2011-05-19 Leeward Exh A - 327 Kona

Home

BOWMAN: Thank you. Would you state your name and address? FUKE: Sure. Good morning, Madam Chair, Members of the Commission. My name is Sidney Fuke. I’m a planning consultant. My business address is 100 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i. With me this morning are the applicants, Mr. Tom Smith and Arturo Litwak, who both flew in from the mainland a few days ago for this hearing. They are part of the group called 327 Kona LLC. Just by way of background, the reason why 327 Kona LLC was formed, I mean, you know, they purchased 327 acres of land, and that’s the reason why it’s 327 LLC. The subject area is a portion of this 327 acres. Now, we’ve had a chance to review the staff’s background report and the Director’s proposed recommendation. We have absolutely no problem with the background report because, you know, it’s very accurate. We do, of course, differ with the Director’s recommendation. We do understand the Director’s position, you know, in light of the Kona Community Development Plan. And if the Commission would indulge me, I’d like to go over a presentation that, you know, with the kindness of your staff; they enabled me to have whatever I was going to present on your PowerPoint just to make it easier for the presentation purposes. So, okay, the Planning Department’s -. Oh, it’s yours. Nope. Where are mine? Okay, here is where we begin. The reasons for the denial recommendation: If you read the staff’s background report, it said it was not because of the General Plan Land Use Map, you know, because it’s within the General Plan Urban Expansion Area; and it was not because there is no water, because there is more than sufficient water commitment for the project; it was not because of any archaeological or other environmental constraints, because there is no archaeological impacts, you know, we did the study, everything was done; and it’s not within any floodway; it is not because they are not going to be providing any affordable housing or make their fair share contribution, because they are required as a condition of all zone change to comply with the County affordable housing requirements, and in addition to that, the fair share requirements. And the denial recommendation, if you read carefully, it’s also not citing any of community or public agency objections; neither the Police, Fire, you know, had, or Public Works Department, had any objections to the request. The question then is, why was, what motivated the Department to recommend denial? And the only reason they came up with was because of the Kona Community Development Plan in relative to the concurrency issue. Specifically, as the staff pointed out, it says that the Kealaka‘a Street extension, essentially between Palani Road and Hina Lani Street, must be completed before occupancy can occur. And at this point in time we all know that the timetable of its completion is unknown. And so, that essentially is the primary reason for the denial. This is the map of the Kona Urban Area reflected in the Kona Community Development Plan. And what I’ve tried to do is, this is the 327-acre property, and this area outlined in red is the so-called Kona Urban Area. And if you can see, you know, there is, a lot of urban area is being directed towards, you know, where we are sitting right now, you know, in the Kona Palisades, the Kona Acres area. And largely the thrust behind creating urban zones in this area is to minimize pressures for development for your better agricultural land, which would be outside of your Urban Area like, you know, Hōlualoa and Kealia and heading down South Kona. So, as the growth occurs in the North and South Kona area, there has to be a competition for this area. So the Plan, you know, reflective essentially of the General Plan basically saying that let us focus development in this area, which does not have very competitive agricultural resources. 3 EXHIBIT A