2016-07-29 BDHRA Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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pool in the ocean; you know, those are great ideas and if you have it in your head it’s something we can shoot for. So the thought is to have a real Hilo Bayfront Trails, having the trail along the ocean side of the hotel would bring hundreds of thousands of people past the hotels each day, and thereby benefitting the hotels because their restaurants or their smoothie stands or the bike rental shops, or whatever they might have there could enhance the experience for both their tourists and the local folk who use the trail. And the final thing that we ask is, you know, I know it’s on your guys map, it’s on other people’s map, is the connection of a small pedestrian bridge from the Reeds Bay Park to the Kalaniana‘ole Park that the Rotary Club folks there and, they just call it Rotary Park, but there’s the railroad trusses in the water there. It is a possibility and while you folks have the ability to master plan, please consider that. And you know, whether this be done by bond floats, government funding, CIP projects, or we raise the money through the Bayfront Trails, if we have the plan set and approved on by you folks then that’s the goal that we’re going to aspire to. Either during our time or when we hand the torch to the next guys to carry this trail further, we have the goal to reach. So I’ll be open for any questions if you guys have any. DELIMA: Any questions? Okay. Thank you, Peter. KUBOTA: Thank you very much. BUSINESS OF COMMISSION: 2. Review and discussion of draft conceptual maps for the redevelopment of the Banyan Drive area and update on the outcome of informational meetings held on June 28, 2016 and July 5, 2016 that presented the draft conceptual redevelopment maps to the public along with comments and recommendations received. The chairman directed staff to proceed with the next order of business. Planner Lucas Mead provided a PowerPoint presentation to the Agency (EXHIBIT A). The presentation provided highlights of the feedback received. Mr. Mead announced that there were 75 members of the public in attendance at the first informational meeting, and about 33 at the second meeting. Approximately 50 comments were received by way of oral and email communication. There were about 200 individual topics of comment. MEAD: The most comment received essentially was no support for a new hotel in the gardens. That was viewed quite unfavorably. However, the rest, or most of the other portions of the plan in general received quite a bit of support. Some other common themes here were looking favorably at the new community cultural convention center. There was a lot of support for this. Also favorable was the expansion in the parks. So here we have the gardens expansion, kind of the repurposing of the golf course as well as the idea of multi-modal paths, the accessibility paths, along the lines of the Bayfront Trails project. Page 6 of 20 Banyan Drive Hawai‘i Redevelopment Agency July 28, 2016 Minutes