2005-12-02 TOSHIRO - Laserfiche WebLink

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compatibility. I mean, I dont live in the neighborhoods myself. I can see that there are many residential neighborhoods in Hilo where you can say that there have been commercial activities and residential activities that have co-existed for a long time. I dont know to the satisfaction of the people in the neighborhood or not; but theyve certainly -. You can think of Kapiolani Street or Ululani Street in Hilo, lets say behind the Central Fire Station, say the block from Haili Church, the block on Ululani Street from Haili Church going to Ponahawai Street where you have the fire station. You can go down that block and on one side you have Dr. Chocks office and you have, I think theres a nursery there, and then you have some multi-family buildings, and then theres a Japanese School; and theres a mix of uses. And I dont see, at least externally it looks like theyve co-existed and been compatible for many years. I do think that the kind of, say the Ameri Quest Mortgage proposal where theyre occupying an existing building is the kind of thing that is basically more compatible, I mean, physically youll look at it and it will look more like a residential building; and the level of activity is not markedly different. Theofficebuildingthatwevebeentalkingaboutisabigbuildingandithasabigparkinglot. On the other hand, it fronts Kilauea Street which is one of the busiest streets in Hilo and it is a natural area for a commercial enterprise, for a major commercial enterprise. Its on a four-lane street. So, I mean, this is a long discussion. Im not satisfied that we have the proper tools in trying to make commercial development compatible with residential neighborhoods. I think it worked sometimes sort of its own. I think it can, there are some times that it can be incompatible. I think, you know, returning back to this application, we do have a favorable recommendation, we did have a favorable recommendation, on the previous time extension; and it basically turns on that in this location, this is actually the last residential property in residential use on the block and it does front one of the busiest street in Hilo with commercial activity all around it. SPRINGER:Chris -. ALAMEDA:Commissioner Springer. SPRINGER:Just the community development planning schedule, is this neighborhood envisioned to be part of the community planning? YUEN:I think we, yes, it would be. I think we do need a plan that more specifically looks at Hilo and particularly neighborhoods of Hilo rather than as the General Plan does. The General Plan has this broad approach where you have, say, say you have a large area thats medium density urban and so the landowner can come in and request a rezoning for a commercial, thats consistent. They can request a rezoning to a multi-family residential, thats consistent. Yet within that idea of commercial, theres a broad range of things that can happen; and some of them may be more compatible, some of them less compatible. I think even more necessary than say a mapping exercise of where things should be located, we need to review the kinds of things, the scale of things, and the types of things that are allowed in different kinds of zones. On an administrative level, we are now encouraging, when people come in for a rezoning in an area like Waiakea Houses Lot where it may be predominant, in the area there are parts of it that are still predominantly residential but shown now as medium density in the General Plan, were 12EXHIBIT A