HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-01-17 TCANN-FERREIRA
PLANNING COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI`I
HEARING TRANSCRIPT
January 17, 2003
A regularly advertised public hearing on the application of
PATRICIA CANN-
was called to order at 11:16 a.m. in the County Building,
FERREIRA (SPP 02-041)
Councilroom-Room 201, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, Hawai`i, with Chairperson Fred
Galdones presiding.
PRESENT:Fred Galdones ABSENT & EXCUSED: Aurelio C. Mina, Jr.
Earl Fujikawa Hannah Springer
Geraldine Giffin
Florence Kubota
Jeffrey McCall
Francis Smith
Grant Togashi
Ivan Torigoe, Deputy Corporation Counsel
Christopher J. Yuen, Planning Director
Alice Kawaha, Staff Planner
Susan Gagorik, Staff Planner
Esther Imamura, Staff Planner
Larry Brown, Staff Planner
And approximately 5 people from the public in attendance.
APPLICANT: PATRICIA CANN-FERREIRA (SPP 02-041) - Application for a
Special Permit to legitimize an existing hair cutting/beauty salon (Home Occupation)
within an approximately 100 square foot area of an existing dwelling situated on one
acre of land in the State Land Use Agricultural District. The property is located in Hilo
Heights Subdivision on the north side of Haleloke Street, Punahoa 1st,South Hilo,
G`v`hkh+SLJ91,4,47911-
GALDONES:Commissioners, we are on New Business, Agenda Item
No. 6. ItÓs an application by Patricia Cann-Ferreira (SPP 02-041). This is an application
for a Special Permit to legitimize an existing hair cutting/beau
Occupation) within an approximately 100-square foot area of an existing dwelling
situated on one acre of land in the State Land Use Agricultural District. Susan?
GAGORIK:Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is Kaumana Drive located
here coming up in this direction. This is Akolea Road running across here, and it
connects to Waianuenue Avenue located here. The subject property is located on
Haleloke Street. This is shown here in the red dot. Haleloke is a deadend, one parcel
EXHIBIT D
over from the subject property. The lots here are zoned all Ag-1 acre. The subject
property is zoned 1-acre and is approximately 1 acre in size in this area here. If you look
at the subject location, site plan, this is Haleloke Street. The subject property is located in
the blue here. There is an existing dwelling. There is an existing carport here, the beauty
salon is located here in purple. ItÓs located in the laundry room. There is a covered deck
located here. There is also another storage facility here and a shed here. There are, there
are no existing neighbors located here. This is just a large parcel located to the rear and
there is an existing neighbor located here. The Applicant is requesting to legitimize the
beauty salon. ItÓs a small salon that is located in her laundry room; and itÓs a home
occupation. They reside on the subject property. The Planning Director is recommending
that this request be approved. We have had some concerns expressed by the adjacent
neighbor; and there are some photos that are circulating. And we do have on file his
concerns expressed in a letter. Are there any questions?
GALDONES:Commissioners, questions of staff?
KUBOTA:Mr. Chair?
GALDONES:Commissioner Kubota?
KUBOTA:Would you say the last sentence over again, please?
GAGORIK:What did I say?
KUBOTA:I donÓt know what you said. I missed it.
GALDONES:Photos.
GAGORIK:Photos. We have photos that are being circulated also that
have, the adjacent neighbor submitted.
KUBOTA:That the adjacent neighbor submitted?
GAGORIK:Yes. And I believe the neighbor is here so he can provide
public testimony about his concerns.
KUBOTA:I see, thank you.
GALDONES:Any questions of staff? Hearing none, is the Applicant or
its representative here? Could you please come forward? Good morning. Could you
please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now
before the Hawaii County Planning Commission?
TESTIFIERS:I do.
GALDONES:Please state your name and your resident address.
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P. CANN-FERREIRA:My name is Patricia Cann-Ferreira. I reside at 1600
Haleloke Street, Hilo.
J. CANN-FERREIRA:My name is James Ferreira. I reside at 1600 Haleloke
Street.
GALDONES:Did you receive the Background Report and also the
Recommendation from the Department?
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Yes.
GALDONES:Do you have any comments or questions on either
document?
CANN-FERREIRA:None.
GALDONES:None. Commissioners, any questions of the Applicants?
KUBOTA:I have a question.
GALDONES:Commissioner Kubota?
KUBOTA:Ms. Ferreira, on your Special Permit application
Background Information, page 2, H under 4, 4H, What did you mean
sentence, third sentence, the last sentence, Ðso one could argue that she could continue to
care for the hair needs of her family irregardless of the outcome of the request for a
Special Permit.Ñ What does that refer to?
P. CANN-FERREIRA:What page?
KUBOTA:Page 2 of your Background Information?
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Is that part of the Recommendation?
KUBOTA:No, itÓs under your -.
GIFFIN:Application.
KUBOTA:Application form, yeah. ItÓs on page 2, No. 4, H.
P. CANN-FERREIRA:IÓm sorry. What was it?
KUBOTA:Yeah, throughout this application you say itÓs to service
your family and friends, former clients from your other shop, and so forth and so on, that
you do not charge your family members but you do charge your friends and your clients,
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former clients, that come to you. And then you added in this sentence and you say, Ðso
one could argue that she,Ñ meaning I guess you, somebody wrote this for you, Ðshe could
continue to care for the hair needs of her family irregardless of the outcome of her request
for the Special Permit.Ñ That means if, okay, you tell me what
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Basically I just do this for the people that I have been in
contact with. And regardless whether I donÓt charge them or not, I would still do that for
them because I do it for a hobby, for just, for somebody.
GIFFIN:If she doesnÓt charge.
KUBOTA:I beg your pardon?
GIFFIN:I think, Mrs. Kubota, and correct me if IÓm wrong. I thi
sheÓs saying that if she doesnÓt charge and sheÓs doing this as a gratis favor to other
people, she could continue to do it in her home. Is that true?
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Yes.
GIFFIN:Which I think is correct.
KUBOTA:But you do now charge? Yes?
GIFFIN:Some people.
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Some people.
KUBOTA:Some people, yeah, your clients and your friends, you
charge.
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Maybe the older, the clientele that I still see -.
KUBOTA:Okay. So youÓre saying, then, if I understand you
correctly, youÓre saying that if the permit is not granted you, you will still do it but not
charge.
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Right.
KUBOTA:Oh, okay. I didnÓt quite understand. I mean, thatÓs logical.
IÓm not saying you canÓt do that, but I didnÓt quite understand what you were saying.
Because I thought the distinction was between family members and outside clients, such
as friends and old clients.
GALDONES:Commissioners, any further questions? Commissioner
Fujikawa?
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FUJIKAWA:On this here, this application just to be legal, now, most of
it, this goes to the Planning Director. If sheÓs doing it as a time fulfillment hobby, why
does she have to get a permit?
YUEN:She wouldnÓt have to do it. She wouldnÓt have to get a
permit if she didnÓt charge for it. ItÓs strictly because thereÓs a commercial nature to it. If
there wasnÓt a charge, weÓd look at it, I mean, if that was and legitimately, she was not
charging people, we would look at it as an accessory to the use of the home.
FUJIKAWA:I see.
YUEN:To put this all, for the benefit of the Commission, to put
this in a little broader perspective, in a Residential zone thereÓs a range of businesses that
you can do out of your home and you donÓt have to go to any kind
to the Planning Commission to get a permit for it. ThereÓs a section in the Zoning Code
called Home Occupation.
Let me just summarize Home Occupation as you have a maximum of one employee in a
Home Occupation. There are a lot of limitations on storing things. ItÓs supposed to be in,
the business is supposed to be in the home or I think youÓre allowed, or an accessory
structure to the home. There are a lot of limitations to a Home Occupation. But you
could have, if she were in a Residential zone, she could do what she proposes to do as a
Home Occupation without getting a permit from the Planning Department or especially
not, getting no kind of permit from the Planning Commission. Okay? Things that you
canÓt do as a Home Occupation are repair cars, you canÓt do anything thatÓs only allowed
in an Industrial zone. So you canÓt have a warehouse, you canÓt have a construction
baseyard. Some of those kinds of things are limited out of Home Occupation.
As a matter of policy, we think that the same kinds of things, people should be able to do
the same kinds of things in the Agricultural Districts without getting a Special Permit.
However, the State Land Use Law is currently worded in such a re
this application she does need a Special Permit. We have a bill, we proposed it last year,
it didnÓt pass, weÓre proposing it again this year, that would essentially let the counties
have the power to establish rules for Home Occupation in the Ag District. Then we
would followup with an ordinance with the County Council that would say that thereÓs a
certain level of business that you should be able to do outside of your home, a home
occupation, something that doesnÓt cause a big commotion in the neighborhood that
doesnÓt have a lot of people coming and going. And we would support that, so that these
kinds of very small businesses donÓt have to come in and have a full-blown hearing at the
Planning Commission.
FUJIKAWA:I see. I have another one.
GALDONES:Commissioner Fujikawa?
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FUJIKAWA:So in that case, on her, we give a recommendation on item
No. 6, ÐAll parking shall be maintained on the subject property,Ñ thatÓs kind of rough.
Because what if she had a party, then is the neighbors going to think that she can have all
the customers or what, you know? She already got one seat to sit on.
YUEN:That only applies to parking for her business. If she has a
party and people have to park on the street, as long as itÓs not a hair-cutting party, which
is something IÓve never heard of, then she, like anyone else -. WeÓre not trying to control
her activities except for, with this permit, except with respect to the hair salon business.
FUJIKAWA:Must that be in the condition, that parking should be
maintained on the subject property?
YUEN:The intent of that is for customer parking, that they park
her property.
GALDONES:Commissioners, any further questions? None? I donÓt
have anybody from the public who had signed up to testify but IÓd like to open this
opportunity up if somebody wants to testify on this agenda item. Hearing none,
Commissioner Fujikawa? Sir. You want to testify, sir?
FREYSER:Yes, I do.
GALDONES:Could you please come forward. Could you raise your
right hand, please. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the
Hawaii County Planning Commission?
FREYSER:I do.
GALDONES:Could you please state your name and your resident
address?
FREYSER:My name is William Freyser. I live at 1592 Haleloke
Street, next door to the Applicant.
GALDONES:You may begin your testimony.
FREYSER:Mr. Chairman, Commission members. I sent you a letter
objecting to the approval of the application. It has about 40 pages. It includes a letter I
sent to you, Mr. Yuen, objecting to the approval of the application. Do I understand that
that letter has been received and that Commission members have had an opportunity to
read it?
GIFFIN:Not 40 pages. Did you say your letter was 40 pages long?
FREYSER:ItÓs approximately 40 pages, including the enclosures.
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KUBOTA:We havenÓt received that.
GALDONES:Susan, was the letter submitted by Mr. Freyser?
th
GAGORIK:ThereÓs a letter dated January 5 and there were
attachments to that letter.
GIFFIN:I have the letter -.
KUBOTA:I have the letter.
GIFFIN:But not the attachments
GALDONES:Yes, we do. I do have that letter but not the 40 pages that
Mr. Freyser is speaking of. Mr. Freyser, do you want to continue stating your objections
to this?
FREYSER:Mr. Chairman, that letter with the enclosures was sent
certified and I received notification of the fact that it was received. The address was to
Planning Commission, to Mr. Yuen. If the Commission, and you, Mr. Chairman, have
not had access to all of those enclosures, then I donÓt think weÓre prepared to address the
request for the application.
GAGORIK:Alice just went to have copies made of the enclosures.
FREYSER:I beg your pardon?
GAGORIK:Alice, she just went to make copies of it for the
Commission. Apparently only the cover letter was made, was provided to the
Commission and not the enclosures.
FREYSER:Was there some reason why the enclosures were not given,
also?
GAGORIK:It was inadvertently not attached.
FREYSER:I beg your pardon. I am hard of hearing.
GAGORIK:It was inadvertently not attached to the letter. In error it ws
not attached.
FREYSER:It was mailed all in one folder.
GAGORIK:Right.
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GIFFIN:Mr. Chairman?
GALDONES:Commissioner Giffin?
GIFFIN:May I suggest that we, while weÓre waiting for staff to
duplicate the enclosures, that instead of the testifier speaking go into a recess?
GALDONES:If there is no objection from the Commissioners, I would
like to entertain that motion, if you could incorporate that into a motion.
GIFFIN:I so move.
KUBOTA:Second.
GALDONES:It has been moved and seconded that the Commission go
into recess so we have that opportunity to review the 40-page document that was
submitted by Mr. Freyser before we take any further action. Is there any discussion or
objection to that motion? Hearing none, we are in recess.
RECESSEDThe Chair called a recess at 11:35 a.m.
RECONVENEDThe meeting reconvened at 11:47 a.m.
GALDONES:Commissioners, the Planning Commission is back in order.
During the recess we had received some documents, two documents, two different piles
of it. WeÓve had an opportunity to review that. Let the record show that these documents
will be added to the record for consideration in this application. Susan, I have a question
of staff and, also, probably directed to Director Yuen. In consideration of this
application, were these documents considered in the Recommendation?
GAGORIK:The Recommendation was drafted before we received this.
We received it yesterday. But the issues that are raised in there are addressed through
conditions that we have. Basically, in terms of the permit, the Applicant has to comply
with, you know, all applicable agency requirements, including Building Department for
permits, Department of Health, for, you know, any licenses that she may need to comply
with. All of that was addressed through our permit process. There may be other issues
that were raised in those correspondences that can be addressed today, if need to.
GALDONES:Mr. Yuen, there were other subject matters, aside from
permit, that is aside from the relation to the permit that are b
documents. To what extent must the Recommendation address those
YUEN:There are a number of things complained of that are not
really, that are not zoning issues; and, so, theyÓre not part of the Recommendation. I
think what the most pertinent thing to note is that there were c
unpermitted businesses being operated in violation of the Zoning Code. The complaints
8
came to our office, my investigator went out and checked. The only violation of the
Zoning Code that he verified was the salon; and the Applicant was instructed to apply for
this Special Permit.
GALDONES:Commissioners, any questions?
FUJIKAWA:A question.
GALDONES:Commissioner Fujikawa?
FUJIKAWA:Yeah, on this letter, this research report, the findings are,
the noise and all that has nothing to do with the, pertaining to the application of the
permit; and IÓm just focusing on looking at the issue as the permit itself. The rest is just
typical living, could be a hobby of a husband or sports, whatever; but it has nothing to do
with the application.
GALDONES:Any other questions, Commissioners of staff? If not, I
would like to call Mr. Freyser back to the table, please? Mr. Freyser, I just want to
remind you that youÓre still under oath to tell the truth. Do you wish to add any more
comments to the documents that you had sent over to the Planning Department?
FREYSER:Yes. Probably there are several comments. Is anyone on
the Commission that has read the attachments to my objections?
GALDONES:Yeah.
FREYSER:Are there any questions?
GALDONES:Okay. I will give you the first opportunity to say
something. If you donÓt have, then I will give the Commissioners the opportunity to
question you.
FREYSER:The reason I objected to the application is that itÓs not
appropriate for that particular area. The Applicant has demonstrated contempt for the
law. No one here, while asking about whether or not anyone was charged for her
services, even asked whether or not there was a license involved. You cannot run a
beauty shop without a license.
Mr. Yuen, youÓre a lawyer, you know that. In order to get that license, you have to get a
permit from the Health Department. ThereÓs no permit. The building portion is being
used as a beauty shop, and has been for several years, is in violation for the law. The
Applicant doesnÓt have a license to run it and also doesnÓt have a general excise tax
license to pay taxes for those people she charges. Living next door to those people, my
property has gone down in value because of all that activity and subdivisions that has
covenants and restrictions. Everyone who bought property in that subdivision had to sign
and agree to those covenants and restriction as a condition to purchasing the property.
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Those covenants and restrictions are part of the attachments. To give you an example of
how difficult it is, if you go out there today you will see construction going on. IÓm
building a stonewall six feet high on my property for the sole purpose of trying to
mitigate the noise coming from my neighbors. The cost so far is well over $16,000. I am
retired. I do not have any income other than fixed income from my retirement.
Put yourself in my position. I am not in violation of any law and I never have been. IÓm
a citizen in good standing and I deserve the protection from the County, and particularly
from the Planning Commission who knows better than the rest of us laymen what the law
is. If there are any further questions, IÓd be glad to explain it further.
GALDONES:Commissioners, anyone has questions for Mr. Freyser?
Okay. Hearing none, Mr. Freyser, do you want to add anything more to your testimony?
FREYSER:No, I think that everyone here is well educated enough,
having read and listened to the testimony that they can make an intelligent decision.
Thank you.
GALDONES:Thank you very much for being here.
KUBOTA:Mr. Chairman?
GALDONES:Commissioner Kubota?
KUBOTA:As an after-thought, Mr. Freyser, we are in receipt of the
attorney, supervising attorney, from RICO bringing almost like a closure to your
complaints saying that they have issued an advisory letter to Mrs. Cann-Ferreira advising
her of the law regarding the beauty shop and they find that other than the fact that she is
operating a beauty shop without a Special Permit that they canÓt, they donÓt see any other
violations. I mean, thatÓs almost telling us that itÓs a closed case. And for us to be
deliberating on your other complaints that have nothing to do with the Special Permit is
not within our jurisdiction. I hope you understand that.
FREYSER:Yes, I do understand that. The other things are not within
your jurisdiction but those other things, absolutely would have to in taking into
consideration just by common sense. The letter that you received back from RICO does
not refer to the Special Permit. It refers to further legal action on her part. The reason
she cannot take further legal action according to her is that thereÓs no way to prove that
the Applicant has received money for services and not having a license to do so. YouÓve
listened to the Applicant admit to receiving money for her services. Does that answer
your question?
KUBOTA:Yes. Thank you.
GALDONES:Any further questions or comments? Commissioner
Togashi?
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TOGASHI:I was wondering, Mr. Freyser, have you received a copy or
have you seen this Planning DirectorÓs Recommendation which, in this Recommendation
here, it also points out mitigating conditions with regard to the Special Permit? And
perhaps, maybe, by looking at these conditions, it may allay some of your fears, yeah.
And Susan Gagorik from my staff pointed out that before they can, I guess, begin
operating their salon, yeah, they need to fulfill some of these conditions, such as getting a
building permit and -.
FREYSER:That I have not received.
TOGASHI:IÓm just wondering that perhaps by looking at some of
these conditions which our Planning Director has outlined as conditions for granting the
permit, that perhaps this may allay some of your fears and -.
FREYSER:The Planning Director didnÓt see fit to provide me with
that.
TOGASHI:Well, I donÓt think he needs to do that. But this is, y
know, something that you have every right to look at.
FREYSER:What I have received only is the ÐDear neighborÑ of the
request from the applicant. It has a site plan that does not resemble that. The site plan, as
I mentioned in there, is incorrect.
TOGASHI:But, anyway, I guess to reiterate, I guess perhaps, yeah -.
FREYSER:I did not receive this one.
TOGASHI:Allay some of your fears?
FREYSER:Thank you, Commissioners, for having had the opportunity
to review them.
TOGASHI:But there is, basically, kind of like an all-encompassing
mitigating condition in here. It basically says that itÓs a, kind of like what -. They refer
to it as a nuisance cause or condition where I guess if, you know, theyÓre not fulfilling the
terms of the conditions of the permit, that you have every right to, you know, contact the
Planning Director. And I guess he has the prerogative of even putting the matter back
before the Planning Commission for reconsideration. So there is another, I guess, maybe
a condition, all-encompassing condition, should you not feel that there has been adequate
mitigation that you can, you know, again, contact Director Yuen.
is to bring back the matter to the Commission should it be, IÓm not saying that itÓs going
to be granted, but should the matter be, the permit be granted today that you have that
option again to contact Mr. Yuen if, you know, the permittee is not living up to his or her
obligations commensurate with the permit.
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FREYSER:IÓm not sure whether that might give me a great deal of
comfort but perhaps Mr. Yuen could address why I wasnÓt provided with a copy since I
was one of the people who objected.
GALDONES:Director Yuen?
YUEN:ItÓs a recommendation of what to do to the Planning
Commission; and we donÓt routinely send that out to members of the public or even
people who do send letters. IÓm sorry, thatÓs not a standard practice. We would have
given it had you asked.
FREYSER:WouldnÓt it seem more logical to the Commission members
or the Applicant to comply with the State and County laws for requesting a Special
Permit rather than promising to do so if the Special Permit is granted? Is there anyone
that thinks that that wouldnÓt be a more reasonable way to do it?
GALDONES:Mr. Freyser, the concerns that you had raised in your
documents, they are legitimate concerns as a neighbor. However, the Commission is
governed by certain rules and guidelines; and some of those rules and guidelines,
unfortunately, does not encompass some of the things that you are bringing up in your
document. Although it may seem that itÓs part and parcel and it should be, nevertheless,
the rules that we are governed by must be followed. And as far as the document, this
recommendation that Commissioner Togashi had mentioned to you, it would have been a
good idea for you to have that in your hand. It is not part of the policy and procedures
that it is given to the public, but it is available for them.
Now, if you would like to, for your comfort level, I could ask Susan to go over the
conditions to which the permit has been recommended for approval, if you would like to
do so.
FREYSER:Yes, I would like to have as much information as possibl
My reading of Rule 6, which I believe is what governs the Special Permit process does
address many of the issues that I brought up in these attachments. If you all have a copy
of Rule 6 -.
GIFFIN:Yes, we do.
GALDONES:Yes, we do. Susan, could you, then, for Mr. FreyserÓs
GAGORIK:In the Recommendation Report, on page 5, we have a list
of conditions that the Planning Director is recommending approval with the Special
Permit.
FREYSER:IÓm not sure which one of these point to, which in
particular are you referencing?
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GAGORIK:The permit is being recommended to be approved subject
to nine conditions -.
FREYSER:Right.
GAGORIK:Okay. And the nine conditions, No. 1, basically, is that the
Applicant or successors shall comply with all of the stated conditions of approval. ThatÓs
the first one.
The second one is that the Applicant needs to finalize all necessary permits as required by
the Department of Public Works, Building Division within six months from the effective
date of this permit. That means should the Planning Commission
Applicant will need to start immediately initiating procedures to secure all of the building
permits for structures that are not secured. For example, the shed, the storage facility,
converting the room to the beauty salon, all needs to have building permits within six
months. Okay?
FREYSER: And doesnÓt that also include the pig pen that is built on the
property line in the setback area and encroaches on TMK north of the ApplicantÓs
property which does not appear on here but it is on the one that
GAGORIK:Any structure thatÓs on the property that is considered a
structure which would be over 6 feet in height will need to have a building permit. So the
Applicant needs to comply; and if they are not able to, then they would have to remove
the structure.
FREYSER:I understand.
GAGORIK:Okay?
FREYSER:Does anyone have any other questions of me?
GAGORIK:There are other conditions I can review for you that, you
know, besides the one I just read there are some more, there are additional conditions if
youÓll look on that thing.
FREYSER:Is this the answer, that -?
GAGORIK:There are conditions regarding a backflow preventer that
the Department of Water Supply requires. ThereÓs a condition that limits the hours of
operation from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It also has a condition that no signage be posted so
she canÓt advertise that sheÓs doing business on the property, that all parking be
maintained on the subject property for her business, and that they comply with other
applicable laws and regulations by other agencies, and that involves the Department of
Health that you had concerns about, also.
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There is also a condition that Mr. Togashi mentioned about that if there are any concerns
that the neighbors bring up, that you can come to the Planning Department and present
those concerns that our inspector will investigate that. So there is that clause in the
application.
We also have a final condition that says that, thereÓs a time extension the Applicant can
request for to comply with some of these conditions.
FREYSER:Thank you, MaÓam.
GAGORIK:Okay.
GALDONES:Mr. Freyser, do you have any more comments that you
would like to make?
FREYSER:The only comment that I would like to make and itÓs in t
form of a question -. Does it bother any of you that the Applicant has been in violation of
the law all of these years and then submits the request for Spec
actually fraudulent? Is there any one that could, would like to answer that or I just leave
it?
GALDONES:Commissioners?
KUBOTA:Mr. Freyser?
GALDONES:Commissioner Kubota?
KUBOTA:IÓll take a crack at that. It bothers me greatly that people
are in violation. ThatÓs the first answer. The second answer is what do you do when they
come to legitimize it? You say that because you were previously violative you canÓt have
a means of support? We are bound, whether you know it or not, we are bound by rules
and regs that prohibit us from using personal biases against an applicant. I hope you
understand that. There are many, many cases where we have, over my four years as a
Commissioner, listened to where the applicant has been in violation in grosser ways and,
yet, IÓve had to say, yes, you may have a Special Permit. Because they find themselves,
they put themselves into categories that prohibit us, me as a Commissioner, from saying
no to their request. ItÓs a very complicated process and itÓs not as easy as you see it,
black or white. ThatÓs where IÓm coming from; and I hope IÓve answered my position
with you.
FREYSER:I understand then and thank you for taking the time to
address my question. But itÓs not really a personal bias, itÓs more of value.
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KUBOTA:Well, IÓm prohibited from relying on my moral values
because I took an oath to obey the rules and regs and to render a decision based on that,
and there have been many times I have lost sleep over my decisio
FREYSER:I do understand that.
KUBOTA:Thank you.
FREYSER:IÓm here because my moral values require that I be here
because I have the courage of my convictions. Had I not shown up here, none of those
attachments would have seen the light of day. Somehow they beca
the time I mailed them until they became available here. Whethe
IÓve done the right thing. I only ask that all of you do the same. Thank you.
GALDONES:Thank you very much for being here, Mr. Freyser, sharin
your thoughts with us. Any more questions from the Commissioners or comments?
Thank you.
I would like to call the Applicants back. I just want to remind you youÓre still under oath.
Did you receive a copy of those documents that were circulated to the Commissioners?
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Yes. We have.
GALDONES:Do you have any more comments or questions that you
would like to raise?
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Yes. Again, IÓm here to just to legitimize the
occupation and I think all the testimony was said during the presentation.
GALDONES:Okay. Commissioners, any more questions or comments to
the Applicants?
GIFFIN:Mr. Chairman, I do, and this is meant not only to the
Applicant but, also, to the previous speaker, Mr. Freyser, that, actually, I think the
ApplicantÓs attempt to legitimize her business is a blessing in disguise, for all us. I think
the conditions speak for themselves. I think that the concerns that were raised by her
neighbor are being addressed in the conditions which, according to all of the documents
that he has provided us with, apparently have not been addressed or, if they have, they
have not been addressed to the satisfaction of the neighbor. However, this list of
conditions will give the neighbor a vehicle to go ahead and say whether or not the
Applicant is or is not in compliance, and a vehicle to do something about it which,
apparently, he has not been able to do. So, all of that in mind, Mr. Chairman, I move that
the Special Permit application, SPP 02-041, be approved, along with the Background
Information and the conditions as presented, especially the conditions as presented by the
Department.
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SMITH:Second.
GALDONES:It has been moved and, IÓm sorry, who seconded?
GIFFIN:Mr. Smith.
GALDONES:It is moved by Commissioner Giffin and seconded by
Commissioner Smith that Patricia Cann-FerreiraÓs Special Permit application,
SPP 02-041, along with the Background Report and the Recommendations to establish a
hair cutting and beauty salon as a home operation be approved by the Planning
Commission. Are there any further questions by the Commissioners? Otherwise, Susan?
GAGORIK:Commissioner Giffin?
GIFFIN:Aye.
GAGORIK:Commissioner Smith?
SMITH:Aye.
GAGORIK:Commissioner Fujikawa?
FUJIKAWA:Aye.
GAGORIK:Commissioner Kubota?
KUBOTA:Aye.
GAGORIK:Commissioner McCall?
MCCALL:Aye.
GAGORIK:Commissioner Togashi?
TOGASHI:Aye.
GAGORIK:Mr. Chair?
GALDONES:Aye.
GAGORIK:Mr. Chair, the vote passes with seven ayes.
GALDONES:You will be informed in writing of the CommissionÓs
actions today.
P. CANN-FERREIRA:Thank you.
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The discussion ended at 12:21 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon M. Nomura, Secretary
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