2003-09-11 TCLIFT - Laserfiche WebLink

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agency can hold things up like this. Now, is it that theyÓre understaffed? What is their explanation for all of this? HAYASHI:Well, I personally did not speak with the staff from the Department of Transportation. Perhaps the Director could respond to that question. KUBOTA:Okay. Mr. Director, can you fill me in, please? FUJIKAWA:Go ahead, Mr. Yuen, if you could assist Commissioner Kubota with her question? YUEN:Well, first let me start by saying why we want a continuance and waiting for the Department of Transportation. This is a major application -. KUBOTA:Yes. YUEN:It would allow 23 acres of Commercial. ItÓs currently zoned Heavy Industrial. TheyÓre applying for, it would allow 23 acres of Commercial, 14 acres of Office. Just to put that in perspective, the Wal-Mart Center in Hilo sits on about 10 acres of property and Prince Kuhio Plaza sits on about 39 acres of property. So weÓre talking about a major traffic generator and considerably more than an Industrial project on the same site. It would also, well, the primary traffic would probably come out of the Kailua-Kona area, up the Queen Kaahumanu Highway, and then have to cross the highway at some point to get to the site. So weÓre talking about a turn across the highway. We know that the long-range plan of the Department of Transportation, well, not even the long-range plan, but in the next few years, is to change the Queen Kaahumanu Highway to a four-lane median separated highway from Kailua-Kona to the Keahole Airport. And, as a result, there would only be a few points in which the Department would like to have crossings of highway for left-turns. ThereÓll only be a few intersections, full movement intersections, to keep the highway as an arterial function. All thatÓs pretty clear. We would like, now, this particular application, seems that their entrance will be a signalized full movement intersection. If you think and, also, if you think about the level of traffic, itÓd be difficult to have a project like this and fully built out without such an intersection. We would like to know what the Department of Transportation thinks about this, about the project, what their plans are for the Queen Kaahumanu Highway. ThereÓs another application for an SMA Permit at Kohanaiki thatÓs going to come before the Commission very nearby. We would like to have an idea how these access points can be coordinated as best as possible. So we want to wait and hear from the Department of Transportation before we go ahead and, before the Planning Department makes a recommendation and t 3