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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN COU LIMITED MTG 2024-10-15 (2022-2024) (BILL 169, DRAFT 3) LIMITED MEETING OF THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL Bill 169, Draft 3 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 CALL TO ORDER: A limited meeting to consider Bill 169, Draft 3, was called to order at 3:00 p.m. by Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Chair. ATTENDANCE: Present: Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Chair Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Vice Chair Ms. Cindy Evans, Member Ms. Michelle M. Galimba, Member Ms. Jenn Kagiwada, Member Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member Absent& Excused: Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member PURPOSE OF Pursuant to Section 92-3.1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, a limited meeting was THE LIMITED held in order to conduct multiple on-site inspections in regards to Bill MEETING: No. 169, Draft 3. CHR. KIMBALL: We will go ahead and get started to our first location, which is, Rebecca? MS. VILLEGAS: We are going to the top of Lako Street. CHR. KIMBALL: All right. So we will now make our way to the top of Lako Street. Thank you. Any questions? We're good, all right. (At 3:00 p.m., the Council Members departed from the West Hawaii Civic Center, making their way to their first stop at the top of Lako Street.) MS. VILLEGAS: Just to begin, as we approach closer to the site, I'd like to point out on the left is one of the other major flood corridors that run through Kona. Hawaii County Council–Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 This flood corridor goes through Bolton's property and is the cause of massive brown water occurrences that have been happening more and more frequently, directly negatively impacting the coral reef ecosystems there. We are also now about to go through the Puapuaanui stoplight. And during the last flooding occurrence, this whole road was two feet in water, and the flood channelization work that had been done for that neighborhood was a complete failure. This will also be the site of our last stop on our tour to show the neighborhood potentially directly connected to the Kona Three (LLC). We are just about—on your makai side will be the beginning of the property. You're going to see a first culvert here on the left,which is one of the flood corridors that flows through the property that was directly responsible for flooding Kuakini Highway recently in a feet of water a few years ago. It caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage. This is the other flood corridor. So this is the bottom location of where it passes under the highway. This area right here is where it's proposed to be the access point to the highway. MR. INABA: Could we get a clip of that,please? MS. VILLEGAS: You'll note we're already in a very complex traffic area situation. This is the Kealakowa`a Heiau, sacred for the processing of the koa logs yes, please, turning left—that were brought down from up in the forest in H61ualoa. That's where the logs were prepared to transition from their spiritual journey from the forest to becoming a wa`a, and transitioning to being used in the ocean. We're now turning up Lako, which is one of the main arteries and corridors in Kona. Where we have the gas station here, we then have land owned by Kamehameha Schools, recently bulldozed on the perimeter for fire safety, hazard mitigation, and fenced. And we're about to head into the Kona Vistas. Both on your right and your left are the areas that are included in Kona Vistas' first three phases of development. Go ahead and just drive to the top of Lako. Go to the very top. You'll note the homes look like very high-end homes, but at the inception of this property, many of these homes were not. But as real estate prices escalated, Kona was discovered and this view plane has obviously been appreciated. It has expanded. MR. HENRICKS: Corporation Counsel (inaudible). MS. VILLEGAS: Okay. Page 2 Hawaii County Council–Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 MS. EVANS: So is this the property right here? MS. VILLEGAS: Yes. The property's on the left. MR. INABA: I think it would be helpful, Charlie, if we can get some of the street view as she's describing it. We're just sitting here. MS. VILLEGAS: Candy, when we get to the top of the road, it's a little odd but you're kind of going to basically do a U-turn and park on the side of the road coming back down Lako. You see the side lane with the white there? MS. ALNAS: Here? MS. VILLEGAS: No, on that side. MS. ALNAS: Okay. MS. VILLEGAS: Clear. MS. ALNAS: And then we'll make a U-ey, you were saying? MS. VILLEGAS: Yup. Clear. Nice driving. Then just park in this side area. Perfect. Right here. (At 3:19 p.m., the Council Members arrived at their first stop at the top of Lako Street, near the intersection of Lako Street and Hualalai Road.) MS. VILLEGAS: Okay, I'd like to point out, if you will follow me in this direction. On September 17'', the recent flooding event—you've seen the communication (see Comm. 896.213) so this is where that flooding came through. And you'll notice the video—well, right here, Hualalai mauka and Hualalai Bridge makai, and the depth and breadth of this waterway. MS. EVANS: Do you know what the elevation is, like the height that the (inaudible) goes up 2,000 feet? MS. VILLEGAS: Well, it's to the top of the mountain. MS. EVANS: Yeah. (Inaudible.) MS. VILLEGAS: And you'll note on your notes in the flood corridor map, this is that flood corridor you begin to see. Does anyone have any other questions? MS. EVANS: Yeah. Could you remind me how many acres were we looking at? Page 3 Hawaii County Council—Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 MS. VILLEGAS: The property itself is, I believe, 67 acres. MS. EVANS: Sixty-seven, okay. (At 3:26 p.m., the Council Members made their way to their second stop, a cul-de-sac at the northern end of Liholiho Place.) MS. VILLEGAS: It will be the sixth right, Candy. The sixth right. MR. HENRICKS: Charlie, can you get a view of the land we're traveling on? Thank you. MS. VILLEGAS: This is the cul-de-sac at Liholiho. Could we stop and we can get out. (At 3:27 p.m., the Council Members arrived at their second stop.) MS. VILLEGAS: So this is actually an easement, so we can go to a gate that is (inaudible). You'll see to the right a flood corridor. Work had been done prior, but that's you'll see cement, an attempt at a retaining wall to mitigate flooding. It sure had made a threatening to come to the south and interact with the properties south of(inaudible). CHR. KIMBALL: Is this the part where you(inaudible)? MS. VILLEGAS: The property begins at this gate, but this is a proposed access point from Lako to the site. When you walk up to the gate, you'll see the flood corridor right there. You can see the nice rocks, which have recently been scrubbed clean by the flooding that came through. (At 3:33 p.m., the Council Members headed to their third stop, the northern end of Kekuanaoa Place.) MS. VILLEGAS: Stop 3 is the north end of Kekuanaoa, which will be your second right after you get on Lako. It'll be this right, right here. Now, go down to the end of the cul-de-sac and park. (At 3:35 p.m., the Council Members arrived at their third stop.) MS. VILLEGAS: So you'll see, once again, the flood corridor coming through. Unfortunately, due to the growth and much of the underbrush right now, we're not able to see our way to the cultural sites that were pointed out and testified as to the portions of a h6lua slide. Page 4 Hawaii County Council—Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 CHR. KIMBALL: Rebecca, is this the flood corridor that is the County easement? Or is that further on the other side? MS. VILLEGAS: They both are theoretically but they don't align geographically to what the actual flood corridors are. CHR. KIMBALL: Right. MS. VILLEGAS: This is also the location of the photos that were presented in testimony of the `io and the pueo, which are undergoing stressors. (At this point, the Council Members headed back to the van and made their way to their fourth stop.) MR. INABA: That flood corridor is, at least on some of the maps, one of two at this elevation that then converge into one larger one a little further down the property. So there is another one at this elevation. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: (Inaudible.) MR. INABA: Yes. At least on the real property tax map, this is one of the corridors. MS. VILLEGAS: This is the flooding that occurred on September 17'h at this exact location (see Stop 3 of Comm. 896.213). CHR. KIMBALL: And that's part of the communication attached. MS. VILLEGAS: Yes. CHR. KIMBALL: We'll make sure that DPW (Department of Public Works) is available the next time this is heard on an agenda to confirm ownership and all that, with respect to these. So we're going back up to Lako? MS. VILLEGAS: Nope. We're going down from here. The next site will be at MR. HENRICKS: We're turning right here? MS. VILLEGAS: No, not here. Go straight at Lako. Sorry, back to Lako but not up to Lako. CHR. KIMBALL: Yeah. We're going down now. Page 5 Hawaii County Council—Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 MS. VILLEGAS: Yeah. CHR. KIMBALL: Stop 4. MS. VILLEGAS: Stop 4 is going to beessentially, you're going to go to the highway and take a right at the stoplight. And then we're going to go, I'll tell you, you're going to go into a merge lane to turn left. MR. INABA: Are we going to switch the view? MS. VILLEGAS: Yup. Noted, once again, we are early on this trip to be experiencing or witnessing what is called "Lako block-up." MR. INABA: This is the intersection of Lako and Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway (inaudible). MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you. I appreciate it. So you're going to go in this left- hand turning lane. Follow the bus. So we're going to turn (inaudible) and you're going to see a point; you can pull out right here on the right by the gate. Perfect. And in front of us, the water was all the way up to that campaign sign that you see there on Kuakini Highway, is where the flooding had impacted all the way to (inaudible) Kuakini Highway. (At 3:42 p.m., the Council Members arrived at their fourth stop, the intersection of Kuakini Highway and Highway 11.) MS. VILLEGAS: We are going to get out so you can see the culverts and the size of them. MS. STRANCE: I would caution everybody to be careful. We're in a high- traffic area. So please stay out of the roadways. MS. VILLEGAS: Yes. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you. MS. KAGIWADA: Oh, I see. From here to the sign, not up to the sign. Got it. I was confused. MS. VILLEGAS: But it came this way because the other MS. KAGIWADA: I got it. I saw the pictures. Page 6 Hawaii County Council–Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 MS. VILLEGAS: Yeah. Gotcha. So this is where that flood corridor then goes under the highway and comes out through here. In your communication, you have a(inaudible) of rushing water. That rushing water, you'll see there's a very large flood corridor there that comes through. It goes under the highway. This property right here has been identified as, I believe it was Lot 25. That was the property intended to be given to the County to build affordable housing on, which the whole portion of the property is a drainageway. The water goes through here and then impacts the neighborhoods of Royal Poinciana and below. (At this point, the Council Members headed back to the van.) MS. VILLEGAS: You see where those signs and cones are on the right-hand side there? MS. ALNAS: Yes. MS. VILLEGAS: You're just going to drive past that and you can turn into the parking lot there to turn around and come back this way. MS. ALNAS: Okay. MS. VILLEGAS: Because, the last stop will be—turn around there. The last stop will be up in Pualani Estates. MS. ALNAS: Okay. MS. VILLEGAS: Next, we're going to drive up, is that a hundred yards, on Kuakini Highway, and we'll just see, as we pass before we turn around, the other flood corridor outlet which also contributed to the flooding of Kuakini Highway recently. (At 3:48 p.m., the Council Members headed to their fifth stop to view the floodplain of the subject parcel from Kuakini Highway.) MS. VILLEGAS: I don't know if there are still traffic cones and markers here. Go slowly and you'll see the movement and quite a bit of cleanup, but you'll see the gullies on the side of the road. Great driving, Candy. CHR. KIMBALL: Yes, excellent. So is this where Stop 5 is? MS. VILLEGAS: Stop 5 isn't a real stop per se. Page 7 Hawaii County Council—Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 CHR. KIMBALL: Okay. MS. VILLEGAS: It's more of a drive-by turnaround spot. CHR. KIMBALL: Okay. So we are at Stop 5 now? MS. VILLEGAS: Yes. CHR. KIMBALL: At 3:49, we're at Stop 5, which is just to turn us back towards the main highway. (At 3:49 p.m., the Council Members arrived at their fifth stop and continued on to their sixth stop.) MS. EVANS: Now, if you turn us that way, we'll see some of this land, right? Some of the land to the left? MS. VILLEGAS: No, this is not the property. The site is everything mauka of the highway. MS. EVANS: Oh, got it. Okay. MS. VILLEGAS: Now, we're going to go left. MS. EVANS: So this property starts right here about? MS. VILLEGAS: About. MS. EVANS: Okay. MS. VILLEGAS: This portion is owned by the church, directly up the cliff. This is included. This is where the property begins. (Inaudible) again. This is the property on our left hereI'm sorry, the right. Here's the other flood corridor. This has recently been sold. So now we're entering Pualani Estates that was originally built with a larger percentage for affordable housing. It was done by a lottery system. Also note the version of the flood corridor mitigation, which is essentially just a basin with no entrance or exit. And we're going to turn to the right. MS. ALNAS: Now? MS. VILLEGAS: Yup. And go through a neighborhood. Page 8 Hawai`i County Council—Limited Meeting, Kailua-Kona,Hawai`i October 15, 2024 Bill 169, Draft 3 MR. INABA: So it's Hoomama Street to the mauka boundary of the Lunalilo Park, also known as the "Blue Park." MS. VILLEGAS: That's the baseball field we just approved of the scoreboard for. CHR. KIMBALL: Oh, okay. MS. VILLEGAS: The purpose of seeing this is that this was a proposed connector road in order to connect the neighborhoods prior to agreeing to create a highway connector, which would put the traffic from the site all flowing down this street to the stoplight at Puapuaanui. Would anyone like to get out and look at the boundary? CHR. KIMBALL: (Inaudible) at the parcel there? MS. VILLEGAS: No. CHR. KIMBALL: Okay. MS. VILLEGAS: That's not the parcel. This is the (inaudible) road and the homes that are here. CHR. KIMBALL: Okay, so it's 3:53. We are at Stop 6. We're leaving Site 6 and headed back to the West Hawai`i Civic Center. (At 3:53 p.m., the Council Members arrived at their sixth stop, the south end of Hoomama Street, and made their way back to the West Hawai`i Civic Center.) ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 3:53 p.m. COUNTY CLERK JH/dg Page 9