HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0560.053 2002-2004 Good morning Mr. Chairman and members of the Council, My
name is Cheryl R. Reis and I live at 65 Punahele Street. Thank
you for the opportunity to comment on the University Terrace
Project rezoning issue.
The community appreciates your efforts, particularly those of
Messrs Chung, Tyler and Jacobsen, in mitigating the negative
effects of such a large project on our homes, neighborhoods
and, more importantly, our lives.
In review of the amendments in Draft 4 on Bill 248, I suggest
the following for your consideration:
Condition H. (Condition 1, Draft 4) that you add "a master
buffer zone consisting of landscaping and mature indigenous
or other appropriate plantings that mitigate dust particulate
noise and are aestheticaly pleasing. This buffer zone shall be
in place before the start of any construction of said project
district. The specifics determined through the landscaping
master plan in consultation with the Planning Director County
Council representative of the District neighboring residents and
the applicant. Further the applicant shall be responsible for
the maintenance of this buffer zone."
Our neighborhoods were denied participation in a charrette on
more critical issues than a landscaping buffer. Mr. Tulang,
however did say that we would be participating in one later on
the buffer zone with Mr. Yuen and it does seem appropriate for
us to have some input on what we'll be living with in the future.
Isn't that a fair request?
Condition H - 1a The commercial area shall be located as far
awaYas possible from existing neighborhoods The multi-family
units shall be used as buffers or "block walls" around the
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commercial areas to mitigate noise and other negative ambient
conditions that are associated with commercial activity. All of
the machinery. operational equipment for said commercial area
and multi-family units and parking shall be located in the space
between the two areas to further mitigate noise. odors. etc. for
the surrounding development and existing neighborhoods.
This condition will provide some mitigation for existing
neighborhoods as well as single family homes in the
development from delivery/garbage pick up, car alarms in
parking areas, burglar/fire alarms for the both commercial and
multi-family units. Certain types of criminal activity associated
with commercial areas will have a buffer zone from the single
family units of the development.
Condition R (Condition S, Draft 4) No more than two vehicular
access"es" from existing streets in the Kaumana area may be.
allowed by the Planning Director. in consultation with the
Department of Public Works. after a community meeting and
with traffic calming or other design considerations to limit the
use of the streets connecting to the Ponahawai Extension to
local traffic.
I'm not quite sure what this means and would ask you for an
explanation. The reason I ask is that the concern may be not so
much the traffic from other areas going into the PD but rather
PD residents using these roads to exit the PD during peak traffic
hours, e.g. morning traffic. As such they would be using Uluwai
through Kaumana Gardens to Mohouli Extension, or
Wiliwili/Omao to Kaumana Drive. Uluwai is narrow and has a
lot of children living in the area. Both Wiliwili and Omao are
nicely paved and wide near the proposed PD access but very
narrow from about halfway their lengths to Kaumana Drive. At
that point, they enter the older neighborhoods where the homes
are very close to the streets now.
Any widening here would put most of their front doorways a step
away from the street. The sight distance at Wiliwili/Kaumana is
about 15 yards looking mauka. Luci's Okazu-ya is literally on
both streets at this corner . As an aside, I wouldn't want to see
street widening inflicted on these neighborhoods without a
great deal more study, planning and retrofitting of Kaumana
brive which is certainly not going to happen with the rate this
PD is moving. As a taxpayer, I don't want my taxes spent on this
project, when many more pikes of our infrastructure need
fixing. Developers should pay their fair share of these costs and
maybe we should be studying whether the formulas for the
developers' shares are realistic.
For those of us on Kaumana, Punahele, Komohana and
Waianuenue the aggravation of the little four bangers with
mufflb.rs larger than the car racer$ know that most affecting us
are coming from the Kaumana area. A few of them who also
like tq burn rubber hang out in the Omao/Wiliwili area.
ReBidents in these areas are plagued with them both day and
night. If through street~.are provided into the PD, they will
plague yet another neighborhood. ,
What would the purpose of a "community meeting" be with Mr.
Yuen? With all due respect and appreciation for the inclusion of
this in an amendment, why not change "meeting° to charrette
so that we might have meaningful jnput with Public Works, Mr.
Yuen and our Council representative in effecting positive.
participation and change in our neighborhoods. .
Added Condition(Condition FF, Draft 4) Delete "overnight" as
longer sheltering may be required. nu~l, shelter shall remain
available for a reasonable length of time to be determined bx
Civil Defenss as appropriate for the.type of,disa'sCe~'. s
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Depending on the type of disaster, longer sheltering might be
required for those unable to find immediate alternatives. The
Red Cross, Civil Defense and other agencies would be active in
seeking other alternatives in this situation. This would not
unfairly burden the business supplying the shelter and would
mitigate the stress for a refugee with nowhere to go.
Finally, there are no amendments to address the issue of
ensuring affordable housing which are major concerns in this
County. If we want the affordable housing to be reality, then we
need to compel developers to provide affordable housing in
every development without stigmatizing the homeowners. In
this large, self-sustaining and groundbreaking re-zoning for East
Hawaii, shouldn't you set the example by ensuring affordable
housing here? Surely, in a project of this magnitude, there
must be some space for realistically affordable housin>s for our
community. Won't you make sure it happens? '
Thank you. _ 1
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