Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0964.012 2004-2006 Orchid[and Community Association, Inc. P.O. Box 280 Keaau, HI 96749 July 31, 2006 Hawaii County Council Committee on Planning Mr. Angel Pilago - Chair Re: Testimony of Orchidland Community Association Regarding General Plan Interim Amendments A-1, A-2 Affecting Orchidland Estates Mr. Pilago and Council Members: Background Interim Amendments A-1 and A-2 are quite similar. Both lie completely within the private subdivision, Orchidland Estates (refer to last page). Both propose to change the zoning along a 2-1/2 block stretch of both Orchidland Drive and Ainaloa Boulevard from Rural to Medium Density Urban so that commercial development can proceed quickly. Let's not mince words. This proposal will, in effect, immediately creating two strip malls within Orchidland. We know that developers are waiting in the wings. Orchidland's Objections This proposal will change the zoning on or abutting 22 lots that have existing residences on them. Some of these houses have been completed within the last year. These owners bought in an agriculturally zoned area for a reason. If they wanted to live next to a Laundromat, they would have bought elsewhere. The Planning Department has not even seen fit to notify these lot owners about this zoning change that will profoundly affect them. Not only that, these amendments were approved by the Planning Commission at a meeting over in Kona! The amendment proposed by the Planning Department calls for the row of lots along the highway not to be rezoned. It is to be a "buffer". This effectively pushes the development further back into Orchidland. It is not necessary to use a 600 foot deep lot as a buffer when a much narrower line of plantings will accomplish the same goal. Traffic at the intersection of Highway 130 and Orchidland Drive is already a considerable problem. During rush hour there is usually a long wait to enter the highway or to turn off the highway onto Orchidland Drive. There is no traffic light and not even a merge lane on the highway. Representatives of the State Department of Transportation visited with the Orchidland board two weeks ago and said there was virtually no chance of getting the state to fund a traffic light there. The only light planned is going at the Shower/Pohaku intersection where there is no commercial development anyway. Moreover, that light is not scheduled for completion until 2009. Comm. No. Ref. Toie»et Ref. Date .#U1 3 1.1006 Being a private subdivision, Orchidland is responsible for its own roads - paving, maintenance and associated liability. We get no help from the county or state. Commercial development is planned not only along the two main roads but along the unpaved side roads as well. Development will obviously induce more traffic onto these unimproved, 12 foot wide, single lane, gravel side roads. Yes, you can make promises that the Planning Department will put conditions on any new permits that the developer pick up the tab for the road improvements, but that has not been our experience to date. For example, recently a congregation made application to build a large church on an Orchidland side road. The Planning Department's condition was that the church could improve the first 18% of the side road from one main road, the remaining 82% or 2/3's of a mile of the side road from the other main road was left up to Orchidland. When someone would want to go from a shop in the Ainaloa area to another on the Orchidland area, they aren't going to wait in a traffic backup and take that death defying risk of merging into a stream of cars on the highway. They are going to go up the single lane, graveled 341i or 35m inside Orchidland. And, you know what will happen when there is a fatal accident. I'm willing to bet that the courts will say that the County is liable because they forced this situation on a private subdivision without the financial means nor the motivation to improve those roads. These kinds of issues need to be worked out! r. a 35th near Ainaloa Blvd. 35th near Orchidland Drive Action The above objections show that these amendments are ill-conceived and not well thought out. They are good reasons for not rushing into this. Orehidland, the Planning Department and the Puna Community Development Committee need some time to try to come up with a comprehensive solution to our region's growth problems. There are alternatives to locating commercial zones - Hawaiian Paradise Park has blocks set aside for this, Shipman has land and big plans. Opposition amongst the 2,200 Orchidland lot owners is very strong as demonstrated by the resolution passed at the April, 2006 General Membership meeting, in which a vote to curtail commercial development within Orchidland was almost unanimous. We feel that we would be completely within our rights to gate certain roads and allow access only to residents and guests. While we don't want to have to resort to such tactics, feelings in the community on this issue run so high that it could conceivably happen. Mayor Kim in a letter dated May 30, 2006 to the Orchidland Community Association voiced his support; "When this proposal goes before the Council my administration's position will be to support deferral of any action until completion of the Puna Community Development Plan." There are a lot of hard working people currently involved with the Puna Community Development Plan. What sort of a message does this sent to them? Is the PCDP just some sort of political feel-good exercise because the County is just going to go ahead and do what they damn well please anyway? Forcing these zoning changes on a private subdivision is just plain wrong! Orchidland Community Association asks the Council to vote against adoption of these amendments. There is no urgent need for strip malls along the highway. Let's work together, and come up with a comprehensive solution to growth. There is room for compromise, but not if this gets crammed down our throats. What is the hurry? Bob Ely Orchidland Community Association, Inc. A-2 HAWAIIA Rural to Medium ` Density Urban .f PARADES PARK 0, 0 •s. Existing residence » • kbn R"j ?b ~ Q k't d' 4y'4 'V * to "ojo 4p r b fM ~..k Syr ~4 ORCHID LAND` 4y ESTATES ;qGA yo A-1 " `'aP Rural to Medium HAWAIIAN ORCHID'LAND Density Urban y, ESTATE.. PARADISE PARK