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<br />to the next meeting in Hilo, which would be on September 22, and hopefully between
<br />now and then, with or without the Department of TransportationÓs comments, that the
<br />Planning Director would be in a position to offer its recommendation on this matter.
<br />Notwithstanding that, that thing, however, Mr. Chairman, IÓd like to just kind of share
<br />with the Commission some of the general essence of the project. CliftoÓs Kona Coast,
<br />LLC is the Applicant. The primary developers are, this individual by the name of Arnold
<br />Volny. HeÓs a San Luis Obispo developer who has done some exten
<br />residential developments on the mainland. HeÓs also associated, and their local
<br />representative is Cliff Morris, whoÓs also here in this audience today.
<br />The property is still owned by the Applicant. TheyÓre looking for investors. And if itÓs
<br />approved, and this would be a sizeable project, that would require participation by other
<br />investors; and that is why that they have been actively looking for interested investors.
<br />Just to give you some general background on the property itself, the original owners of
<br />this land, this 83-acre property, was owned by the government, b
<br />in the, and it was zoned heavy Industrial in the early Ò80s as part of the NELHAÓs
<br />expansion. Back in 1986 or Ó87, there was a land exchange between the State and the
<br />former owner of the property. The former owner got this property in exchange for 83
<br />acres of coastal property thatÓs not of the subject area but on the coastal area. So itÓs
<br />actually between Kohanaiki, Ooma and the NELHA property. There was an 83-acre
<br />shoreline property that was exchanged between the former owners of that land for the
<br />subject area.
<br />But over the past 20 years, you know, since the property was zoned, nothing really
<br />happened to this site, yet weÓve known that market and land use trends have changed
<br />dramatically in this area, changes that perhaps have made the existing MG zone
<br />somewhat incompatible. WeÓve seen residential developments in t
<br />North Kona in the mauka area, particularly. WeÓve seen the Comm
<br />Industrial growth such as the Kaloko Industrial area, the Kohanaiki business park. WeÓve
<br />seen the success of NELHA, the growing resort activities in South Kohala and North
<br />Kona. WeÓve also had much discussions about the planned expansion by the University
<br />of Hawaii. And most recently, as reported in yesterdayÓs, excuse me, in todayÓs paper,
<br />thereÓs the existing and planned coastal park beginning from the Kaloko-Honokohau
<br />National Park, part of it stretching through, hopefully, the NELHA property, and, you
<br />know, through the CountyÓs laudable effort in trying to get a regional coastal park in that
<br />area.
<br />So when you look at the overall or the emerging land use pattern, you know, coupled
<br />with the proximity of the airport, what the Applicant felt was that, you know, rather than
<br />having heavy industrial activity, be it a concrete batching plant, or so on and so forth, the
<br />Applicant felt that a planned business park with some residential component would be
<br />much more appropriate. So, in that regards, conceptually, what theyÓre proposing is to
<br />have like some office spaces, a retail area, business or family-oriented type of hotel and
<br />multiple-family residential developments.
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