HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Item 1 - Public Testimony (PL-KVD-2022-000017) Mori, Ashley
From: Planning CDP
Sent: Monday, August 8, 2022 12:41 PM
To: Planning Internet Mail;Janice Lee Palma-Glennie
Cc: Planning CDP
Subject: FW: attention: Kailua village design - Wendy's will be another eyesore
Aloha Janice,
I think you sent us your testimony by accident (the emails are very similar). We're forwarding your testimony to
pinn%np(�hawaiicounty. ov to go through intake and then be routed to the folks who support the Kailua Village Design
Commission.
Mahalo,
The CDP Team
From:Janice Glennie
Sent: Monday, August 8, 2022 10:26 AM
To: Planning CDP<cdp@hawaiicounty.gov>
Subject: attention: Kailua village design -Wendy's will be another eyesore
Aloha,
I'm writing in extreme opposition to the design of the proposed Wendy's restaurant on Henry Street— something which
this commission can do something about.The "iconic red" parapet should— out of the gate— be a Big "NO".
The design of Niumalu shopping center took downtown Kailua-kona down 5 notches with its lack of attractiveness and
Smart Growth design. In fact, it screams "cheap, frontage road Anywhere USA". As far as function under Kona
Community Development Plan (KCDP)tenets, it's hard to believe it was even approved when, I believe, the KCDP was in
effect as the shopping center was obtaining permits, though I may be wrong on that. In any case, there was a
phenomenal opportunity to create 2nd story, trendy, local-style housing to comply with and be a part of a Smarter
Growth, forward-thinking, mixed use "village." Instead, Kailua-Kona — destination of the stars — got a flat-
roofed, sometime-to-be-abandoned-looking strip mall dead center of downtown.
As far as attractive landscaping...please don't make me laugh (or cry). I've called Safeway management to talk about the
landscape's atrocious condition including a back flow preventer that may still be leaking thousands and thousands of
gallons of our most precious Public Trust Resource for over two years.The landscape looks like a second-grader could've
put the design together. It has (had) native Hawaiian plants but the layout is pedestrian (and not in a good way).The
worst soil was used. Even still, the plan might've looked acceptable if(big if) it had been maintained property. Instead,
it's already gone to the dogs. (Sorry if I'm stepping on any toes of folks in my field which is landscape design, but, beside
the trees, the place is an eyesore likely due to too-tight budget more than those who did the design.)
Look no further than Keauhou shopping center. Despite being quite old, it was designed and continues to have a
reasonably sophisticated and comfortable sense of place. And why not look farther north to where the people we'd like
to also attract to downtown Kona go to play and spend money?There are shopping areas that don't look like frontage
road commercialism like Niumalu. does.
i
You have the power to change the planning paradigm, at least the design in this critical area. We want to attract people
to live and shop and enjoy our downtown in a way that they get a taste of how the irreplaceable host culture blends
with a new, better paradigm of growth.Just do it!
Mahalo and sincerely,
Janice FaInIa-Gly nn c.
Keauhou G"rd",5""J err`at op,
Kailua-K011111 tJawa'i 96745
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