2018-11-07 Hearing Transcript - William Quinn (Pahoa Farm & Garden) SPP 18-199

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this localized area. There is potential for encouraging strip commercial development that may attract the infilling of lands along the Pahoa Bypass by other commercial developments, and such strip development would create rapid growth, could create rapid growth increase and adverse impacts to traffic as multiple access points would be required for such developments. The County currently has no plans to provide infrastructure to accommodate commercial uses along the Pahoa Bypass Road; therefore, it would not be prudent to sanction to spread of such traffic generating commercial uses. Again, we talked about some traffic safety concerns. The Planning Department and members of the public have serious public safety concerns over the potential traffic hazards caused by locating a retail/commercial use along the Pahoa Bypass Road, and particularly in this area that's along a curve. It's—the parcel is located on the inside of a blind curve of the Bypass Road on a hill with limited sight distance potentially making turning movements in and out of the proposed business hazardous and impeding traffic functions on the Bypass Road. We got some comments from the Department of Transportation. This is a Department of Transportation road so to determine that the access is safe and appropriate for commercial uses, State DOT is recommending that prior to the Planning Commission granting a Special Permit, the Applicant be required to submit an access assessment prepared by a professional engineer for review and acceptance by the DOT. The assessment should include verification of sight distance and an evaluation of the driveway for commercial operation, the idea here being that if DOT is not going to grant access for a commercial use here, it doesn't make sense for the Planning Commission to approve a Special Permit. The Applicant has chosen not to conduct the required access assessment prior to the Planning Commission hearing. The Planning Director cannot support a Special Permit for a commercial use if safe access for that commercial use cannot be ensured. Sorry, we're going to switch out our presenters here. Not me, the technology. Pardon me, sorry about this. So, the request is contrary to the General Plan and Puna Community Development Plan. Specifically, the General Plan has a course of action that is explicit about where commercial activities should be in this area. It says, "Centralization of commercial activities in Pahoa Town, rather than along the Pahoa Bypass, to serve the residents of Lower Puna shall be encouraged." The subject property is located outside of the Pahoa Regional Town Center boundaries designated in the Puna CDP; therefore, it's inconsistent with the preferred CDP land use pattern. And, in response to the CDP being adopted in 2008, the County Council in 2012 passed Ordinance 12-89 amending the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map in the area to support the concept of developing Pahoa as a regional town center by designating the land area for higher density urban uses in the town center and directing commercial and industrial uses away from the Pahoa Bypass. EXHIBIT E 4