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Nishimoto: Commissioner Nishimoto, if I may chime in. I am thinking that you now, <br />the clientele that golfs is probably a good clientele, and sometimes activity in the area <br />wards off unwanted type of you know homeless or whichever because there's you <br />know, people coming in and out, which kind of is good for the visibility of you know <br />the area. And people will be vigilant in kind of seeing it and taking care, so I'm thinking <br />that that's a positive to the area. <br />Benevides: Okay, and what about traffic on Hoku Street, it's a very narrow street <br />already, is there a study done on impact on traffic for that particular street because <br />people will be coming from Kino`ole to Kilauea? <br />Gonzalez: Brandon Gonzalez, Administrative Officer, when it comes to traffic, or <br />parking and those types of impacts, that's where the Planning Department review takes <br />into consideration, and I think we just heard the update is that Planning approval was <br />met. So, that satisfies that requirement and it's because they're moving into an existing <br />structure already that was there and not doing anything new, that was part of the factors <br />considered I think with the plan review, but that's a good question. And then from the <br />Department's perspective, Commissioner Nishimoto made a good point, our hope is <br />that with more use in the area, there is a mobile population in there from 7-Eleven all <br />the way down to Kilauea, and part of it is because there's nothing going on when it gets <br />dark. So, if there's more activity it may become less attractive for those people to loiter <br />there, but we gotta let it play out, so that might be the balance yeah, but very good <br />question. <br />Benevides: Okay, thank you very much. <br />Gonzalez: Thank you. <br />DeMattos: Aloha, I'm Mike DeMattos and we own the property 89A Hoku Street, and <br />just wanted to concur with the Commission that, that is the hope that a business like <br />this actually improves the community. We had some concerns about traffic and we <br />had some concerns about how the mobile homeless population there might negatively <br />impact the business. But the hope was always that the business would actually create <br />a different environment in that community that would attract people to that community, <br />keep the area busy while allowing the neighborhood to function the way it has. And so <br />think the concerns that my brother-in-law raised are really important, but that's the hope. <br />And Tokunaga's, they were there originally and then moved to the new store, for those <br />of us who obviously grown up around it, so we have great faith that that space can be <br />utilized in a way that improves that community, but we just want to make sure that <br />everyone is aware that that's a community that's facing challenges, and that those <br />challenges are not only in Hilo but throughout the Hawaiian Islands are feeling <br />insurmountable at times. And the hope is that in everything that we do, whether Liquor <br />Commission or other commissions that one eye is always on how to make sure that <br />that community thrives even while it moves forward and with businesses or residential <br />endeavors. So, my family is in support but we want to make sure that eye is always <br />there too, we never want a situation where the community's worldview is missed in the <br />conversation but we're excited to have a good business there. <br />MINUTES - LIQUOR COMMISSION MEETING - THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2026 - HILO PAGE 7 OF 41 <br />