2009-12-04 TSUGAI - Laserfiche WebLink

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LEE: Thank you. You’re right, traffic is increasing as the population grows in East Hawaii, especially in the Hilo area. Also, flood control is also an issue for us that we’re looking at. In fact, in the Waiakea Uka area we have a study going on right now with the Corp of Engineers on how to improve the flood channels. But this is not going to be resolved overnight. I mean, what has happened has happened over a number of years. But relative to the flood channels of the Wailoa River and the channel is the primary way for the rains from a lot of Mauna Kea to get down to the ocean by natural flows. But talking about the on-site drainage, basically the way the Code reads is that every, you know, we live on an island and the island was created by a volcano. So basically it’s a mountain island; and water flows down hill. So the way the Code is written is that if any development on a particular parcel creates an incremental increase or flow, that flow, incremental increase needs to be taken care of on site. Usually that is done with a drywell or some kind of retention facility. So what we’re looking at is not increasing the natural flow to the channels. So the incremental flow, incremental drainage created by say a building, a roof or pavement has to be taken care on site. So that would be done during the, when the applicant submits his engineering plans or site plans, civil design for review to the Department of Public Works. And relative to the traffic situation, Komohana is a major, what we call, collector road. And so we are really concerned about driveways that enter into the, onto the major collector road; and true there is going to be, probably be more development up in the upper Kaumana area, especially with the completion of the Saddle Road. It will be easier to get from East to West and West to East; and that will probably be in the year 2014-2015. So the traffic concerns on Komohana are a concern. So relative to the land use change, which would be Paragraph H, I think that’s covered, if it comes through the Planning Commission. On Paragraph I, as it reads, streetlights and traffic control devices, as may be required by the Traffic Division, Department of Public Works, shall be installed by the applicant, as may be required. So this would, this would be within totally the call of the Department of Public Works. And generally this would be based on is this intersection or this driveway creating an accident area. And when we do our road safety audits and if the Police Department reports out a high number of accidents in this area, then that would be something that would trigger a review by the Department of Public Works. So I hope that kind of addresses the concerns, and the applicant understands how we address the issues that are raised by Commissioners Domingo and Iwashita. WOODWARD: Thank you, Mr. Lee. That was definitely enlightening. Commissioner Iwashita. IWASHITA: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just, so Condition I that talks about traffic control device and so forth, that’s an on-going -? That’s not a condition that’s triggered by any plan approval process? That can be something that the Department can implement as needed? Is that my understanding? LEE: That’s the way I read Condition I. 8 EXHIBIT A