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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0096.013 2002-2004 FROM BIG ISLAND HRULING+SOIL PLUS FRX N0. 808-329-8704 Jan. 20 2003 07: 48PM P1 ~(fq.(n~i (~L. "w ,ctuGW~wWv eiwe~~ , i d,it.tiL/C~~. ~f /L'/ Mark & Denise Jernigan 75-31 ] Nani Kailua nrive Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 January 2 ] , ? 003 Chair Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd Committee for Planning County of Hawaii 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI 96720 Reference: Bill # 38 6c # 39 Communication #96 Walter & Susan Welton Project Dear Chair Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd, I strongly object to the continued piggybacking of subdivisions off of the Nani Kailua Drive in Kailua View Estates, without the county taking some form of action to reduce the speed and noise of traffic on Nani Kailua Drive. I know full well Nani Kailua Drive is designated as a major collector street, the only access point to the Queen Kaahumanu (State) Highway, and Nani Kailua Drive appears as a wide highway to drivers (except for the few 25mph sirs and many driveways entering directly onto it), but I do not feel the county has fulftlled its obligation to the current residents of those subdivisions by continuing to approve more (small) non-dedicated county road and gated subdivisions that piggyback off the original two subdivisions that have dedicated county roads. Today, our beloved cat Maile was killed on Nani Kailua Drive right in front of our house (she was tht same age as my yowtgest daughter-7) . As I sit in my' living room to write this letter it makes me even angrier when I henr and see the speed of the cars (some at least 50mph} up and down Nani Kailua Drive. Will it take the death of a child for the county council and county planning department to be sued before you react responsibly. Ten years ago, I, along with a down other neighbors both in Kailua View Estates and Kona Heights speazheaded action objecting to the t st increment of Maryl's three subdivisions piggybacking off of Nani Kailua Drive. W c got signatures of almost every resident of Nani Kailua Drive objecting to the added traffic without doing something to alleviate the problems associated with that current level and speed of traffic. At that time, we formed a Yank force and met with the Cowrcilors Keola Childs and Jim Rath. We also negotiated with the County and Maryl, the developer, to try and mitigate the negative Comm. No. .13 File No. _ : Ref. Tq~ ~dt _ Ref. Date 'JAN 2 2 2003 FROM BIG ISLAND HAULING+SOIL PLUS FRX N0. 808-329-8704 San. 20 2003 07:S1PM P6 a f I impact on our homes. We all drove to Hilo to testify and we did seem to gain some ground by getting a cotnntitment for traffic calming devices to be put onto Nani Kailua Drive paid fur by Maryl. Since that time the only thing done was painted crosswalks at the corners of Welo and Nani Kailua Drive and Kakalina and Nani Kailua Drive. The county has objected to any other stop signs, roundabouts or other methods of slowing down or alleviating traffc on Nani Kailua Drive yet continued to approve an additional four subdivisions in addition to the Phase 1 of Kealoha since that time. In addition, Kona Heights and Kailua View F.,states have expanded via full build out of most all lots and many people from The gated subdivisions off 1lienaloli Rail Road to the south of Kailua View Estates currently use Nani Kailua Drive instead of going over to Hualalai Road. The Planning commission and county council have received testimony and letters from the commutity objecting to the piggybacking for each one of these subdivisions rezoning requests, yet the previous testimony and objections to each have been ignored and not even considered or referenced by the planning conmiittee and/or the county council. The county has failed to control the speed or traffte on Nani Kailua Drive, the county has nvt enforced interconnecting roads to other thoroughfazes nor given any additi<mal routes to the Queen K Hwy or any other major streets via upper or lower access, nor forced developers of any of these subdivisions to make these connections. This is irnesponsible for the county and it's an understatement to say the county is not looking out for the best interest of the community. i've attached my former letter to Mayor Hatry Kim, his respottse, and the previous documentation from the County. We have many on our street who have attended the Traffic Safety meetings, called the police to set speed traps etc. 1'he understaffed police in our commmunity do come out but [hc traffic only slows for the hour or so the police arc stopping people. it's time fot you our County Council to take responsible action. Do not approve additional rezoning with access via Nani Kailua Drive tmtil you take caze of ttte current speed and noise on Nani Kailua Drive via traffic calming devices. Get a plan for our neighborhood roadways and enforce it. Ilave the developers pay impact fees or interconnect the ctuTent streets to have ae lands rezoned to residential. Act responsibly before a child is hit by speeding drivers instead of our beloved pets and stop letting excuses delay responsible plattrtin~ and action. Your help and commitment to improving our neighborhood would be greatly appreciated. Sincerely, ` ~~Gt enise J. gan cc. All Committee Members Peter Young, Deputy Managing Director County of Hawaii oune~lman Ciuti-s(Tyler ~Iman (/02 ~y~IdS FROM BIG ISLAND HRULING+SOIL PLUS FRX NG. 808-329-8704 Jan. 20 2003 ~:48PM `P2 p G7 C/ rY0/ ~•lr Harry KIm Di.eic Kaclsu Nayur ~Lm:w)ng Uircdor ..•e+: ~ Yetcr T Ynung I1Lpn[y Mana~nF 1>irtMu ~'tountp of ~aY>vai`i - 25 Aupun~ Svex Roam 21 S : Nilo. Hawaii 9A72U-0252 • (ROR) %I-RII1 . Fos (lt08)')G).6533 KON.i: 75-37e(. Kuakin{ Hi~hw~y, Suite Ied . Kailua-Kona, Hswai i ')G7np isos)3zas1w. ra.csos):,:aseG, May 27, 2001 Denise Jernigan 75-311 Nani Kailua Drive - - Kailua-Kona, Hawai; 96740 Dear Ms. Jernigan: I have received your letter dated May 15, 2001, expressing your support for the installation of a roundabout on Nani ICailua Drive for traffic calming. Thank you for taking the time to write and share your support with me. Also, thank you for enclosing a copy of documents about Maryl Development's responsibility for traffic calming devices along Naafi Kailua Drivc. I am forwarding your letter and attachments to Dcnnis Lee, the Director of Public Works, and Cris Yucn, Planning Director, for their information and investigation into whether Maryl has met ail its required conditions for its Kealoha Subdivision. 1 appreciate your letter, and your support as we work to make Hawaii County a better place to live and work. j A~l~o~ha~, p ~ `~-irr ~v~ Harry Kim ~ MAYOR Cc: Dcnnis Lee, Duector of Public Works Chris Yuen, Planning Director FROM BIG ISLRND HAULING+SGIL PLUS FRX N0. 808-329-8704 Jan. 20 2003 06:48PM P3 i V r ~ Denise Jernigan 75.311 Naril Ka.i111a Drive _ Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 May 15, 2001 Mayor Hatry Kim 25 Auputti Street bIilo, HI 96720 RE: Approval of Roundabout for Nani Kailua Drive and Maryl Developments Obligations Dear Mayor Kim: I just read the article in yesterday's West Hawaii Today about the installation of a roundabout on Nani Kailua Drive in Kailas View Estates in Kona and want to express my strong approval of the roundabout as a Traffic Calming Device. I have lived on Nara Kailas Drive since 1991 and during the proposed development of Maryl's Kealoha subdivision in 1993, I was on the neighborhood task force that testified to the county council and fought for responsible developments and and ~t addilional piggyback-subdivisionsnnto Nani Kailas Drive. The eventual approval of the subdivision was to be mitigated by several requests by our task force; one being a request for improvements on Nani Kailas Drive implemented by Maryl. l have enclosed the last correspondence from then Councilman Keola Childs to the leader of our task force at the time. The attachment to Keola's letter included the Planning Departments Virg nia Goldstcins letter to Maryl regarding the Change of Zone Ordinance, As per the correspondence, Maryl was to be responsible for traffic calming devices along Nani Kailas Drive. As you are probably awaze additional development has taken place above Kcaaloha by Maryl and other empty lots within Kailas View Estates and Kona Heights have been built out in the 7 years since that time. Except for painted crosswalks I am not aware of any improvements done to Nani Kailua Drive. It's very frustrating when as a responsible citizert several of us had Sntten involved yet our hard fought battles did not gain any thing but additional traffic for our neighborhood. 1 now have a 5 and 7-yeaz old who are not allowed beyond our driveway without us. Cats travel 50 or 60 miles up and down Nani Kailas Drive and cross the double yellow line to pass me on the leR as I'm slowing to tam left into my driveway. Although the police department post patrolman to stop speeders it only helps while they are present with no long-teen effect, so the roundabout migftt be most effective. Maybe the county has some additional funding due from Maryl Development to honor its obligation in developing its additional two subdivisions off of the Mani Kailas Drive access. It is xeassuting to know though that now with you in the mayor's office, development will be responsible to the current neighbors and citizens. Keep up the good work, Mayor Kim. S' cerely f ~ 1 G FROM BIG ISLRND HRULING+SOIL PLUS FRX N0. 808-329-6704 Jan. 20 2003 06:49PM P4 <...~.4 S ~f 9 KEOLA CHILDS • ~ lido Phone; (B68) 461-A266 Councilman a; Fax; (808)%9-3291 '~f, ox RY,~ Kona Phone: (806) 322-3666 ~iF S~ = Fax: (608) 322.6116 COUNTY COUNCIL County ojHawaii Hawaii County Building 25 Auyuni Stmt Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Apri124, 1995 Mr. Glenn Sutow 7398 Nani Kailua Drive Kai!t~a-Kona, HI 9670 RE: Improvements to intersections along Nani Kailua Drive Dear Glenn: In routinely reviewing "annual progress re rts" submitted to the Planning Department, together with the department's responses thereto, I noticed that Maryl's obligation to provide for improvements to Nani Kailua Dr. intersections remains extant. I felt you and other roadfront residents may want urge the Public Works Department to go a little further on this, for reasons I'll explain here. A copy of the Planning Department's response to Maryl is enclosed, and is instructive. I felt the department staff was astute in recognizing the distinction between the stop sign issue and the broader issue of intersection improvements. While the county's position on what, if any, intersection improvements are appropriate will rest with the Public Works Department, the Planning Department's support for having i[ expressly resolved is very helpful. The very intprovemcnts that your earlier task force had approved, other than the stop signs, arc nowadays being called "traffic calming devices," and are being used with increasing frequency across the U.S., especially in conjunction with bikeway/roadway interfaces in urban areas; traffic engineers have recognized that impprovements of the genre proposed earlier by Maryl do work in slowing down traffic. Given the collection of children at these intersection for school busing, and the other particulars your group already has raised, I think this type of improvement would be very worthwhile, even without stop signs. If you and other Nani ICailua residents want such improvements to be made, I will directly support that effort. The opportunity is now, because once the Public Works Department signs off on this matter, it wilt be difficult to re-create any priority for action. It would be ideal if Maryl were able to help by implementing at least one of the intersection improvement designs, possibly at the Welo Street Intersection, and to provide spermcations for a second stte at either Kakalina or Melelina. I would support the use of county funding to repeat and complete the design if it works at the initial FROM BIG ISLRND HRULING+SDIL PLUS FRX N0, 808-329-8704 Ian. 20 2003 06/49PM/ P~Sj IO bt / Mr. Glenn Sutow April 24, 1994 Page 2 location, since Maryl had proposed the improvements as part of a bigger development plan that is now dead. In summary, 1 believe there is an opportunity for action on these improvements that will be lost without an ez~ression of community support. I would be glad W provide my support to this effort tf a few of you are willing to speak up for this project, I think it would work; while not score-all, I believe it would Increase safety for children and slow vehicle speed slightly. I encourage you to call and speak with Richard Nishimura at the Traffic Division of Public Works. Of course, I would be happy to meet with you and other residents either before and after making contact with the administration. But if there is to be any action, it must be now. Please feel free to call me at our Kona office (326-569' with any questions. Sincerely, Keola Childs Councilmember, 7th District FROM BIG ISLRND HRULING+SOIL PLUS FqX N0. 808-329-8704 Jan. 20 2003 06:50PM P6 70{ l 4 ' Stephen K Yamathiro 1i+r; Virginia Goldtcan Map. Dirtnor ~ Norman Olsen ~1r, ai ~ DeD.b Dirccror ~uunfg of ~ttfuttii PLANNING p8PAR7MENT 25 Aupmi Strew, Room tog . Hilo, H.+au 951SD•r:R (BOB) 951.8288 • F~. (SOB) 961.9515 April l0, 1995 Ms. Janine Rhodes Meryl Development, Inc. Territorial Center, Suite 203 75-5751 Kuakini Highway Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Dear Ms. Rhodes: Change of Zonn Ordinance No. 93-118 (REZ 7a8) Applicant: Marys Development, Inc. IInplanned to RS-15 (Kealoha subdivision) Tax Man Kev: 7-5-1 Q• Portion of 69 We are in receipt of your letter dated January 18, 1995, providing our office with supplemental information to the applicant's Annual progress Report dated November z3, 199a. WQ are also in receipt of your letter dated Febru 95, transmitting Check No. 20792 in the amount o 5oL000,~s he first installment a monetary Pee of $100,D00 towards the purchase of park equipment for the Kailua-Kona District. We apologize for the delay in responding to your submittals. The additional information provided helps to give us a clearer picture of the status of the applicants compliance with the conditions of approval of Ordinance No. 93-118. With this information, we will summarize the status of compliance with specific conditions of approval. Condition C - Resolution No. 103, adopted On October 19, 1994, by the Hawaii County Housing Agency, authorized the execution of an agreement betty@en the County and the applicant for the satisfaction of the requirements of Condition C through an in-lieu payment of $62,720. This agreement was executed on March 1, 1995, with a first installmerit of $31,360 already suZ,mitted by the applicant. Condition C was considered complied with as of October 19, 1994. Q tu:nna_ D:0. ~;,~,,,,L ~19 ~o. zNG~K~i' R•rf. ?v: FROM BIG ISLRND HRULING+SOIL PLUS FRX NG. 808-329-8704 Jan. 20 2003 06:50PM P7 v~ Ms. Janine Rhodes Page 2 April 10, 1995 Condition F - By letter dated January 18, 1994 from the Department of Transportation, thQ rQ-opening oP ' Aloha Rona Drive onto the Queen Kaahumanu Highway will not be permitted. Therefore, an access plan for the rQ-opening oP Aloha Kona Drive will not be required and Condition F will be considered satisfied. Condition G - This condition requires the applicant to provide intersection improvements mono g~aj,,,,jcailua_Drive prior to Final subdivision Approval. Such improvements may include, but not bQ limited to, curbing, sidewalk improvements, striping and stop signs. your previous report states that any intersection improvements along Nani Kailua Drive has been "disapproved" by Richard Nishimura oP the Department of Public Works (DPW) due to safety concerns. A memorandum Prom DPW dated October 6, 1994, only confirms that a Sour-way stop at the Nani Kailua-Kakalina Street intersection is not recommended. The Department of Public Works could still recommend that other types of improvements be provided to facilitate traffic flow through this intersection. Melelina and Welo Streets also intQrsect Nani Kailua Driv:. These intersections may also require improvements deemed necessary by the Department of Public Works. This condition still remains in effect. Condition J - As previously mentioned, we are in receipt of a first installment of $50,000 as part of a $100,000 monetary tae to be submitted by the applicant for park equipment within the Kailua-Kona District. The second installment of $50,000 will be payable prior to the issuancQ of Final Subdivision Approval of thQ second increment of Kealoha Subdivision. Condition K - With the approval of the aubdiviaion construction plans by the Department of Public Works and this office, the applicant has complied with Condition X, which atatas that the applicant shall provide drainage system improvements, if required. Drainage calculations and the installation of two drywalls and siX catch bacins were noted on the approved plans. FROM BIG ISLRND HRULING+SOIL PLUS FRX N0. B0B-329-8704 Jan. 20 2003 06:S1P/My PCB ' d / / Ms. Janine Rhodes Page 3 April 10, 1995 Thank you Por your attention to these matters. Please contact Dazyn Arai or Connie ICiriu of this ofPiee should you have any questlOnS. Sincerely, ~~r VIRGINIA G DSTETN Planning D'rector DSA:mjs I.Maryllo.DSA xc w/ltr: county council Planning Commission West Hawaii Office Department of Public Works ' Department oP Parks and Recreation Department of Finance