HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 345 Draft 01 1998-2000 COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII
RESOLUTION NO. 345 l?~
A RESOLl;T10\ RELATING TO THE PROPOSED GAS STATIO\'CO\VENIE\CE STORE CAR
WASH AND-OR FAST FOOD DEVELOPMENT ON "CHURCH ROW"' Iti WAIME.A, HAWA[`1
WHEREAS, "Church Row" park m Watmea, Hawat`t is chenshed and used by its residents and vtsttors
as a unique, safe and quiet place from which to enjoy and appreciate the natural serenny and beauty of
the hills, pastures and forests above Watmea town, the Kohala mountains, Mauna Kea, and the churches
of "Church Row", and
WHEREAS, Vb'atmea's "Church Row" contains five community and htstonc churches representing the
nth cultural and sptntual diversity of Watmea and the Btg Island Imtola Congregational Church,
Kamuela Hongw•anp Mission. Ke Ola Mau Loa Church, New• Hope ChnsUan Fellowship, and First
Baptist Church of Watmea, and
Vb'HERE.AS, Imtola Church on "Church Row" was rebuilt out of koa wood after the ongmal thatched
roof building suffered mayor damage due to fire, and is on the Hawat`t Register and National Registry of
HtStonc Places, and
WHEREAS, "Church Row" park is distinguished by dozens ofbeauttful flow•enng them- trees planted
m honor of individuals and organizations w•ho have made significant contnbuttons to the Watmea
community and the special beauty of Waimea, and
WHEREAS. many Big Islanders have, for nearly a decade, participated annually m ~N'aimea's Chem
Blossom Festival at "Church Row" park as tnbute to the island's Japanese famthes and traditions, and
WHEREAS, the limited use of Church Road by church and park users complements the passive, open
character of "Church Row" park, and
WHEREAS, netghbonng Keck Observatory Headquarters to the west and the North Hawat't
Community Hospital to the south both add to the grandeur and beauty of the village town center, and
WHEREAS, the General Plan of Haw•at`i County states the following for commerctal development
• Goal
Provide commerctal developments that complement the overall pattern of transportation
and land usage w•ithm the island's regions, communities and neighborhoods
• Policies
Dtstnbutton of commerctal areas shall be such to best meet the demands
of the neighborhood, communty and regional needs
The development of commerctal facilities shall be designed to fit Into the
locale with minimal intrusion while providing the desired services
Applicable ordinances shall be reviewed and amended as necessazy to
include consideration for urban design, aesthetic quality and protection of
amenities in adjacent areas through landscaping, open space and buffer
areas
• Standazds commercial development shall maintain or improve the quality of the present
enviroriment through the consideration of visual, access, landscaping, and other design
elements m their development, and
WHEREAS, the Waimea Design Plan was adopted by Council Resolution No 214-86 m 1986 as the
official document to guide future development and construction design m ~'Vaimea, and
WHEREAS, the intent of the Waimea Design Plan is to "identify and recognize the unique rural
character of Watmea and provide recommendations and gindelmes to I) Insure the preservation of
W'aimea's ranch and agricultural heritage m the face of growth and change, 2) Reinforce the tradroonal
role of Watmea town as the regional support and service center for ranching and intensive agricultural
acuvnies. and 3) Encourage the present trend towards the establishment of Watmea as the home base for
various educational, cultural. medical, and scientific organizations," and
WHEREAS. a gas statiom`convenience store `car wash has been proposed by the landowner of a
c,ommerctal zoned property identified by TMK 6-5-04 57, and
Vv'HEREAS, the Watmea Design Plan Land Use Concept map designates flits property for "Medium
Density Residential" purposes, and
WHEREAS, over 200 members of the Watmea community participated m a June I. 2000 town meeting
with the landowner•developer and nearly unanimously expressed their opinion that a gas station is an
incompatible use adjacent to Church Row, and
WHEREAS, hundreds of Watmea residents have signed a pentton and.or written, e-matted or called the
property o+vner, governmental agencies and elected ot~ictals expressing the inappropriate nature of the
proposed use, and
WHEREAS, the Watmea Community Association Planning and Design Review Committee met w•tth the
landowner and expressed opposition to the proposed use and plans and incompleteness of the
preluninarv plans. and
WHEREAS. officers of the Watmea Community Association, concerned community members, directors
and employees of the adjacent Keck Observatory building, and the landowner have been working
steadfastly to secure a win-w•m solution to prevent gas station•`convemence store-car wash uses on the
site, and
WHEREAS, an application for Plan Approval was received by the County Department of Planning on
October 9. 2000, for the constivction of the proposed gas station.-convemence store-car wash
development, and
WHEREAS, any application for Plan Approval tiled with the County Department of Plannmg shall be
reviewed for completeness within fifteen days from the date that the application was filed, and
Vv HEREAS. dunng that fifteen day penod, the Plannmg Director shall either determine that the
application is complete and accept the application as of the date of filing, or shall determine that the
application is defective and the application shall be returned to the applicant together w•rth a deficiency
nonce which lists the information missing from the application, and
WHEREAS. the director shall render a decision to either approve or deny a plan approval application
.vnhin thirty-days after acceptance of the application and if the director fails to render a decision within
the thirty-day penod, the application shall be considered approved without further certification by the
director, and
Vl'HERE.AS, m reviewing a plan approval application, [he Plannmg Director shall consider the proposed
structure, development or use m relation to the suroundmg property, improvements, streets, traffic,
community charactenstics, natural features [~25-2-76, Hawau County Code -emphasis added]
WHEREAS, the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee met on October 12, 2000, and voted to request
the Plannmg Director regwre the developer to prepare a traffic impact study addressing concerns,
including but not limited to, maintaining Church Row Dnve m its present condmon. recogmzmg the
complicated intersection with 'vtamalahoa Highway, which is the only road circling the island, and the
HoSpnal's emergency dnve, and identifying traffic counts m conjunction with surrounding uses The
Committee also requested review of the traffic study, and
WHEREAS, on October 17. 2000, the California Association for Research m Astronomy (CARA)
Board of Directors of Keck Observatory agreed to allocate up to 5270,000 of Observatory funds toward
the purchase of the lot with the expressed hope that matching funds or other financial arrangements can
be secured through the community to acquire the property, and
WHEREAS. permitting the commercial use of adjacent properties should be carefully reviewed for
compliance with all plannine documents and studies to ensure that the passive and serene character of
"Church Row" and "Church Ro~v" park be preserved for future generations
SOW. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COL:\CIL OF THE COGNTY OF HAW'AI`I that
rt supports community opposition to a proposed gas station'convemence store'car wash and~or fast food
use on TV1K 6-5-004 ~7
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that it requests the Planning Director to deny the subject Plan Approval
application upon considenng the proposed uses in relation to surrounding properties, improvements,
streets, traffic, and community charactenstics, and further based upon any traffic impact analysis report
(TI AR), mfornahon on water consumption and wastewater disposal method(s). and other reports.
studies, or plans, and its nonconfornance w•rth the Waimea Design Plan
BE lT FURTHER RESOLVED that officers of the Waimea Community Association, concerned
comiunity members, directors and employees of the adjacent Keck Observatory building, and the
landow•nerdeveloper continue negotiations to secure a win-win solution for alternative permitted use of
the site
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Planning Director Immediately conduct a re-assessment
of permitted uses of commercially zoned properties adjacent to or potentially having a direct
adverse impact upon the passive and serene character of "Church Row" and "Church Row" park
This re-assessment shall include, but not be limited to, recommendations for compatible uses
alone "Church Row"
BE IT FI\ALLY RESOLVED that the Clerk of the County of Hawau transmit copies of this
resolution to Mayor Stephen K Yamashiro, Planning Director Virginia Goldstein, Chief
Engineer Robert Yanabu, Mr Kimo Haynes, the Waimea Community Association, the South
Kohala Traffic Committee and the Keck Obsen'atory Headquarters
Dated at Hilo, Hawaii this day of , 2000
INTRODUCED BY S ~ ,
(°OI.INCIL M~MBER •,~(/I
COUNTY OF HAV6'AI'I
COUNTY COIiNCIL
County of Hawaii ROLL CALL VOTE
Hilo, Hawaii AYES VOES ABS EX
ARAKAKI
I herby ~enih' that [he hxegomg RESOLUTIOV wa: by CHLNG
the wtr inJi~alcd m the nghi hereof aJopied by the COI;VCIL of the ELARIO'~OFF
(ount~ of Hawm i on
JACOBSOV
ATTEST LEITHEAD-TODD
PISICCHIO
SMITH
TYLER
Y AGOVG
C OUVTy' CLERK CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER Reference C-965
RESOLUTION NO 345 00