2009-10-02 TJLUM - Laserfiche WebLink

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WOODWARD:Okay, how old are you? S. LUM:I am 11. WOODWARD:Okay. Do you help your father? S. LUM:Yah. WOODWARD:You do. Okay. All right, do we have any questions or -? Madam Director, do you have something to say? LEITHEAD TODD:Yes, I did. I have to admit that I was very conflicted when this proposal came through. And part of it is because, you know, the General Plan, which is intended to be general and to be somewhat flexible and is also open to interpretation, has provisions in it which would seek to support Mr. Lum’s application. Such as we said in our Land Use Element of the General Plan, it says we’re supposed to encourage the development and maintenance of communities, meeting the needs of its residents in balance with physical and social environment. In other words, we’re supposed to try and provide for things like recreational activities, educational activities, close to where people live. In our Economic Element we’re supposed to provide residents with opportunities to improve their quality of life through economic development that enhances the County’s natural and social environments. We’re also supposed to strive for an economic climate that provides its residents an opportunity for choice of occupation. And in Recreation we’re supposed to provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of the County. The problem that I had in looking at this was that, you know, we’re, the CDP has just recently been adopted and it’s supposed to be a guideline for implementation. The special use permit is something that’s kind of outside of the normal, you know, uses; and it’s up to the Planning Commission. And I happen to really like what Mr. Lum has done. And part of it is years ago there used to be a miniature golf facility in Hilo which many residents took their children to -. IWASHITA:Decades. LEITHEAD TODD:And it, well, it’s not decades, you know. Cause it was after I moved back. So it’s sometime in the last 20 years. IWASHITA:That’s decades. LEITHEAD TODD:And, but it was an amenity that was really used by children in the community, with parents being able to take their children for things like miniature golf. So when I saw this I thought about things like preschools, I thought about the fact that there are so few activities like this, especially for young children, that it’s a beautiful facility. The question was 7 EXHIBIT B