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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0400.168 2002-2004 SidneyFuke, Planning Consultant 1 r~ 100 Pauahi Street, Suite 212 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (~!j ~ S ~ I 1l.' ~1!~I i.'~ I ~ ~ • Planning • Variance •Zomng Telephone: (808) 969-1s22 • Fax: (808) 969-7996 • Subtlims°n • Lantl Use Permus September 14, 20Q~' ' ' e°"`°nma°`a~ Re°°"s Honorable Chairman Arakaki and Councilmembers Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI 96720 Dear Chairman Arakaki and members of the Council: RE: BILL NO. 178. Draft 5 Understandably, there is a lot at stake here. As such, I feel compelled to share my thoughts on this matter not only as a consultant to Clifto's but as a life-long resident and citizen of this island community. The principal focus has been on how this project will exacerbate instead of ameliorate traffic along the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway, and in that regard, many have latched on to the buzzword of the day, "concurrency." My hope is that this focus does not morph itself into an obsession, so much so that other aspects of this project get lost. What are these "other" aspects? 1. Let us not forget that the property is zoned Heavy Industrial. If the requested Project District rezoning were denied, the landowner has the legal right to develop the property in a manner consistent with the industrial zoning, subject to receipt of a SMA Permit. Using the SMA Permit recently issued for the adjoining Kohanaiki development as a guide relative to conditions, there would NEITHER be an obligation to improve the Highway beyond a connection to the Highway NOR the application of the principle of "concurrency." 2. Let us not forget that, if approved, the applicant has agreed to immediately donate to the County about 17 acres of shoreline property at O'oma, estimated at several million dollars. Unlike other projects, this donation is not 3, 4, 5 or X number of years when the project is completed. It is NOW. The public or County will no longer have to worry about the fate of this YZ mile of pristine coa t ine and deal with another landowner. Comm. No. Ref. To: ~le~eetel y4,i Ref. Uate Honorable Chair and members of the Council September 13, 2004 Page 2 3. Let us not forget that this project will double its required share of affordable housing. It will not be 10% but 20%. It will not be payment of fees. It will be homes, homes on-site, not off-site. 4. Let us not forget that this project will create a community, a village. In the current issue of the Hawaii Island Journal, the editor wrote that "We need to build communities on this island that provide jobs for their citizens and that obviate the need for people to drive hours to their work, a need that clogs our highways and feeds the misconception that we need to build more roads. We don't need more roads, we need creative solutions." I can't agree more; and in my opinion, this project would help fulfill those objectives. This project would be a community, complete with a full complement of mixed uses: retail, office, business/family hotel, market and affordable homes, and parks, including the coastal park located about a mile from the project site. It would NOT be a Heavy Industrial Park OR a community characterized by lavish single-and multiple-family residences and a golf course for the wealthy. 5. Let us not forget that this project will service the retail and office needs of the existing and planned residential population north of Kailua and South Kohala, as well as employment generators like the adjoining NELHA, the resorts in South Kohala, and the future West Hawaii campus of the University of Hawaii. In so doing, it would minimize the need for residents living in areas like Waikoloa or Kona Palisades to drive into Kailua and contribute to the traffic along the Highway. 6. Let us not forget that this project will help redirect growth to the northern quadrant of North Kona and in so doing, minimize the pressure to urbanize our better agricultural lands south of Palani Road and in South Kona. Redirecting residential growth is aided by supportive commercial uses, like this project. Honorable Chair and members of the Council September 13, 2004 Page 3 By redirecting settlement pattern to this area, it should also help out with traffic conditions. Traffic along the Queen Ka' ahumanu Highway gets backed up more so during the AM and PM peak hours, when people are traveling to and from work. Many live in Kealakehe, Kailua, and other areas south of Palani Road BUT work in Kailua, north of Kailua, and South Kohala. Additionally, most of the commercial and industrial activities are located in and around Kailua and its immediate outskirts. Many must drive to this area for their primary goods and services. This situation creates a bottleneck at the intersection of Palani Road and Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway, and traffic backs up at both ends of the Highway. 7. Let us also not forget that the applicant will make an immediate contribution of $750,000 to design and prepare the construction plans for Phase II of the Highway. Having a set of approved construction plans should elevate this project on the State's priority list of construction funding. As such, this should help accelerate rather than delay the funding and construction of this Highway. 8. Finally, let us not forget that all of the above reflects aprivate-public partnership to improve existing infrastructure deficits. We know that government cannot do it all; at the same time, we know that the private sector cannot be expected to do it all either. The spirit of concurrency reflects private sector doing its share and government doing its share too. The existing bill reflects such cooperative effort. Forging an acceptable partnership is critical, for we are all aware of the vagaries of the development cycle. Generally, they occur in 10- year spurts, and Hawaii tends to follow California. I don't have first hand knowledge of the California situation, but one developer from California recently wrote the following to me: "There are signals here in California of a residential lull. It is the first time in about 8 years that resale inventory has risen and it has risen each of the past 4 months to a point where there are currently Honorable Chair and members of the Council September 13, 2004 Page 4 7 months of resale inventory, based upon the current velocity of sales." He continued, "Developers ignore these market signals at their own peril." In closing, the "bottom line" effects of this Bill, if approved, are several opportunities and a number of realities. The opportunities are: 1. Having a planned village community with afull-complement of land uses, instead of a heavy industrial park with no residential component or a luxury residential project for the wealthy; Z. Having 20% affordable housing on site, at a location close to a beach park, shopping area, and places of employment. 3. Having a commercial complex that services the needs of job generators located in South Kohala and the northern quadrant of North Kona and residents who live in these areas, and thereby helping to mitigate excessive vehicular movements toward Kailua. At the same time, the realities are: 1. Having at the earliest, occupancy of a maximum 50% of the commercial area 3 years from now. Whether that happens or not is very problematic, given the conditions of the zone change that must be fulfilled; actual construction time; and overall market conditions. 2. Having about 17 acres of coastal land at O~oma next to Kohanaiki valued at several million dollars, dedicated to the public within 90 days. Unlike other projects, this dedication is not when the project is developed...it is NOW! This is a claim that many projects cannot make. Honorable Chair and members of the Council September 13, 2004 Page 5 3. Having up to $750,000 in cash for the plans and design of the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway Not 1 or 2 or 3 years from now but within 90 days. This should help "jump start" the funding process for this portion of the Highway. Remember, with or without this project, the situation on the Highway still exists. Yet, this project represents an opportunity -with fiscal reality - to have this road constructed sooner rather than later. Please do not squander or lose these opportunities and realities! Thank you. Sincerely, r ~r .y~~~t~x P\.~ SIDNEY M. FUKE Planning Consultant