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<br />LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION
<br />COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I
<br />
<br />HEARING TRANSCRIPT
<br />NOVEMBER 17, 2011
<br />
<br />COUNTY COUNCIL INITIATED AMENDMENT TO
<br />A regularly advertised hearing on the
<br />CHAPTER 25, RELATING TO ZONING DISTRICT REGULATIONS
<br />was called to order at
<br />10:40 a.m. in the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Community Center, Building G, 74-5044 Ane
<br />Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, with Chair Geraldine Giffin presiding.
<br />
<br />COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Geraldine Giffin, Brandi Beaudet, Lani Bowman,
<br />Thomas Hickcox, Wayne Iokepa and Thomas Whittemore
<br />
<br />ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Richard Nelson
<br />
<br />ALSO PRESENT: Ivan Torigoe (Deputy Corporation Counsel), BJ Leithead Todd (Planning
<br />Director), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Jeff Darrow (Staff Planner), Maija Cottle (Staff
<br />Planner) and Noriko Sauer (Commission Secretary)
<br />
<br />And one person from the public in attendance.
<br />
<br />INITIATOR - COUNTY COUNCIL
<br />
<br />County Council Bill No. 90, proposing the amendment of Chapter 25, Article 1 and Article 5 of the
<br />Hawai‘i County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as Amended), relating to zoning district regulations for
<br />crematoriums, funeral homes, funeral services, and mortuaries.
<br />
<br />GIFFIN: We are on Agenda Item No. 5. It’s initiated by the County Council. It’s Bill No. 90,
<br />proposing the amendment of Chapter 25, Article 1 and Article 5 of the Hawai‘i County Code 1983,
<br />actually 2005 Edition, as amended, relating to zoning district regulations for crematoriums, funeral
<br />homes, funeral services, and mortuaries. Daryn?
<br />
<br />ARAI: Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, good morning. Good morning, Commissioners. The
<br />County Council transmitted Bill No. 90 to you for your consideration. And the purpose of the
<br />amendment was to grant both mortuaries and crematoriums basically equal footing when it comes
<br />to permitting within the County Code. Generally speaking, mortuaries are well defined within the
<br />Zoning Code. It is permitted basically within the Industrial and Commercial zone districts.
<br />Crematoriums, however, is not permitted within any zone districts; it can only be allowed through a
<br />Use Permit or a Special Permit as that may be granted by the Planning Commission as appropriate.
<br />Now, crematoriums and mortuaries, they are somewhat synonymous as far as uses go. They are
<br />frequently tightly integrated with on another. That is why the Bill also goes further to add the
<br />definition of funeral homes and funeral services as a defining use within the Zoning Code. So
<br />basically, the attempt here is to place funeral services, funeral homes and crematoriums on equal
<br />footing with mortuaries, which is permitted generally in the Commercial and Industrial zone
<br />districts.
<br />
<br />Now, if you look at your Background and Recommendation report, Exhibit B, which is I think the
<br />last page, there is sort of like a diagram that was prepared by the County Council and transmitted
<br />along, I’m sorry, it wasn’t transmitted along with Bill 90, but it was something that was prepared
<br />1
<br />EXHIBIT A
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