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HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PC 077 02/18/2004 2002-2004REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DATE: February 18, 2004 PLACE: Councilroom TIME: 2:20 p.m. RE: Comm. No. 456/Bill No. 211 Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Communication No. 456 and Bill No. 211, transmitted by Mayor Harry Kim, dated December 30, 2003, regarding a Change of Zone Request by Verizon Hawaii, Inc. at Keahuolu, North Kona, Hawaii, TMK: 7-4-8:20 reports as follows: Bill No. 211 seeks to amend Section 25-8-3 (North Kona Map), Article 8, Chapter 25 (Zoning Code) of the Hawaii County Code, by changing the District Classification of approximately 2.821 acres of land from Agricultural (A-1a) to Village Commercial 10,000 Square Feet (CV-10). Communication No. 456 reports the Hawaii County Planning Commission, as required by the Hawaii County Charter, Chapter 4, Section 6-4.3(C), considered the above request and accompanying Bill No. 210 on December 4, 2003. The Commission concurred with the Planning Director's favorable recommendation on this matter. Communication No. 456, in synopsis, reports the Planning Director's findings and recommendations as the following: 1. The applicant, Verizon Hawaii, Inc., is requesting a Change of Zone Amendment from Agricultural to Village Commercial for approximately 2.821 acres of land. 2. The subject property is located makai of the Kailua Fire Station along Palani Road in Kailua-Kona, Keahuolu, North Kona, Hawaii. 3. A telecommunication switching facility and Verizon's Kona Central Office currently occupy part of the subject parcel. 4. As a regulated entity Verizon Hawaii, Inc. is required to sell property that is not being used to provide telecommunication services. 5. The applicant intends to subdivide the property into two parcels and sell the parcel which will not be used by Verizon. 6. Access to the site will be from Palani Road. 7. All utilities are available or are within close proximity to the project site. 8. The proposed Change of Zone request from Agricultural (A-1a) to Village Communication 456 Bill 211 Page 2 Commercial (CV-10) zoned district conforms to Land Use, Economic and Public Utilities of the General Plan based on the following: The approval of the Change of Zone Request will not be violative of Section 205-2, Chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The property is not situated within the Special Management Area. It is located approximately 2,800 feet from the coastline. An amendment to the State Land Use Boundary Map from an Agricultural to Urban District (Bill No. 210) is being concurrently processed for the parcel. The subject property, while currently within the State Land Use and County Agricultural Zoned Districts, is not actively used for agricultural purposes. The subject property is unclassified by the State of Hawaii ALISH Map. The Land Use Study Bureau's Overall Master Productivity Rating for property soils is "E" or "Very Poor", which precludes intensive agricultural activities • The LUPAG designation for the area is High Density Urban Expansion. The proposed Village Commercial use is consistent with the urban and commercial uses already established for this area. • The subject property is located outside of the 500-year flood plain. ^ There are no known endangered species or fauna located on the parcel. • The proposed request complements the Kona Regional Plan, adopted by Council Resolution in 1984, which recommends the area be designated for General Commercial uses. Requisite of the Planning Director's favorable recommendation for the Change of Zone request is approximately sixteen conditions contained in Bill No. 211 that outline specific infrastructure, road and public utilities improvements as well as access route requirements for the subject parcel. This matter was first heard on January 22, 2004. At that meeting, Sandra Padeken, representative for the applicant, provided this committee with background information about the purpose and need of Bill No. 211. No representatives were present from the Planning Department. Your Committee questioned the Planning Department's decision to suggest the CV-10 zoning and deferred Bill 211 pending further input from the Planning Department. At today's meeting, Planning Director Chris Yuen and Sandra Padeken, both fielded questions about the proposed request. Members of this Committee expressed grave Communication 456 Bill 211 Page 3 concern that the approval of the CV-10 zoning would only compound an already severe traffic problem in the area, particularly if Verizon Hawaii, Inc. chose to subdivide one of the parcels into eight to ten more properties. Ms. Padeken explained that it was not the applicants' intent to subdivide the parcel into more than two parcels. She also informed this Committee that it was her understanding that the Planning and Public Works Department's, would require another access route be built if there were any additional subdivision of these properties. Mr. Yuen further added that the same amount of traffic could be generated from one business office with ten leased spaces or tenants, that would be generated from ten separate businesses. Access routes, roundabouts and improvement to the Palani Road and Queen Kaahumanu intersection were also discussed. These concepts, the Committee asserted, required further investigation by the applicant, the Department of Public Works or the Department of Transportation. Post discussion, no members of this Committee voted in favor of the measure. Your Committee on Planning forwards Bill No. 211 to the Council with a negative recommendation. ctd AYES NOES A&E EX ARAKAKI X CHUNG X ELARIONOFF X HOLSCHUH X .IACOBSON X REYNOLDS X SAFARIK X TULANG X TYLER X COMMITTEE ON PLANNING Leningrad •ion f£ Chair PC' REPORT NO. 77 __ ADOPTED: MAR 0 5 2004