2013-08-01 Windward Planning Commission Transcript PD UH

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Now getting rid of the 80-foot road widening or future roadway is great conceptually and you can say, well, in the future we’re going to do plans and studies and so forth. But what if those plans and studies say, well, the bridge to connect Nowelo to Lanikāula is going to cost us several million dollars so it’s not feasible. Well, I mean, somehow they got enough money to build the bridge for Nowelo which really goes nowhere and serves no purpose. So the idea is that if you keep the 80-foot right-of-way on some kind of government documentation, they cannot later say, well, we did the study and it’s not working to our benefit so we’re not going to put it in. So once you get rid of the 80-foot roadway there’s nothing to keep them from committing to alleviating traffic in that area. So, I mean, they can, you know -. Again, I’m not against the University. I’m just against extra traffic down my roadway. And by getting rid of another major roadway that could connect mauka-makai that could alleviate some traffic off of Mohouli with no comprehensive plan currently in place to alleviate traffic on Mohouli, it just makes no sense to me because you’re getting rid of an opportunity for the community to help improve traffic congestion. So that would be my concern. It’s just not, they won’t have anything to hold them to making sure something like that happens if you get rid of the 80-foot future roadway. ISHIBASHI: Questions for the testifier? Okay, thank you. Okay, Commissioners, Agenda Item No. 6 on the docket right now. What is the pleasure of the Commission? MOSES: Chair? ISHIBASHI: Yes, Commissioner Moses. MOSES: You know, I hear what testifier Mr. Santiago is saying. And I, I am in support of changing the zone for the University; but I am not, at this time, in support of deletion of the proposed 80-foot right-of-way for that very reason that he stated. I understand that the Department of Transportation will be requiring that they do environmental impact statements but there is nothing that will hold the University to having to actually do something that will address Mr. Santiago’s concern, as I’m sure other people who utilize that. So that’s just my feeling. ISHIBASHI: Thank you, Commissioner Moses. Yeah, those who drive that road, yeah, you see the traffic up Mohouli. It’s kind of, it’s one of the famous sign waiving locations. So you know the traffic is there if you’ve got to waive signs. So it’s a good one. Commissioner Henkel, please. HENKEL: Yeah. If we leave the, or if the 80-foot right-of-way is left, that’s, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s going to be a road built there, right? ARAI: Because it’s prescribed on the zone district map, even though it may not follow that specific alignment, any development in that area has to accommodate and maintain the functionality of that alignment. It may not follow the precise alignment, but somehow the UH will have to program in its development plans a connection from Komohana Street to Kumukoa Street, basically implementing what that alignment is intending to accomplish, as shown on your Zone District Maps. So in the future if it remains on the Zone District Map, we’re going to be looking at seeing something hard and fast on the ground, in one way, shape or form. 13 EXHIBIT B