2013-03-07 Windward Planning Commission Minutes

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recommending approval of a 10-year time extension rather than to delete Condition 2 in its entirety. The applicant’s representatives, Robert Kobayashi, Jr. and Kevin Lee, were in attendance. Mr. Robert Kobayashi, Jr. said their small community operation offers affordable rates, quality services, vehicle safety inspections and 24-hour surveillance 7 days a week, noting they are only one of two repairs shops in the Hawaiian Paradise Park, Ainaloa and Orchidland Subdivisions. He spoke of the need to have such businesses to take care of the needs of the community instead of having people drive all the way into Hilo, referring to the 2010 census bureau count of 22,314 residents in the Orchidland, Paradise Park, Pahoa, Ainaloa and Hawaiian Beaches areas which would increase throughout the years. He said they have had no formal complaints in the 25 years of doing business and noted their vehicle safety inspection service would alleviate the pressure for the DMV located 3 1/2/ miles away and also for their customers. He pointed out that they support locally owned vendors for their tools, etc. where money stays within the County, and added that this was a family-owned business where his cousin Kevin Lee is the head technician, his brother-in-law his assistant, and his dad the manager, overseer and figurehead. In response to the Chair’s inquiry, Mr. Kobayashi stated the applicant has read the Planning Department’s background report and agrees with the recommendation, with conditions. He said the Orchidland Community Association was supportive of only a 5-year extension because of their concern of additional traffic when they do road improvements. In his response to the Community Association’s concern, Mr. Kobayashi said there is a plan to purchase properties in the area to construct a 4-lane highway, with a biker easement and a median, but he was not sure on the status of that. He said he believes the Association is looking in the best interest of Orchidland residents but he did not know if they necessarily spoke for the whole community and district, noting they do not speak for him. In response to Commissioner Ishibashi’s inquiry on the disposal of unwanted oil, Mr. Lee said they do not do any oil changes or deal with fluids of that nature. For the Chair’s information, Mr. Lee said they sell ice for cooling purposes to people that live off the electrical grid. Mr. Kobayashi said they started making ice since the family did a lot of fishing and through interaction with people they provided ice as a service to the community, noting is was not a big economic venture. He noted that if this was a sticking point, the applicant will no longer provide this service. There was no one from the public signed up to testify on this application. It was moved by Commissioner Gonzales, and seconded by Commissioner Ishibashi, that a 10- year time extension be approved as recommended by the Planning Director. Chairman Au, who lives in the Puna District, spoke in support of the application, noting he wished there were more services such as this. Commissioners Gonzales and Ishibashi clarified that the motion includes the conditions as recommended by the Planning Director. A roll call vote was taken and motion carried with four ayes (Gonzales, Ishibashi, Moses, and Au) and one absent and excused (Ono). 2