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WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION <br />COUNTY OF HAWAII <br />HEARING TRANSCRIPT <br />FEBRUARY 1, 2017 <br />A regularly advertised hearing on the application of SUZANNE BENNETT AND JEAN <br />MCKEAGUE (SPP 12-141) was called to order at 9:04 a.m. in the County of Hawaii Aupuni <br />Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii with Vice -Chairman Joseph <br />Clarkson presiding. <br />COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Joseph Clarkson, Donald Ikeda, Myles Miyasato, and Raylene <br />Moses. <br />ABSENT & EXCUSED: Donn Dela Cruz. <br />RECUSED: Gregory Henkel. <br />ALSO PRESENT: Michael Yee (Planning Director), Daryn Arai (Deputy Planning Director), <br />Mafia Ho (Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), Jeff Darrow <br />(Planning Program Manager), Maija Jackson (Staff Planner), Christian Kay (Staff Planner), and <br />Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary). <br />And 17 members from the public in attendance. <br />APPLICANTS: SUZANNE BENNETT AND JEAN MCKEAGUE (SPP 12-141) <br />Request for a 5 -year extension of time to comply with Condition No. 4 (secure and finalize <br />building permits) of Special Permit No. 12-141, which allowed the establishment and operation <br />of a school for K -6th grade instruction on one acre of land situated within the State Land Use <br />Agricultural District. The property is located on 5th Avenue, approximately 1,000 feet northwest <br />of the intersection of 5th Avenue and Kaloli Drive, Hawaiian Paradise Park Subdivision, Puna, <br />Hawaii, TMK: 1-5-053:142. <br />HENKEL: The first agenda item will be presented by Maija Jackson. Before we get to that, I've <br />got a disclosure that I'd like to make. I am going to have to recuse myself from this agenda item. <br />I teach two classes at the Shady Grove School, and I'm biased, frankly. And, so, I'm going to <br />recuse myself, you know, but before I go, I'd like to kind of, you know, explain it. You know, <br />Puna is an underserved district, and charter schools in the State are pretty much underserved. <br />We've, in our district, had a kind of a double whammy of a, recently of Hurricane Iselle and the <br />lava coming to town, and both of those have hurt the school. <br />And, the DOE doesn't help charter schools as much as other schools. We don't get funds for <br />buildings, and so forth. The State spent millions, when the lava was coming, to bring temporary <br />buildings to the DOE schools, and the charter schools didn't get much help at all, and we lost <br />enrollment which, which made it hard. <br />EXHIBIT A <br />