COM 0056.039 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

JNt'~' W 4~•''~i 4• Dixie Kaetsu Harry Klm Managing Director Mayor „ Bazbaza Koslow ~F o_F•HPV+ Deputy Managing Director ~ountp of ~a~uai`i r..:, 891 Ululani Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720-0252 • (808) 961-8211 Fax (808) 961-6553 KONA: 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 -,a (808) 329-5226 • Fax (808) 326-5663 C? r-+. rn C.. -i C: Februazy 1, 2007 - r.a The Honorable Pete Hoffmann, Chairperson, and _ Members of the County Council County of Hawaii ' - Hilo, Hawaii 96720 - Re: Bills 220 and 221 Dear Chairperson Hoffmann and Council Members: This letter is to notify the Council of the county administration's strong objections to Bills 220 and 221. These bills would rezone an azea to allow a commercial business on the makai side of Highway 130 that would take its access directly from that highway. This will lead the general public to make left turns in and out of the business across one of the busiest highways on the island. This is not good planning. There is a choice whether or not to allow this property to be rezoned. New zoning that threatens the usefulness and safety of one of our most important highways should not be allowed. Bill 221, draft 2, does not even require the developer to put in a left-turn pocket that was requested by the State Department of Transportation. This means that customers turning left who must stop for oncoming traffic will tie up the flow of traffic behind them, creating the potential for rear-end collisions. The existing commercial zoning in the vicinity is all on the other side of Highway 130 and does not take access directly off the highway. This rezoning may encourage other commercial rezoning along Highway 130, leading to the kind of roadside strip development that mars so many places. For this reason, the General Plan adopted a number of policies for commercial development that are contradicted by this rezoning, such as "Centralization of commercial activities in Pahoa Town, rather than along the Pahoa By-Pass, to serve the residents of lower Puna shall be encouraged", and "encourage commercial areas to develop on an axis perpendicular to the highway" It is not agreed that the county's decision to build a new fire station, and possibly a police substation, on the adjacent property somehow justifies this rezoning. These public safety facilities are placed there to be highly visible to the public, and to have quicker access to the highway for emergency response. It is noted that a fire station and police station are not S~•3 Comm. No. Ref. To: 1lr~ EB 0 2~ 0 Ref. Date Hawaii County is an equal opportuniTy provider and employer.