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HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PC 003 12/17/2002 2002-2004COMMifTF:P.ON PLANNING UA'fF;: December 17, 2002 RG: C-1 K /Rill No. PLACE: Councilroom ~fIMF.: 2:31 p.m. Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hiles Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Planning. to which was referred Rill No. 3 transmitted by Mayor Harry Kim per Communication No. ] R. dated November 1 R, 2002, regarding the change of zone request by Sunstone Realty Partners X, LLC, at Waiaha l", North Kona. Hawaii TMK: 7-~-IR: 8, reports as follows: RiII No. 3 amends Sceiion ZS-8-5 (Kailua Urban Gone Map}, Article H. Chapter 2~ (toning Code) of the Hawaii County Code, by changing the district classification i~or approximately18.9A6 acres of land from a Single Family Residential (RS-10) to a Multiple Family Residential (RM-~}) zoned district. I'hc somewhat triangular-shaped subject property. owned in fee by C R D Partners,Nani Kona Aina LLC_ General Partner, is located betwcenAlii Drive. Walua Road and I,unapule Koad. cast of Waiaha Ray. The site is presently vacant of any uses. although it has been extensivcly graded in the past for cattle ranching activities and the harvesting ofkiawe wood. ~fhc site maintains a grade ofapproximatcly R.~%, beginning at an elevation of 12 feet abo~'e sea Icvci at itsnutkai boundary with Alii Drive to approximately 100 legit above sea Icvcl us its border with Walua Road. The applicant has proposed the development of a 200-unit multiple-lamily residential project consisting of approximately 37 two- and three-story townhouse structures. Mach townhouse will accommodate 4 or 6 residential units with the following additional improvements: a. Recreational facilities such as swimming pool. pedestrian walkways. outdurn~ barbeques, and open spaces. b. parking and rest room facilities for general public use ~~-ill ~ provided in the vicinity of the existing Waiaha sewer pump station annplcx on Alii Drive. The General Plan designates this area of North Kona for Medium Density use_ which includes village. neighborhood commercial, residential, and related functions. The Kona Regional Plan recommends the area for residential uses with a densit}~ of 10 units per acre. l'he Master Plan for Kailua-Kona identities the project site for High Dcnsitl~ Residential uses with maximum residential-unit densities oi' 30 units per acre, or hvice the densit} as that being requested h} the Applicant. The Master Plan recommends a drainage system be aligned toward the project site_ and that the project site accommodate open spaces ur a park. The Kailua Village Design Conunission at its August 27.2002 meeting. toted to issue to the Planning Commission recommendations of denial of the Applicant's Change of l.unc and SMA Use permit applications due to concerns regarding the density of the project, the need for increased yard setbacks from Alii Drive and additional open space throughout the project site. Communication No. 18 Bill No. 3 Page 2 and consistency with the requirements of Chapter 205A, HRS. regarding the Special Management Area. other concerns raised during the public hearing included: potential significant impact upon traflic along Alii Drive and Walua Road • consistency with the Master Plan Rir Kailua-Kona as it relates to the use of greenbelts and open spaces • continuation of "cookie cutter ~ design similar to od~cr developments along this section of Alii Drive • anticipated impacts upon Waiaha Bav significant, without known mitigation measures to be prop°ided by applicant • overall density ofprgject deemed too high The County zoning designation is tier Single Family Residential (RS-10). The subject property is situated within the County's Special Management Arca. Soils within the project site consists of Punalu`u series, which is characterized by rapid permeability, slow runoff, slight erosion hazard, and used for pasture. A portion of the land per the Af.ISH designation is classified as "f:xisting Urban Developmenf~ while the remainder is not classited. Soils within the property arc dassiiied as "F;" or Very Poor. The subject property is located within "Zone X°. an area determined to be outside the 500-year tlood plain. The US Geological Service Lava Flow Hazard Maps show the area to be within the Lava Flow Hazard lone 4, which indicates that Icss than 15 percent of the land in this zone has been covered with lava in the last 750 years, and that there has been 5 percent lava coverage in the past 200 years. A biological reconnaissance of the project site, conducted in May 2002 by Ron 'ferry and Patrick Hart, indicates that there arc no rare, threatened or endangered species on the parcel, nor arc there unique or valuable wildlife habitats. An archaeological sun~ey of the project site, conducted byRechtman Consulting in March 2000. recorded 27 sites of siguificauce, although the high degree of past ground disturbance on the property have impacted many of the archaeological sites and completely erased others. These significant sites consist of temporary and permanent habitations, ranch and boundary walls. agricultural i'eatures, a heiau and two burials. Four of the sites, including the burials and heiau are recommended for preservation. An additional eight sties arc recommended for data recovery. and the remaining fifteen sites are not recommended for any additional work. i1 preservation and treatment plan will be developed tier approval by the State Department of Land and Natural Resources-Historic Preservation Division. Communication No. 18 Bill No. 3 Page 3 Access to the project site will be provided by Alii Drive and Walua Road. both of which are County maintained roadways with pavement widths of 20 feet within SO-foot wide rights-of--way. A private interior access roadway is proposed to connectAlii Drive to Walua Road. In April ?002, ]ulian Ng prepared a traffic impact assessment of the proposed project. whid~ concluded that the proposed project will have; a minor impact upon the traffic conditions in the area. The applicant had a traffic impact analysis report done to lurther assess any potential traffic impacts. 1'he Department of Education disagrees with the applicant's assessment that the proposed project will not have an adverse impact upon school facilities. The DOE requested that the following condition be included in the bill: "The Applicant shall contribute to the development, landing, and/or construction of school facilities, on a fair-share basis, as determined by and to the satisfaction of the Department of Education. Terms of the contribution shall he agreed upon in writing by the Applicant and the Department of ducation prior to applicant applying for county building permits.~~ An 8-inch water line located along Ali'i Diive will support the potable water needs of the proposed project. Wastewater from the project will be disposed of within the County's existing sewer treatment system fronting the project site along Ali' i Drive. All utilities and services are available to the property. Bill No. 3, bract 2, with the following proposed amendments ti-om Councilmember Curtis "I~yler. was circulated and approved by Your Committee. l . Page R. Condition E12). emended to read "A left-turn storage lane or other appropriate improvements to facilitate left-turn movements into the proposed development from Walua Road shall be installed at the pro,jecfs Walua Road driveway entrance. The Afi'i Drive driveway entrance shall allow right turns in and out only." 2. Page 8. Condition E(3). Amended to read "~'he shoulder improvements on W'alua Road shall consist of curb, gutter and sidewalks along themauka side including drainage improvements and necessary relocation of utilities. Ali'i Drive improvements shall include paved shoulders along themauka side of Ali' i Drip e. 3. Page A. New language as E(5). "The applicant shall provide twenty public parking stalls along themauka side of Ali'i Drive and on the County's Sewer Pump Station to accommodate the publics use of Waiaha Bar. There shall also be rest room facilities and adequate space for an additional twenty parking stalls for future devclopmcnt.° Communication No. 18 Bill No. 3 Pape 4 4. Page 9. Condition E(6) (former E5). Amended to read "The applicant shall provide all necessary markings and safety devices necessary to ensure a sateAli'i Drive mid-block crosswalk from the proposed public parking area/rest room facilities to Waiaha Bay." 5. Page 10. Condition H. Adds a new sentence at the end of the condition "'I~his plan shall encourage the use of recycling and minimize the use of the County I.andtill at Pu'uanahulu." 6. Page ] ]. Condition L. The standard fair share language was inserted. 7. Page 14. Condition M. The phrase "based on the demographics of the project" was added to the end of the first sentence. Greg Mooers, representative for the applicant, explained that when the bill was originally drafted. the conditions were general in nature, because they did not have any specific recormendations. so now they are trying to expand the language to be more specific. f le then explained that the purpose of restricting the right turn in and right turn out onAli'i Drive is really twofold. One is that it prevents the need for the lelt-turn pocket on Ali' i Drive because of the nan~ow shoulders which are heavily used by the bikers and joggers. (f the road needs to he expanded, then three lanes would need to be placed where there arc now two, and that would be cutting. into the narrow shoulders. The second is that it forces the people to move south on Ali' i Drive toward Lunapulc Road. where they are proposing a tour-way slop. Mr. Mooers further explained that at the Ali'i Drive and Lunapulc Road intersection, the proposed improvement shall consist of widening the westbound approach of Lunapulc Road within the existing right-of-way al Ali'i Drive to provide separate I~ft and right turn lanes. "I~hey also intend to convert the intersection to an all-way stop sign controlled intersection. And upon the completion of the Ali` i Parkway.lhe stop signs could be removed due to the reduced traflic volume expected at that time. Plans also call For a median refuge land to be installed along Kuakini Highway and Walua Road intersection. Mr. Mooers explained that C ondition 5 came from the County of Hawaii. The design was reviewed by the Mayor's Oftice. and the Gnvironmenta] Management llepartment: and recommendations came from the County Administration.Councilmember'fyicr. and the public. He also stated that the Wastewater Division Chief agreed to replace some of the landscaping there, and do other improvements. He explained that the viewplane would be interrupted by the chain-link fence if improvements are done on the makai side of Walua Road, so they are proposing to improve themauka side of the road with the curb, gutter and sidewalks. Other plans call for a greenbelt walkway which extends from Walua Road down to Ali'i Drive. "there will be a ramp to connect it to the pedestrian bikeway down to the shoulder on Ali' i Drive. Communication No. 1R Bill No. 3 Page 5 To incorporate further amendments, Your Committee will be submitting Bill No. 3, Draft ? as amended, to the Council for their review. Acting Chair Tyler proposed to include a new condition which will begin as follows: "fhe applicant shall sewer this prgject and connect to the county sewer line on Ali'i Drive. The applicant will also stubout a sewer connection across Walua Road to the property mauka of Walua Road prior to or in conjunction with making the shoulder improvements required in Condition F3......followed by our so-called standard language regarding non-point source pollution." Mr. Mooers also proposed that we amend Condition L to grant credit against the fair share for the parking as a parks and recreational improvement. Your Committee did not entertain further discussion nn this measure. For informational purposes Committee Member Aaron Chung voted "kanalua ~ twice. Your Committee concurs with the Planning Commission and the Planning Director for recommending a favorable consideration for the change of zone request based on the above. Your Committee on Planning is in accord with the intent and purpose of Bill No. 3, Draft '?. as amended to Bill No. 3, Draft 3. and recommends it pass first reading. LI-.1 rln;nD-roue x TYLk:R X AIiAKAKI X Clll iNG k I:LARIONOII X IIOI,SCIIUII X .IA('OI3SON X REYNULDti X SAPARIK X Respectfully submitted COMMIT~I~IiHON PLANNING BOBL3Y JEAN LI:ffIfEAD-TODD. CI IAIR PC REPORT NO.--= _ - _ - _-- nDOPTI~:D:- - JAN 2 3 2003