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!-?b-14-99 02:59P vom~ie Lyons 808 322-8899 P.O]
VONNIE LYONS
PUBLIC RELATIONS, ETC.
78-6789 Nakenawai St.
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
Phone: (808) 322-6809
FAX: (808) 322-8899
February 14, 1999
FAX T0: COUNCILMAN DOMINIC Yi~GONG
CHAIRMAN, PUBLIC WORI:S COMMITTEE
FAX NO: 961-8912
RE: BILL NO. 280, SIGN ['f'_'~~'T NO. 2
Dear Councilman Yagong:
As an appointed member of the Kai1~~=. Village Design Commission, I
(and the oChers on the Commissiont` really were caught between a
rock and hard place at the meeting '.ie7..d on February 9 when Pacific
Island Tire, Inc. petitioned us for ~~pproval of a sign variance.
The petitioner, Buel McCoy, Jr, 1'r,~ i.dent of Pacific Island Tire
and an independent businessman, way r.king fora variance in height
of his sign from the 9" specifies= !~l the Kailua Village Special
District Commission to 36" in order- have equal signage with his
neighbors on Kaiwi Street in the O.!c! Kona Industrial Area. (See
Chapter 3, Article 1. Kailua Villac;o Signs.)
As Z understand it, Kaiwi Street: w:: included in the Kailua Village
Design District in the latter parC 1996. This petitioner cited
neighboring sign heights running L~~m one to Pour feet in height
and how those landowners were ab'.~ `.o erect such signs, I don't
know. Hone of the businesses rit Hr. McCoy have come before
the KVDC requesting sign vari~n~~° since I have been on the
commission. The KVDC is bound L: ~:c: rules set before us and,
personally, I am against largE e.' However, I do feel the
industrial area should be in e, c?i .~.,ent category than signs we
would approve for Kailua village I'm sure we would never
consider large signs in the V12.7.a.!;:_.
Members of the County Council are -~:!:-ir.inq right now to revise the
sign ordinance for Hawaii Co~:nt-~ :o that can be reasonable,
enforceable, and esthetically 2cc~~~'.~~~le to the community. As it
is now, no violation oY the sign is enforceable. Mr. McCoy
was trying to go throu~7R all th€~ i' --~r channels in requesting a
sign variance. He coulei Nave Bari,;.~; ;':_ne what the other businesses
have done and just erected the sig• wanted and he wouldn't have
had a problem.
Comm. No. ~ ~ Q
File No. C ~ V
Presenter* hW/~L
Ref. To:_
Ref. Date-1~~_
Feb-ln-99 02:59P vonnie lyons 808 322-8899 P.02
Councilman Dominic Yagona (re signs~le) February 14, 1999
Page 2
One member of our Commission as mush as told him so...and it's
true. Mr. McCoy voluntarily withdrew his request for variance at
this time. I strongly urge all of ;~~u to consider what is now $111
280, Sign Draft No. 2, with the hone it can become enforceable.
And, i would also urge that a different set of rules apply to the
industrial areas, but not ever aJ.le~~ 400 sq. ft. signs, which is
now stipulated in Draft No. 1.
Banners which become permanent are: r-ected now as free-standing or
plastered on walls of businesses, :+;andwich boards are cluttering
our sidewalks and roadway - handp~inted in some instances - and
Kona for one area, is starting to i.ooY. like Coney Island. I don't
know about the rest of the island, zaid I'm sure each district has
it's own concerns about what sicn,3ae should or should not be
allowed.
Our visitors see the rampant disregard for esthetics in this
island's signage and are appalle<t...they have enough of that at
home. We should all exist for the preservation of natural beauty
and aloha spirit...and not blatant: commercialism, even in these
hard econmic times.
Please let us get on with a sign ar"~..nance that makes sense and can
be enforced...and let's do it as :a-~-'n as possible.
Thanks for your consideration.
Aloha,
Vonnie Lyons
cc: Public Works Committee Memberr,
Councilman Curtis Tyler
Kelly Greenwell, President, l;,ana Outdoor Circle
Sherry $racken, Kona Outdoor- ~i.z-cle