2017-02-21 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes

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Mr. Dunlap displayed site photographs to familiarize the Commissioners with the subject property, and described the proposed project. Mr. John Hetherington, the architect for the project, introduced himself, and said he was representing Mr. Eric Kim, one of the partners of the applicant, who was also in attendance. He also introduced Mr. Abraham Kim who was representing JKV Kona LLC, which had recently purchased the subject building. Mr. Hetherington said that the new owner was planning a lot of capital improvements, as the building had been built in 1970’s. Mr. Hetherington said that one of the capital improvements would be repainting of the entire exterior, which was presently included in the application. He displayed color samples of “Sleigh Bells” and “Webster Green” for the siding and the primary trim, respectively, which he said were either from or similar to the Benjamin Moore Historic Color Collection recommended for the Kailua Village. Also displayed was a color sample of “Nova Scotia Blue”; he said that it might appear bolder than what was typically used in the Kailua Village, but that it would only be for the window trim of K’s House for branding, as sky blues and light blues would be used for the interior of the restaurant. He said that the patio fencing, which would be stained redwood, would be brought down lower to make the dining activities more visible and create a welcoming atmosphere. He added that movable umbrellas would replace the existing trellises in the outdoor area. Speaking to the flat roof of the proposed storage area behind the patio, Mr. Hetherington acknowledged that flat rooflines were typically discouraged in the Kailua Village; he said, however, that since most of the storage area would be underneath the existing roof above, only the fascia would be visible from Kuakini Highway. Mr. Hetherington also explained the floor plan of K’s House, and said that the restrooms were designed to be accessible from both the restaurant dining area and the outdoor patio, as the bar and the patio would stay open later at night than the restaurant. Commissioner Au Hoy asked whether the restrooms would satisfy the need of all the businesses and customers in the mall. Mr. Hetherington clarified that the restrooms in question were not intended to serve the entire mall, and that some businesses, such as the Chinese restaurant, had their own restrooms. He further clarified that even though there was a correlation between the two, the proposal before the Commission was specific to K’s House and separate from renovations of the entire mall. He agreed, however, that the existing restroom facility at the upper floor was outmoded, and said that the need would be addressed. In response to Commissioner Andreae’s question regarding access to the restaurant, Mr. Hetherington said that customers could enter from inside the mall or from the back parking area through the patio. Commissioner Andreae asked whether there was any possibility of providing a second driveway onto Kuakini Highway. Mr. Hetherington responded that he had already received disapproval from the authority. He explained that because of the close proximity to the Kuakini Highway-Palani Road intersection, no more driveway connections to Kuakini Highway were permitted. In response to the Commissioners’ questions regarding their landscaping plan, Mr. Hetherington said that they did not have a landscape designer on board for this particular project, and that their intention was to carry over the existing scheme, which was to have foliage about four-foot high with some palm trees. Commissioner Au Hoy recommended trees with a large canopy in place of palm trees to 2