2012-03-01 Windward Transcript Graphic Images

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years and again ask for changes. I object to the request for approval to develop without any drainage and street improvements. Why? Because the subject land has lots of flood areas and low areas. The bottom of Kahaopea Street where Awapuhi goes in where he wants to make a new access has flooded. The back of the Doi property has flooded. There’s a big culvert under the highway below there. And let me give you an example of the flooding. The area right below on your site plan where that parcel is, he shows on his site map, the Roadway 3 that he says has not occurred, there’s a parcel right there. I had a couple of billy goats about ten years ago and I tethered one in that area. And I was out shopping with my daughter and it started to thunder and storm and rain, and I said we better go check on that goat. I tied him to an old Ford Bronco. And there was thunder and lightning, and the goat was in the Bronco and the water was up to his shoulders. And my daughter and I had to wade into the area up to our necks to untie the goat and walk him out. We never know when it’s going to rain heavily to cause the flooding. This rain in the past few days has not caused flooding. So I don’t know what the issues are. In the letter I submitted before the February Planning Commission I explained more my objections to the road as it was also an issue. The Lot 3, I believe the staff is wrong. It is still owned by the Margaret Hirose Trust since 1980. She died in ’81. Mr. Yeh’s letter of recently said that Parcel 3 was owned by Tri-Electric or Willy Hirose at the time of the initial application; and that’s wrong. He never was the trustee of that. So that ordinance, I don’t know if that was even correct because I don’t think that Margaret Hirose Trust was in the initial application. I’d like to ask the Planning Department in the future or now to require certified copies of land ownership or current title for each, from each of the applicants. Awapuhi Street floods. And as far as developer’s rights, I believe that Roland has a right to do what he wants with the land; but if this won’t work it won’t work. I think it would be great area for an urban park or even a dog park. Thank you. KERN: Thank you. Any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, thank you. Russell Doi? DOI: No, she going, yeah? KERN: We can change that. That’s fine. So just give us your name and area you represent, or address if you prefer; and you’ve got three minutes. SONG: Sure, sure. My name is Sandra Song and I’m representing Russell Doi. And I was asked to speak today. I spoke on that, the other issue on the land ownership before and I won’t address that. I just want to be very brief. When the applicant submits, we do something in Hilo that’s different on the location of property. If people want to know where this building is they say it’s the old JC Penney building. If it’s something in Hilo Shopping Center, they say the old Sears. All right, the applicant when they submitted the application, when they submitted the request for this extension said this property was the old Hirose Nursery property. And there is a lot of significance to the old Hirose Nursery property. And I just want to provide some background to the Commission and why this is so important to Russell Doi. In 1930 Russell’s grandfather brought the first orchids into the State of Hawaii. And as you may know the orchid industry is an important industry in the State of Hawaii today. The first cut flowers were shipped from Hawaii in 1942 and within the next eight years Hawaii became the world’s leading 10 EXHIBIT E