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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-08-19 Leeward Exh A (Public Testimony re Amend USE 05-001) LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAII TESTIMONY TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 19, 2021 Public testimony regarding the application of PARKER SCHOOL (Amend USE 05-001)was called to order at 9:36 a.m. via live stream online meeting, with Chairman Michael Vitousek presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Michael Vitousek, Shani Armbruster, Barbara DeFranco, Clement"CJ" Kanuha III, and Faith"Faye" Yates EX-OFFICIO MEMBER PRESENT: Robyn Matsumoto (Department of Public Works, Engineering Division) ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Sinclair Salas-Ferguson, Esq. (Counsel for Department of Public Works), Dalilah Schlueter, Esq. (Counsel for the Commission), Jean Campbell, Esq. (Counsel for the Planning Department), Zendo Kern (Planning Director), Jeffrey Darrow (Deputy Planning Director), Christian Kay (Planner), Tracie-Lee Camero (Planner), and Noriko Sauer (Leeward Planning Commission Secretary) APPLICANT: PARKER SCHOOL (Amend USE 05-001) Application to amend Condition No. 11 (Roadway Improvements) of Use Permit No. 05-001, to remove the requirement to complete roadway improvements prior to the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy for the gymnasium. Use Permit No. 05-001 allows the establishment of an elementary school (grades K-6) and expansion of the Parker School complex on 14.32 acres of land situated within the Agricultural-1 acre (A-la) and Single Family Residential-7,500 square feet(RS-7.5) zoned district. The subject properties are located between Kapi`olani Road and Waikoloa Stream, Waimea, South Kohala, Hawaii TMK: (3) 6-5-004:025, 026, 028 and 063. VITOUSEK: First up will be Elizabeth Dunn. Please state your name and the town you live in. DUNN: Okay, thank you and good morning, my name is Elizabeth Dunn. I'm in Kona, so, clearly, there is not a proximity issue to the issue with the Parker School. I happened to look at the Planning Commission agenda recently and just kind of got interested by the item and went back and looked at the YouTube meeting from July, so that's sort of the context of where I'm speaking from, and it's more from a, I would, I guess I would say a citizen planner perspective. My husband and I come up to Waimea every weekend, we go shopping at the local farmers markets, so I'm very familiar with the Parker School. I guess my, my question is more about its, or context, the comment, is about sort of the project, when it was initially proposed and conceived, it's had a number of extensions in the last few years, and the background report at the July Planning Commission meeting indicates that there is little to noneI think the word "remote"was used—about possibility of expansion of the middle school. So it, it doesn't quite feel like the request to defer the condition for off-site improvements is all of itsit doesn't feel 1 EXHIBIT A right, I'll put it that way, with the gymnasium that's proposed, it anticipates that there would be more traffic there. I know there is information in the South Kohala Community Development Plan about Waimea's wishes for biking routes and walking routes within, within town. So it just kind of feels like there is there is the need, there is a desire, there is an expectation, for having these off-site improvements. And if the middle school really is so remote in being built, to defer the condition seems inappropriate. So I guess I'm kind of coming it from that standpoint. When there are agreements between a county and a private property owner to develop, there is an expectation on both sides that they, you know, one side gets something and one side gets the other, and it appears like the county is not, it may not get its off-site improvements. My thought is if the Planning Commission still wanted to defer the off-site improvements, you could ask for a surety bond so that there is still some, a possibility that the off-site improvements would be constructed; instead of being constructed by the Parker School, it might be constructed by the county. So I'll, I will end my comment there. I know I've submitted some questions a couple of days ago, and I don't know if those are going to be discussed, but I will, I will listen to the Chair, and I'll be on the meeting. Thank you. VITOUSEK: Okay, mahalo. Next up, we have Nicole Ryan testifying on agenda item 1, Parker School. RYAN: Aloha, mahalo Commissioners for taking the time. I really appreciate as a, I'm a resident of Kapi`olani Road for over 10 years. This permit was initiated prior to us residing in the neighborhood and purchasing our home and constructing our home. Some context to—and obviously, I live in Waimea—and some context to this is that the neighborhood has changed tremendously over the past 10 years since the initial permit came in. And you guys have a written testimony our entire hui of neighbors, including six homeowners on Kapi`olani, who are directly impacted by this, as well as Pu`uki, which connects to the school at the end of the road, have signed a testimony, and I'm not going to reiterate that because we stand on that. But I just wanted to offer some personal comments, because I do reside on the corner of Pu`uki and Kapi`olani. And working from home over the past eight years, I've seen, I see daily, the traffic, I see daily the pedestrian traffic. I travel this, I walk daily with my family. We have four young kids under the age of 10. I feel completely safe. Overarching just comments I've gotten from the community, and I, also resonate with me is, are the lack of true representation of the community in this review. Previous parties have come to represent the community but don't have any of our voices in here. So we share that concern. We support Parker School in this deferral, but we ask further than it just be removed. No one in our community wants this sidewalk in our direct community that's impacted on a daily basis. We have concerns about it being input and that have not been addressed in the past, when we were presented that the sidewalk would be input previous to all of these vast changes in the community. So I just wanted to come and let you guys know that I'm here to answer any questions that you might have, as this does impact me and all of my neighbors directly. So I'm happy to answer any questions that you, you might have for me as a community member. Mahalo. 2 EXHIBIT A VITOUSEK: Okay, thank you. Are there any questions from the commissioners of the testifiers? (No audible response) If, you know, if there's something that comes up later—again, I would like to testifiers to stay on and, on Zoom, so that we can ask them questions if needed. The public testimony ended at 9:42 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Noriko Sauer, Secretary Leeward Planning Commission 3 EXHIBIT A