REP PC 017 2021/05/18 (2020-2022)

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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DATE: May 18, 2021 Re: Comm. No. 233/Bill No. 34 PLACE: Council Chambers Hilo, Hawaii TIME: 11:13 a.m. Council Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Bill No. 34, reports as follows: Bill No. 34 amends Section 25-8-33 (City Of Hilo Zone Map), Article 8, Chapter 25 (Zoning Code) of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, As Amended), by changing the District Classification from Open To Industrial - Commercial Mixed - 20,000 Square Feet(MCX-20) at Piopio, Waiakea,Hawaii. Tax Map Keys: 2-2-001:008, 017, 018, 019, 024, 030, and 034. The applicants are Martin Anderson Declaration Trust,Norman Abraham Pi`ianaia Revocable Living Trust and Kapoho Properties, LLC. Bill No. 34 was introduced by Committee Chair Ashley Kierkiewicz, by request. Mr. Garth Yamanaka was present in the Hilo Council Chambers to represent the applicant and provide information and further historic details of the property. The long-standing activity conducted on the subject property is not a permittee use within the current Open designation, which was created for these parcels and the surrounding area due to tsunamis occurring in the past. The Industrial-Commercial Mixed designation would bring the use into conformance. The property is made up of seven parcels, which would be consolidated and subdivided into four parcels to reduce ground coverage requirements. Mr. Yamanaka noted that there was no intention to further develop the property, but a clear use designation would provide access to capital for improvements and would increase chances of attracting tenants. Planning Director Zendo Kern appeared via Zoom, and Deputy Director Jeff Darrow was present in the Hilo Chambers to answer any questions. The property, known as the Old Hilo Iron Works building, sits on the bank of the Wailoa River between the Waiakea Pond and Bayfront Park and survived two tsunamis. Several Committee Members pointed out the vicinity of the property to natural resources often used by the public and asked how the property owners will ensure environmental protection and whether climate change induced sea level rise was adequately taken into consideration. Planner Alex Roy was present in the Hilo Chambers and described how he had applied sea level rise models and predictions which estimated that sea level rise, in the worse-case scenario, would not pose a threat to this property within the next 150 years. Committee Member Holeka Inaba asked why the affordable housing condition was removed, to which Mr. Darrow responded that the application did not meet certain thresholds that would require that condition. PC Report No.: 17