2016-02-04 Hearing Transcript - PD Initiated Redevelopment Area Banyan Drive

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This is something that we should really consider in the light of what State government has just recently said—that affordable housing and homelessness are their highest priorities. If we are to designate Banyan Drive as a redevelopment area, then that money should be put to use to improve residential use and perhaps expand it. We’re all sorry to see Uncle Billy’s perhaps going under but there’s a new developer from Oahu who was born here in Hilo and wants to take the property over. At our last meeting, we had Reed’s Bay owner, Don, \[sic\] tell us that he would love a long-term lease. Well, what does that mean? That means that for the three properties that are immediately before you as the most critical to make decisions about, that Reed’s Bay is willing to take care of its own. They’re willing to reinvest and stay in business as a mixed hotel-residential property. The Uncle Billy’s has a new developer who, very likely, would love a long-term lease and to acquire that property and nurture it, partly ‘cause he is a Hilo boy, and this is something he feels strongly about. He’s not just involved for the short term for a few months. This is an interest in expanding his legacy. That being said, we’re left with Country Club. Country Club has long-term residential use for the most part as it has for many decades. Of the people who are living there now would love to form a cooperative, getting long-term lease, pay that lease and finally, start taking seriously our utility bills. You may or may not realize it, but we have over $400,000 that we owe the electric company at this point. That’s from years of neglect of our most essential bills. Current management runs the place with over a dozen employees. The next door, Bayview Banyan, a larger property, has two. I’ve owned apartment buildings before. Having two full-time employees is fairly normal. Having a dozen is ridiculous. What we need, I would suggest, is either to rethink whether we want to, at taxpayer expense, invest in Banyan Drive, when the three properties are willing to take care of their own future. It would be much easier for the people who are now spending $750, $850 a month at Country Club to bring that down to $450 or so, which is still higher than the average condominium pays in the entire State of Hawaiʽi. But, that would be plenty for the kind of rehabilitation that our building needs. If you’re going to recommend a redevelopment project, I would suggest that it be done for the purpose of redeveloping and improving existing properties for long-term residential use. Affordable housing is a big need. Affordable housing for the elderly is an especially big need. I would love if Uncle Billy’s is not going to be taken over by this outside developer, and there’s no other lease buyer interested, I would love to see that facility change into an elder care facility. So, thank you. HEAUKULANI: Thank you. Is there any other members of the public that wish to be heard on this agenda item? Hearing none, Commissioners, I need a motion to close public hearing. MOSES: I make a motion to close public hearing. HEAUKULANI: Motion by Commissioner Moses. 7 EXHIBIT C