2014-11-20 Leeward Exh B (REZ 14-179)

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APPLICANT’S REPRESENTATIVE AND TESTIFIERS: I do. BEAUDET: Thank you. Applicant, if you could introduce yourself. FUKE: Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Commission. My name is Sidney Fuke. I’m a planning consultant and I’m here assisting the applicant. My business address is 100 Pauahi Street in Hilo. HANLEY: I’m Joe Hanley, owner of Orchid Isle. My address is in Hilo, P. O. Box 4397. FUKE: Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, the applicant has had a chance to review the staff’s background report and the proposed conditions, and found them to be on point, and all of the conditions are acceptable. I just wanted to give you a little bit of background as far as like how they came across this property. In the late 60’s, the County had either acquired this property or had this area donated to the County in anticipation of constructing a fire station, but, because the only fire station existing in Kona way back in the early 60’s was only down in Kailua. And what happened then was subsequently the County constructed a new fire station along Palani Road, and then they constructed another one down in Captain Cook, Kealakekua, and then finally above Keauhou and Pu‘uloa, and then the last one, of course, in Mākālei. So if you look at the entire stretch of North and South Kona, you pretty much like have all of the different areas covered. So back in 2007 the County decided that there was really no need for this particular parcel because as you can see from the photos that the staff has shown on the board, this is a remnant parcel, and the only access, realistic access, is coming in from Walua Road after the extension of the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway at the Kuakini Highway intersection. So the County elected to put the property on auction. The adjoining property owner, which is the applicant, acquired the property in 2007. Since that time over the years what had happened is that they kind of gradually improved the site. So as you can see from the staff’s photo, the site is now like a quasi-improved into like a parking area where the applicant currently uses it for their overflow staff parking, as well as, you know, when they have excess vehicle coming into the area. The staff’s condition, you know, to answer Commissioner Unger’s question, is that some of the more appurtenant one is that first of all the staff is recommending that the two properties be consolidated. And the staff (sic) has no objection to that because that is the intent. Because if you have these two separate parcels being developed separately, then whoever is going to develop the subject parcel is going to have to sustain a lot of cost because you are going to have to improve and maintain, not maintain necessarily, but you are going to have to improve Walua Road, and you can see, you saw the decrepit condition of Walua Road right now. So they require that, you know, the lots be consolidated into one. Secondly, that they do have to come in for Plan Approval, you know, to legitimize what they already have right now, and alternatively if there are going to be any other kind of uses on the property, other than the auto storage or employee parking use, then they are going to have to come in for Plan Approval. I know there have been some concerns, you know, relative to height, you know, and, Director, to answer your question, the current zoning of the property is Ag-1 and the height limit within the 4 EXHIBIT B