HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0032.071 2006-2008 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
From: GeoMike5@att.net
Sent: Friday, September 14, 2007 3:59 AM
To: Counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: Ford, Brenda; Pilago, K. Angel
Subject: Testimony on Bill 1&5 '
This is testimony on Bill 165 regarding Superstore issues.
I believe the concerns of the County Council regarding superstores can best be addressed with shifring
the focus of legislation from brick and mortar stores to land use.
By amending the current Bill specifying the size and category product sales of stores to land use, all
superstore (or big box) or super store districts will be included, regardless of the product category sold
and whether or not it is currently zoned or will have a zoning change request in the future.
By forming a proper definition of what will be constructed on contiguous commercially zoned land, the
concerns of the Council can be addressed. The major issues of infrastructure and approval by the
Council could be incorporated, within both existing and future-designated commercially zoned areas, by
requiring Council approval when any structure or combination of structures within a contiguous zone
exceeds 50,000 square feet.
The advantages of such an amendment are numerous and include avoiding the need to identify specific
retail category sales, preventing piecemeal rezoning requests or automatic sequential building permits,
addressing critical infrastructure issues such as traffic, parking, and water, and covering situations of
adjacent similarly zoned areas with multiple ownership that could ultimately create a super sales
district. This will bring before Council for approval situations where there is either a single or multiple
establishment under a single roof, such as Big Box or an enclosed mall, or where there is an open mall
of numerous establishments and would cover expansion of any current structure. It would also cover
building of a light industrial area where there are significant numbers of the establishments offering
retail ou tlets. In addition, it addresses currently zoned commercial property and does not require a new
zoning classification to bring requests before Council.
1 urge the Council to consider such an amendment.
Michael Reimer
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
GeoMike5@att.net
Comtti. FIa 3 a . 7/
Ref. To: ~
Ref. Date~-
9/14/2007