2015-08-06 Hearing Transcript - BWA LLC SPP 04-005

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For orientation purposes, this is the location map. We’re looking in the area of South Hilo, just north of Hakalau. So, this, the darker blue, yellow, and purple areas represent the Hakalau area, and the subject property is identified with a black outline. The white line running in a north- south direction is Hawaiʽi Belt Road or Highway 19. And, this particular parcel is adjacent to the highway. This is a, the County Zoning Map for the area, again for orientation, we have the Hawaiʽi Belt Road, Hawaiian—Highway 19. The subject property is identified with a black outline, and the different colors on the map represent the zoning for the area. This is zoned Agricultural – 20 acres. Some other zonings in the area represent residential, the yellow--Agricultural in the dark blue as well as some Industrial zoned land at the point of Hakalau. The property adjoins the Hawaiʽi Belt Road as well as Leopolino Road and the Old Māmalahoa Highway. This is the State Land Use Boundary Map. The subject property is identified in light green which represents State Land Use Agricultural District. This is the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map. This, the subject property is identified as Important Agricultural Lands. And, this is an aerial photo. Again, we have the Hawaiʽi Belt Road running in a north-south direction. Access to the property is from Leopolino Road as well as Old Māmalahoa Highway. The Applicant is requesting amendments to condition, conditions of Special Permit No. 04-005 which include a five-year time extension to Condition 2 which is the construction timeline to complete the project, and also to extend the operating hours under Condition No. 3 to begin at 7 a.m. and end at dusk/sunset daily, including weekends. th Special Permit No. 04-005 was initially approved on June 5, 2005, by the Planning Commission to World Botanical Gardens to allow the construction of a visitor’s center, parking lot, and related improvements on approximately 3.5 acres of land. The subject property is actually 26.27 acres. The reasons for the request for Condition No. 2 include years of litigation to seize control over the board of the original applicant, World Botanical Gardens Inc., as well as the economic downturn beginning in 2008 which suppressed the visitor market and made it impossible to meet the June 8, 2015 construction deadline. The reason for Condition No. 3 is to allow flexibility in its program offerings by providing visitors with the opportunity to come earlier and stay later and take advantage of different program offerings including zipline operations, botanical garden tour and visits, visitor tours, as well as Segway tours. This is a copy of the original site plan. For orientation, on the bottom of the map, we have Hawaiʽi Belt Road, access from Leopolino Road on the left side of the map, and we have Old 2 EXHIBIT B