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Home My WebLink About2022-07-21 Leeward Exh B (Public Testimony re Items 1 Chen 34 Hagen-Cowell Trust and 56 Hawaii One1) LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAII TESTIMONY TRANSCRIPT JULY 21, 2022 Public testimony of Edward Rapoza regarding the applications of SITING CHEN (PL-REZ- 2021-000012),AMY HAGEN-COWELL TRUST (PL-SLU-2022-000004 & PL-REZ-2022- 000019), AND HAWAII ONE1 INVESTORS LLC (FORMERLY KONA HEIGHTS LLC) (PL-REZ-2022-000014/AMEND REZ 07-075 &PL-SMA-2022-000012/AMEND SMA 07- 024) was heard at 10:22 a.m. in the West Hawaii Civic Center, Community Center, Building G, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, with Chairman Michael Vitousek presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Michael Vitousek, Barbara DeFranco, Michael Dela Cruz, Clement"CJ" Kanuha III, and Zaheva Knowles ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Mahina Paishon-Duarte and Faith"Faye" Yates EX-OFFICIO MEMBER: Robyn Matsumoto (Department of Public Works) ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Malia Kekai, Esq. (Counsel for the Commission), Jean Campbell, Esq. (Counsel for the Planning Department), Zendo Kern (Planning Director), Jeffrey Darrow (Deputy Planning Director), Maija Jackson (Planning Program Manager), Christian Kay (Planner), Jessica Andrews (Planner), Janice Hata(Zoom host), and Noriko Sauer (Commission Secretary) APPLICANT: SITING CHEN (PL-REZ-2021-000012) Application for a Change of Zone from an Agricultural-5-acre (A-5a) to a Family Agricultural-1 acre (FA-la) zoning district for 14.968-acres of land. The subject property is located on the south side of Hualalai Road, approximately 0.6 miles east of its intersection with Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway, Wai`aha 1st, Puapua`anui 1st, North Kona, Hawaii, TMK: (3) 7-5-017:043. APPLICANT: AMY HAGEN-COWELL TRUST (PL-SLU-2022-000004) Application for a State Land Use Boundary Amendment from Agricultural to Urban for 6.875 acres of land. The subject property is located on the east(mauka) side of the Hawaii Belt Road (Highway 11) at its intersection with Alii Drive and Nap6`opo`o Road, Ka`awaloa(Mauka), South Kona, Hawaii, TMK: (3) 8-1-008:004. APPLICANT: AMY HAGEN-COWELL TRUST (PL-REZ-2022-000019) Application for a Change of Zone from an Agricultural-1 acre (A-la) to a Single-Family Residential-10,000 square feet(RS-10) zoning designation for 6.875 acres of land. The subject property is located on the east(mauka) side of the Hawaii Belt Road (Highway 11) at its intersection with Alii Drive and Nap6`opo`o Road, Ka`awaloa(Mauka), South Kona, Hawaii, TMK: (3) 8-1-008:004. 1 EXHIBIT B APPLICANT: HAWAII ONEI INVESTORS LLC (FORMERLY KONA HEIGHTS LLC) (PL-REZ-2022-000014/AMEND REZ 07-075) Application for a five (5)-year time extension to Condition E(Time to Secure Final Subdivision Approval) and amendment to Condition K(Drainage Improvements)to allow for the option of bonding the drainage improvements or the use of other acceptable forms of surety in lieu of the construction of drainage improvements,prior to the issuance of Final Subdivision Approval, of Ordinance 09 8, which reclassified 11.05 acres of land from an Agricultural 5-acres (A-5a) to a Single-Family Residential-7,500 square feet(RS-7.5) zoned district. The property is located at the south end of Naniloa Street adjacent to the White Sands Beach Estates and Keauhou View Estates Subdivisions, Pahoehoe 1st, Kapala`alaea 2nd, North Kona, Hawaii, TMK: 7-7-008:121. APPLICANT: HAWAII ONEI INVESTORS LLC (FORMERLY KONA HEIGHTS LLC) (PL-SMA-2022-000012/AMEND SMA 07-024) Application for a five (5)-year time extension to Condition 4 (Time to Secure Final Subdivision Approval) of SMA Use Permit No. 07-024, which was approved to allow the development of a 65-lot, single family residential subdivision and related improvements. The property is located at the south end of Naniloa Street adjacent to the White Sands Beach Estates and Keauhou View Estates Subdivisions, Pahoehoe 1st, Kapala`alaea 2nd, North Kona, Hawaii, TMK: 7-7-008:121. Secretary's Note: "—" indicates indiscernible speech due to internet/technical difficulties or simultaneous talk. VITOUSEK: So, agenda Item 41 first up is Ken Van Bergen are you going to testify now on that one? VAN BERGEN: I'll be here so I can testify later. VITOUSEK: Okay. Next is Mac Mc Innis. Would you like to testify now or during the agenda item? MC INNIS: During the agenda item. VITOUSEK: Okay. Ed Rapoza, testify now? Actually, for everybody who liked to testify now, could you please raise your right hand. FEMALE IN AUDIENCE: I have a problem with raising my hand to swear to something. It's all about my ancestors, — VITOUSEK: Okay. FEMALE IN AUDIENCE: — so we do it, we have our cultural practices. We can just maybe stand for them or— VITOUSEK: Sure, as long as you affirm to tell the truth that's all that matters. FEMALE IN AUDIENCE: Absolutely. 2 EXHIBIT B VITOUSEK: Yeah, okay. So, to everybody who is ready to testify please raise your right hand or do whatever you would like to do. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on the matter before the Planning Commission? IN-PERSON TESTIFIERS: I do, yes, yes, I do. VITOUSEK: Mahalo. Okay, Mr. Rapoza. RAPOZA: Is this on? VITOUSEK: Yes. RAPOZA: Good morning, aloha everyone. My name is Edward Rapoza. I am a resident of Kailua-Kona. I've been, my family been on the Big Island since the late 1800's and have been in this Kona community. I graduated from Konawaena High School. So, a local guy from the area. A little bit of background on myself and then I'll go into, I'd like to testify on the three of the items on the agenda. So, if I may utilize the total time allotted. My background is I'm a realtor in the community, have raised my family here and have four children, and I look forward to my children someday carrying on in the Kailua area, Kailua-Kona. One of the things I want to remind our community about is I was one of the 15 members that was appointed by Mayor Kim for the Community Development Plan. The Community Development Plan had unprecedented input from the community, and members in the community, and many of those who have testified today. I recognize those names as participants in the Community Development Plan. And there was just, there wasn't, it was five years of my life on that commission. And we had input from every aspect of our community. The Hawaiian community, the real estate community, the kupuna and I guess at my age these days I've become a kupuna now. But I want to remind everybody that we had filled the Keauhou area at the Surf Convention Center there. Filled it many, many times and I sat where you're sat as you sit now is one of the Commissioners and listen to testimony. But we identified as a community, the community, the urban expansion area that everybody participated in and wanted to see expansion of where we wanted to see the growth and that document lives today. I represented the landowner groups. However, for the record I don't agree with a lot of the things that Community Development Plan enacts. But I do understand and agree that we all participated, and we have a plan that many people seem to forget, including those many of them who has testified today. So, I'm in favor of Item No. 1, Chen. I think it's the second one, Cowell application in Kealakekua and then the development down in Keauhou. Because they all meet the unprecedented participation from the community that we all indicate where we wanted the growth to be. Number one in Chen's he's just outside of the Community Development Plan urban expansion areas so the Family Ag-1 is consistent with the surrounding rural environment and adjacent zonings. 3 EXHIBIT B The second item I believe on Cowell. The Community Development Plan calls for in the rural communities calls for the expansion of density close to the infrastructure and type within the communities and that one is right there at the intersection of a major bypass road that we all use and enjoy today. And lastly, the development in Keauhou is within the urban expansion area. This is where we all said as a Kona community, we want the density to be to preclude further urban sprawl. And yes, there's traffic and traffic were addressed at those times and, but if we continue to not approve developments within the urban expansion area, we're going to continue to have urban sprawl. And as a realtor having no approvals is going to continue to drive up prices in our community. That's what's driving our kama`aina people out of the area because there's no inflow of new inventory at all. Supply and demand. Very simple. So, I urge you to follow all the people that didn't show up today that showed up for the Community Development Plan urban expansion area and to follow the plan that we all agreed to. Thousands and thousands of people participated that are not here today for five years and created a plan. So, I urge you to follow the plan. Mahalo. VITOUSEK: Mahalo. The testimony ended at 10:28 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Melissa Dacayanan-Salvador Secretary to Boards and Commissions 4 EXHIBIT B