2011-09-13 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes

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 Good examples of signs adhering to the character of the area can be found at the Parker Ranch Center in Kamuela (ranch country theme) and in the Lahaina Town on Maui (whaling town theme).  The Commission should strongly recommend that the Sign Code be enforced.  Businesses with existing signs can be given a grace period of five to seven years before they must comply with the amended Sign Code, at which time they may be more willing to invest in new signage, while new applications must comply as of the effective date.  The Commission may want to consider going forward with the KVSD section, to the extent it can, independent of the Department of Public Works who has been working on the amendment to the entire Sign Code for years.  According to Section 25-7-5 of the County Code, the KVSD boundaries were subject to review in 1979 and every five years thereafter by the County Council, and may be amended as appropriate. The amendment to the KVSD section of the Sign Code could be incorporated into this redistricting process instead of the island-wide Sign Code amendment. The prospective committee can explore this option as well.  Although they are not responsible for the Sign Code, the Council members, especially the one representing this district, should be informed of the ineffectiveness of the current Sign Code, the signage mess as a result of non-compliance, confusion and frustration of the community, and the difficulty the Commission is faced with.  The Commission’s recommendations should be submitted with supportive data such as that of federal traffic studies. The Chair concluded the discussion by requesting the staff to re-agendize this matter for the next meeting, with notation that it would be the final opportunity for the Commissioners to individually present their recommendations and preferred boundaries. Commissioner Dunlap then also requested the Chair and staff to put on the next meeting agenda discussion as to whether or not the Commission, under the authorized powers and duties of the Commission, could be involved in buildings that have been repainted, in order to maintain continuity. NEW BUSINESS 2.Formation of a Sign Code Review Committee of the Kailua Village Design Commission. (The Commission may decide to re-order this agenda item to follow related matters listed below as Unfinished Business.) While recognizing the fact that this item had been postponed a number of times in favor of overview discussions about the Sign Code elements, the Chair still expressed his preference for having the full membership in attendance in order to give every member the opportunity to volunteer or comment. After a short discussion, the Chair requested that this item be put on the next meeting agenda in order to conclude the business, and that the staff inquire of all Commissioners in advance, especially those who would be absent, whether they would be interested in serving on the subject committee. There were no objections. 5