2018-01-04 Hearing Transcript - Verizon Wireless USE 17-067

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CLARKSON: Okay, will the Windward Planning Commission meeting come back to order? Thank you. We have a—we'll resume the agenda, application from Verizon Wireless and the presentation by Planning staff Maija? JACKSON: Thank you, Mr. Chair. So, the Planning Commission heard this application last year, August 3rd, and since then—well, at that hearing, the Commission granted Norine Fitzgerald standing in a contested case. Ms. Fitzgerald and Verizon went to mediation, and they didn't come to agreement. So, just before the contested case was going to be scheduled, Ms. Fitzgerald withdrew her petition, and you should have a letter dated November 14th from the Planning Department acknowledging that Petition withdrawal. You should also in your package have a letter dated July 17th, and I don't believe this was included in your original package. This letter was from Theresa Billian and then today we received another letter from Theresa Billian along with a two-page petition of neighbors that signed the petition. So, that's all the new information that came in since your last hearing, and since there were two Commissioners that weren't present at the August hearing, I'll go ahead and do the presentation again to bring everybody up to speed. Okay, so this is an application by Verizon Wireless for a Use Permit. The subject property is located in the Puna District in the Eden Roc Subdivision. You can see the property has a red dot over it. You have Volcano Highway running in a north -south direction on the left side of the slide. South Oshiro Road coming down into Eden Roc Subdivision. To the west is the Fern Forest Subdivision; to the east is the Kopua Farm Lots and Fern Acres. The property is zoned Agricultural – 1 acre along with most of the other properties in the subdivision. And, again, just for a little bit more orientation, you have `Ohi`a Avenue, is one of the main roads into Eden Roc Subdivision, and then the cross street is Alapua Street. So, the property is located in the northeast corner of Alapua and `Ohi`a. The General Plan designation for the property is Rural as well as the rest of the subdivision. And, this is an aerial photo showing the subject property outlined in red, and the proposed leased area in a dashed yellow outline. So, the cell tower would generally be located in the middle of that leased area. The closest dwelling is here and it's located about 150 feet from the proposed location of the tower. The Applicant is requesting a Use Permit to allow the construction of a new telecommunication facility. It will consist of a 167 -foot tall steel monopine with 12 eight -foot tall panel antennas and related facilities within a 900 -square foot portion of a one -acre parcel. The 900 -square foot leased area will be fenced and used for accessory ground facilities which will include a radio and battery equipment cabinets, an emergency generator, three surge protectors, and one GPS antenna on a concrete slab foundation. The proposed facility serves to expand coverage within the Eden Roc Subdivision as well as parts of nearby subdivisions of Fern Acres, Fern Forest, Kopua Farm Lots. EXHIBIT D 2