2016-05-05 Hearing Transcript - James Ishii REZ 16-204

Home

I understand that Manono's an artery for commuting, but have you ever been out there at 6 or 6:30 in the morning. There are children out there. There are kids trying to get to school. Many college individuals throughout the day walking back and forth to school. Three office buildings would increase the traffic tremendously, and I believe it would just increase the risk for persons walking or riding their bike on that street. You just spent a lot of money revamping that portion of Manono to put in bike lanes and sidewalks, and to add three office buildings, and the additional traffic, would put everyone at risk. When we bought there, we bought with the idea that hopefully, we would be able to retire there because it's centrally located. I believe three office buildings that have the potential, great potential, for sitting empty will decrease our property value. The other issue I want to bring up is that there are many, many people in H.P.Hawaiian Paradise Park and Leilani Estates and Pahoa that would give anything to live in town. Dwellings for residential are few and far between in Hilo, Downtown, and they're not necessarily reasonably priced. I would prefer to see homes built on those lots. Two homes per lot. That would give six additional homes for people to relocate to centrally Hilo and closer to their jobs. As you know, the traffic is horrendous going to Pahoa and also in the morning coming to Hilo. There are many, many workers who travel that route, and they are besides themselves. They would love to live in Hilo. So, please, do not approve three additional office buildings that I don't believe at all are needed. Thank you. HEAUKULANL Thank you, Ma'am. Sir? MCCOY: Hi. My name is Buel McCoy. I own the property at 1046 Manono Street, these folks neighbor directly across the street, the property that's zoned C-10 [sic]. I bought it at about three years ago. At that time, I bought it from, I believe, he's a mortgage broker that as I understood had a mortgage office in there. I could be wrong. That's the way it was presented to me. I'm here to support the measure and the request on the part of Mr. Ishii. I've been on the Big Island for 46 years. I came here as a 19 year old kid. I'm 66 now. I've owned my own business for many years here. I've paid rent on commercial buildingsa fortune of rent over the years. I was a Goodyear dealer on the Big Island for 16 years. Finally, I have an opportunity to have a fee simple piece of property that's zoned commercial. I admit I haven't done anything with it. In the last three years, my plans changed. I previously had a bookstore which was going to go in there, and we sold the bookstore we had in Hilo and Kona. So, I haven't proceeded with that, but I really believe it's important that there is opportunities for people to own and develop commercial property in a reasonable price range as that is available on Manono or through rezoning. Otherwise, you have people that come to Hawaii or people that live here, and it's the same situation. You run across the same people that control almost all of the commercial property. I think it's wonderful that there is opportunities where small businessmen can buy into 6 EXHIBIT C