2011-05-10 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes

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Commissioner Stanbro opined that the sign looked aesthetically fine, and that the proposed placement height seemed proportionally more appropriate than the height specified in the Sign Code. Commissioner Dunlap disclosed that he was Dr. Yokoyama’s patient and his company had built Dr. Yokoyama’s suite. And upon confirmation by Mr. Mark that such circumstances did not necessitate recusal, he said that the sign as proposed would serve its purpose, which was to direct people to their destination; since the subject business was located on the second floor, it made sense to mount the sign on the second floor level rather than the ground floor level. It was moved by Commissioner Hetherington, and seconded by Commissioner Stanbro, to recommend to the Public Works Director approval of the sign application as submitted, including the placement height. Mr. Childs commented that considering the role of the Commission, their concurrence that the proposed design and placement height met the aesthetic requirements, as called for in the Master Plan, would be a valid point to make, if the Commission wished to further affirm their favorable recommendation. Commissioner Hetherington then amended his motion to add the following: It was the feeling of the Commission that the proposed placement location was acceptable and appropriate for the building and the circumstances, as it pertained to its height on the building. The amendment was seconded by Commissioner Stanbro and approved by a unanimous voice vote. A roll call vote on the amended main motion was taken and the motion carried with seven ayes (Hetherington, Stanbro, Au Hoy, Burns, Dunlap, Herbert and Saito) and one absent and excused (Power). 2.Design review of a sign permit application for a marquee sign for Big Island Honda. Applicant: Big Island Honda. Land Owners: Lanihau Properties, LLC. TMK: 7-4-005:087. Located at 75-5608 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i. Mr. Childs oriented the Commissioners regarding the subject and surrounding properties on the location map, and described the proposed sign. He noted that although the application termed the sign as a marquee sign, it actually met the definition of a wall sign pursuant to the Sign Code. He also noted that the applicant’s representative had just informed him of an error in their application that the sign would actually be mounted below the existing marquee while the application described it to be mounted above. He added, however, that the sign might still exceed the maximum placement height limitation. He said that he had also verified with the representative that none of the other signs depicted in the application existed or were currently proposed. He further said that there was an existing ground sign and a roof sign within the property, neither of which he found any record of being permitted. He concluded his presentation, saying that the design and coloration of the proposed sign appeared to comply with the Signage Criteria Guidelines for Review in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona, except for the use of a glossy material; however, he pointed out for the Commission’s consideration that the area of the sign was small and the location for the sign was over 100 feet from the public roadway. The applicant’s representative from Big Island Honda, Marty Barger, gave some background information, and said that he thought the sign was reasonable from the perspective of appearance and location. The Chair agreed that the sign would perform the function of indicating where their service center was. In response to Commissioners’ questions, Mr. Barger said that he had no personal knowledge about the permit status of the existing signs, and that the illumination of the proposed sign would stay on until 2