighter. Due to this issue, I chose to look elsewhere to locate my business. The nature of my business is community-based. While I do work with clientele on the mainland, my passion lies with assisting local residents in purchasing or building new homes. My favorite transactions are ones that involve local, first-time buyer clients. For these clients, the process of purchasing a home is quite intimidating and frightening, especially the mortgage portion. I realize this and make every effort to put these clients at ease. One of the things that I can do is to offer a place of business that is warm and friendly for them. That is difficult to do with a typical cold, fluorescent-lit office complex. Having clients visit my office in more of a residential setting is much preferred because they will feel more at home. My application clearly indicates that my intensions are to maintain the residential feel of this building by renovating it back to its original 1930s charm. At the July hearing, the concern of reasonable reassurance was brought up specifically the irreversible nature of approving use of this property for commercial purposes. I can understand this concern, especially because of the potential for other uses that would be allowed possibly in the future. I can only say that I offer my most sincere reasonable reassurance that the use of this property will remain as a small, community office indefinitely. I have been a mortgage banker for over 14 years. I do not have the desire or skills to do anything else and harbor a unique and genuine passion for my profession in what I do. There are parties present in this room that I have provided mortgage services for that Im confident would be happy to attest to my dedication to 3EXHIBIT A