HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0019.027 2002-2004 Testimony of Jillian Marohnic
for County Council Public Hearing 8 January 2003
RE: Change of Zone Application (REZ 02-011), Maurice Thomas, RS-20 to CV-20
Statement of Protest.
I am a Volcano resident. Both my home and my business are within the notification area
for Mr. Thomas' zoning change request. I am opposed to the zoning change because of
the stated intent of the applicant to build large warehouses on the rezoned site, which is
situated in the heart of Volcano Village.
The applicant has stated his intention to build two warehouses, side by side, totaling the
length of a football field (300ft), each the height of a 3-story building (30ft). The
warehouses are being proposed for the storage of lumber, roofing material, and rentake~Ervcts
equipment, in conjunction with the True Value Hardware store operation. nme.. v,-._.__-_-..~„_
Request Conservative Aaaroach to Zoning Interpretation. „ ~O°"ur
It has been widely pointed out by now that "warehousing" is not a listed usage in CV
zoning, and that the zoning code limits "accessory buildings" to 20 ft in height. If these
warehouses are permissible at all, then it is only by obscure and indirect language, and
not by straightforward reading of the zoning code.
With a project as controversial as this one, I would ask the council members not to use a
casual approach to zoning interpretation, but rather to act conservatively and defer to
those residents who are most impacted by this project -the residents who are trying to
presence their peaceful home and working environments, and trying to protect their village
center from being turned into an industrial area.
Request Feasibility Study.
Many opponents of the lumber warehouses question whether the small Volcano
community can support a lumber enterprise of the proposed size. Looking beyond the
regrettable destruction of native forest and bird habitat, a failure of this business will result
in two large characterless warehouses now open for an alternative use. What can these
buildings house next? Will self-storage units and automotive paint and repair shops be
our new village neighbors? Is it possible to request a market survey or feasibility study
before alarge-scale, intrusive, and controversial project such as this can be approved?
Historic Asset At Risk. excerpt from Boone Morrison's letter to Council_
Volcano has 130 buildings that qualify as having historic merit (Volcano Historic Building
Inventorv, (1993) official document of State Historic Preservation Division of DLNR). This
is a higher percentage of qualifying buildings than in any other jurisdiction in Hawaii. The
historic character of Volcano Village is largely intact and is worthy of serious
consideration for overall preservation by some means.
The Council carries a significant responsibility for the preservation of this historic asset
Once one inappropriate structure is in place, little can be done to mitigate it -just as th
demolition of a valued historic property cannot be undone.
Decisions made now will effect the future of Volcano Village for years to come, and the o
Council is urged to look far beyond the immediate application to judge long term effectS~
which will be the result of such decisions. This seemingly small decision could destroy4 ~
the character of one of our Island's unique communities.