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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-04-07 TTripp PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAII HEARING TRANSCRIPT APRIL 7, 2005 KATHY TRIPP (REZ 06-000032) A regularly advertised hearing on the application filed by was called to order at 10:40 a.m. in the County Building, Councilroom - Room 201, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, Hawaii with Chairman C. Kimo Alameda presiding. PRESENT:C. Kimo AlamedaABSENT & EXCUSED: Allen Salavea Fred Galdones Bill Graham Andrew Iwashita JeffreyMcCall Rene€ Siracusa Rodney Watanabe Ivan Torigoe, Deputy Corporation Counsel Christopher J. Yuen, Planning Director Norman Hayashi, Planning Program Manager Phyllis Fujimoto, Staff Planner Jeff Darrow, Staff Planner And approximately 28 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: KATHY TRIPP (REZ 06-000032) Change of Zone for 20,000 square feet of land from a Single Family Residential ƒ 10,000 square feet (RS-10) to a Neighborhood Commercial ƒ 20,000 square feet (CN-20) district. The property is located along the west side of Manono Street, midway between Kekuanaoa Street and Hualani Street, Waiakea Houselots, South Hilo, Hawaii, Tax Map Key: 2-2-34:12. ALAMEDA:Agenda Item No. 2, applicant Kathy Tripp (REZ -06-000032). This is a Change of Zone for 20,000 square feet of land from a Single Family Residential ƒ 10,000 square feet (RS-10) to a Neighborhood Commercial ƒ 20,000 square feet (CN-20) district. And I€ll let Mr. Darrow take it from there. Anybody interested in providing testimony, please sign up on this particular item. I don€t see any testimony in front of me today, that€s why. Okay, Mr. Darrow. DARROW:Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning Members of the Planning Commission. ALAMEDA:Good morning. DARROW:If I can direct your attention to the location map, the location of this next application is within the South Hilo District of Hawaii, more specifically in the Waiakea Houselots area. We€re looking at this white line traveling in a mauka-makai direction as being 1EXHIBIT A Manono Street and we have Kekuanaoa which is a street that goes to the airport, and Hualani Street. The area of this application is identified in blue. Asyoucan see the surrounding zonings, it€s identified by color. The yellow identifies the Single Family Residential ƒ 10,000 square foot zoning. The lighter pink shades is the Neighborhood Commercial zoning and the darker orange is the Commercial, General Commercial zoning. The applicant, Kathy Tripp, is requesting a change of zone from Single Family Residential ƒ 10,000 square feet (RS-10) to a Neighborhood Commercial ƒ 20,000 square feet (CN-20) zoned district. If I can refer your attention to the site plan that has been submitted by the applicants. Manono Street is identified on the top of the map. The applicant at this time owns and operates Kilauea Creations in Volcano Village. They would like to expand their business and open a facility within Hilo. On the property at this time there is an existing structure that€s 1246 square feet in size.Itwasconstructedin1914.Theapplicantwishestorenovatetheinterioroftheexisting structure to be able to use it for retail use for their business, Kilauea Creations. They are proposing to maintain the original design of the exterior. Again, the structure is over 50 years old and it€s something that they want to maintain as far as the overall ambiance of the property. They are proposing to put an 8-stall parking lot in the back for employees and guests. The proposed driveway, there will be one access, an egress and ingress from Manono Street identified in this particular layout. Since the application has been completed, we have received a comment letter from Civil Defense Agency requesting that the applicant submit an emergency response plan. And so we€ve revised our conditions and added in Condition L which requires the applicant to submit an emergency response plan to the Civil Defense Agency. The Planning Department has not received any letters of support or objections for this particular application. The Planning Director is recommending that the Planning Commission send a favorable recommendation to the Hawaii County Council. Are there any questions? ALAMEDA:Fellow Commissioners? Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:Yes. That commercial right across the street in the pink, what€s in there? DARROW:At this time it is vacant. I believe that there might be a picture that€s being passed around that shows that vacant area. It is, in the background report it speaks about this particular change of zone that occurred previously. But at this time there are no improvements on these two particular properties. ALAMEDA:Commissioner McCall and then Commissioner Graham? MCCALL:The Atebara Potato Chips factory is kitty-corner there? Now that one is just grandfathered in? It€s still RS-10 for that parcel? DARROW:Correct. That would identified in this particular property directly or kitty- corner from the request. 2EXHIBIT A ALAMEDA:Commissioner Graham? GRAHAM:Jeff, just not too long ago we had a mortgage insuranceor a mortgage business that got a rezoning. Can you show us just where that is? DARROW:That would be identified in this particular area here, just before Lanikaula and Manono Street right in this area here. GRAHAM:Thanks. ALAMEDA:Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:Yes, just for the record, the map, the site map, not the general area map, Manono Street is written at Manano Street. Well, just for the record that is supposed to be Manono. DARROW:Thankyou. ALAMEDA:Verywell.Otherquestionsforourapplicant?Anyothermisspelled words you guys noticed, or what? All right, Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:No. I€ll wait for the applicant to come up. ALAMEDA:Thank you. Okay, thanks, Jeff. I appreciate it. Will the applicant or its representative please come forward. Please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth now before the Hawaii County Planning Commission? TRIPP:I do. HERBST:I do. ALAMEDA:Okay. And you both will be presenting today? TRIPP:My name is Kathy Tripp; and Wailana Herbst has assisted me in the process. ALAMEDA:Okay. I guess could you, Kathy, state your name and address again for the record and then you can go further. TRIPP:Kathy Tripp; and my address is PO Box 959, Volcano, Hawaii 96785. ALAMEDA:Okay. And -? HERBST:Wailana Herbst, my address is 4 Spring Street, Hilo, Hawaii. ALAMEDA:Okay. Kathy, did you get a chance to look at the recommendation made by the Department? 3EXHIBIT A TRIPP:Yes, I did. SIRACUSA:Swear them in, please. ALAMEDA:Yes, go ahead. SIRACUSA:Swear them in, please. ALAMEDA:I just did. MCCALL:He did. ALAMEDA:I got you on that one, all right. I feel honored now. Okay, I€m so quick ƒ no. How about the conditions? Do you have any questions or comments regarding the conditionsmadebytheDepartment? TRIPP:No,Idon€t. ALAMEDA:Okay.FellowCommissioners,youhaveanyquestionsfortheapplicants, or thoughts? Commissioner Graham and then Commissioner Siracusa. GRAHAM:What you€re proposing is kind of in conformance, I believe with the General Plan. But we do have a lot of, we€ve had a number of rezonings and things in the past that have brought some controversy in that general area. So I just thought I€d ask you how is it that you happen to land on the particular piece of property that you€re proposing here before us today? TRIPP:Well, the truth of that isreally God presented it to me. Not to be Really -. But we had been looking for something. And this property is so quaint and it€s so unique. We€ve been looking for commercial property for Hilo for a while. We have a commercial property in Volcano, we have a general store and retail. And, as you know, things are moving and it€s hard to find anything. And this house came across our path and it€s just, there are several other, you know, it€s very close. It€s one street down from Big Island Candies. You know, it€s a good location for Commercial. And what I propose to do is a quilt shop with gift items and the atmosphere, and the ambiance of this property is very conducive to what I want to do. GRAHAM:So you just found this property fairly recently and it€s in the right kind of location for what you want to use it for? TRIPP:That€s correct, yes. ALAMEDA:Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:Yes. Were you aware that we had turned down Big Island Candies€ application? 4EXHIBIT A TRIPP:As far as I knowBig Island Candies is operating as a commercial business. SIRACUSA:Yes, but they had asked to expand their operation; and that just got turned down at our last Hilo meeting, just for your information. You are the only, you would be then the only commercial enterprise on that entire square block? I€m not talking about what€s across the street from you. I€m talking about, you know, within that block, as I€m looking at it, the blue dots surrounded by yellow on the map. TRIPP:There is a drafting office that is a few houses down the road; and then there€s also, the Jaycees have a building that€s before that. I don€t know what their zoning requirements are, but it is operated as a business. And then Atebara Potato Chips is right across the street. HERBST:CanIaddtothat?There€salsoa-. SIRACUSA:Pleasespeakintothemicrophone. HERBST:Okay,fine.There€salsoachurchbehindus.Idon€tthinkit€sbeingused as a church anymore, but they€re got their olds signs and everything. And then on the other corner, just across, well, across the street from where Waiakea Villas is, there€s the contractor€s union building there also, which it€s not commercial but, I mean, it€s not a residential lot either, or they€re not using it for residential. ALAMEDA:Commissioner Siracusa, follow-up. SIRACUSA:No, thank you. HERBST:And I just wanted to add to that? ALAMEDA:Sure. HERBST:The lots right across the street that are kitty-corner on the opposite -, they are zoned for, there€s nothing on them now but they€re in the plans for Commercial. ALAMEDA:Okay. Questions, other questions for our applicants? Commissioner Galdones? GALDONES:Thank you, Mr. Chair. Ms. Tripp, were the surrounding residents properly notified of this application that you have? HERBST:Yes, they have been; and I have talked to several of them with favorable responses. Yes. ALAMEDA:Any other questions? SIRACUSA:I have a question for the Director. 5EXHIBIT A ALAMEDA:Sure. SIRACUSA:If we approve this then ultimately Ms. Tripp or her successor would be able to tear down the building and put up some other larger commercial structure, is that correct? YUEN:Yes. SIRACUSA:Thank you. ALAMEDA:Commissioner Iwashita? IWASHITA:Ms. Tripp, I€d like to direct your attention to page 2 of the County Planning Department€s background report for your application. No. 9 talks about the Hilo Community Development Plan which was adopted in 1975. Have you reviewed the Hilo CommunityDevelopmentPlan? TRIPP:No,Ihaven€t.Youmeanspecificallyreadtheplan? IWASHITA:Yes. TRIPP:No,Ihaven€t. IWASHITA:So this reference to the, in the background report to the Hilo Community Development Plan would have been the first time you were aware that this area that you€re asking for commercial development is planned for a residential use? TRIPP:My understanding was that in the planning, that this area was to be Neighborhood Commercial or is in the General Plan to be Neighborhood Commercial. IWASHITA:Where did you get that understanding? TRIPP:Several people that I€ve talked to, nobody specific that I can say. But -. IWASHITA:So, but you understand that by Resolution No. 1 adopted on May 21, 1975 that the Hilo Community Development Plan designates the Houselots area, including the property you bought, to be for residential use? You have that understanding today? TRIPP:Yes. IWASHITA:So you understand what you€re asking us to do is to basically do something contrary to the Hilo Community Development Plan? TRIPP:I was under the understanding from the recommendation from Planning that by use the requirement that I€m asking falls under the plans of the County. IWASHITA:Yeah, the General Plan designation for this area was changed in early 2005 to be Medium Urban Density, which does allow the zoning, the type of zoning that you€re 6EXHIBIT A asking for. But the Community Development Plan was not changed or has not been changed yet; and that€s still to be worked on. And so my follow-up question on that is that then there are no immediate plans or process right now going on to do the new Hilo Community Development Plan? I know time is money but in terms of -. I€ll tell you, my preference is that requests like yours that basicallygo outside of what the existing community development plan provides should be put off until the new Community Development Plan is developed and this entire area, the whole houselots area, can be redone in terms of where the Commercial is going, what it is going to look like, where the residential is going to be kept, and so forth. You have any concerns or response to that thought that basically we as a community should not be on a single application by single application basis be making changes to the existing Hilo Community Development Plan? TRIPP:I guess I have two questions. My first question would be when does the HiloCommunityDevelopmentPlanplanonchangingtheplan,youknow,whatistheir scheduling agenda for that? And then, also, does the Planning recommendation or the zoning recommendation -? I don€t know the logistics or the legalities of what supercedes what. IWASHITA:Oh, whether the General Plan Amendment supercedes the Community Development Plan? The Community Development Plan is, that€s a good question. But to answer your first question there are no immediate plans to make changes to the Hilo Community Development Plan. That€s something that right now is beyond the resources of the Department. And if some additional resources are met, they would have to be done if we€re going to do it right away. So that€s pretty much it. Again, it€s my firm opinion that in this area, particularly in the houselots area because yours now ththth is 4, 5, or 6 application since I€ve been on the Commission in the last few months, you know, for these types of changes, and, you know, to me it really should be done -. Because we already have an existing plan that is being changed, right? It is being done in a one-at-a-time basis, which to me is not a good planning process. Okay? So, and I€ll tell you ƒ if we keep going down this road then we€re going to end up with, what€s a good visual example, Kihei Road on Maui. I€m not kidding. Right? Basically, if we turn Manono Street into Commercial on a one- by-onebasis,itwillbeastripmallwithparkinglotsinfront,building,youknow,butler buildings in the back or whatever, however it comes out. Right? And that€s what it€s going to be.Personally,Idon€tlikethatpicture.SoIknowthisisalotmorethan,youknow,your particular request. But, again, my concern is it really should be done a more big picture basis for houselots. AndsoI€llaskyouagain,whetherornotyou€dbewillingtowait,youknow,andfranklyhow fast the plan gets changed in the area in my mind is up to the community. If you and the other ownersinthecommunitygoseeStacieHigaorwhoever,andtherestoftheCouncil,andsay we€ve got to get this done and you haven€t allocated enough resources for it, you know, let€s get this done so we can have a comprehensive plan, then -. Well, right, now, the County has plenty money, right? So, you know, in my mind if there was a commitment on the part of the Council to get it done it could be done in a year or two; and then for us it will be easy, right, because the community has gotten involved and developed a new plan. And, so, you know, the designated areas for commercial use will be all set and, well, it€d be done all one time. Right? So that is my concern. And what I€d like to ask you is whether or not you€d be willing to work in the 7EXHIBIT A community to help get this plan doneand then wait to have your request be part of that plan as opposed to a single request like it is right now? TRIPP:I guess, well, I have a lot of thoughts. But my, not that I wouldn€t be willing to work with the community but I already have three businesses, four kids and knowing how these, and I do work with many community projects. Knowing how long community projects take and the involvement, my question is on the previous applications that have gone through this process where, you know, was there a requirement that they had to work on the development plan. And is the Hawaii Community development plan, what section of Hilo are we talking about? ALAMEDA:Can I interrupt real quick. I feel a little bit uncomfortable with the questioning back and forth. It€s becoming a little bit of a different animal, if you will. I want to ask Mr. Torigoe if he can kind of direct us and maybe provide some guidelines around our type ofquestioningandthedialogue,ifwe€rekindofontherighttrackormaybewe€regoingoff track. TORIGOE:Well, Mr. Chairman, I€m not sure exactly what you€re asking but I guess generally speaking there is an application before you and the Commissioners certainly have the opportunity to express their concerns about every application. You know, I think we do need to be a little bit careful about just gathering information and perhaps not involving ourselves in trying to convince applicants to, you know, change their course or -. You know, I think we just need to deal with the application as it€s before us; and if you disagree with it, then certainly it€s your prerogative to vote against that. But basically I think we should be gathering information regarding the application and then deliberating and voting based on that. ALAMEDA:So, Ms. Tripp, you can choose to answer the question or you can choose not; and we can proceed in that fashion. You have any other comments? TRIPP:I€ve just never done this before so -. ALAMEDA:No problem. Commissioner Iwashita, any follow-up to that? I don€t know if you got the answer you were looking for or, probably not. TRIPP:I just want to assure -. As far as my project, I don€t know what anybody else is doing or what they€re planning. But my plan is to keep the building, which is a very unique and special building, the integrity of it. And as far as commercial development, we know that it€s going to happen in the area. And I think that my plan is the best case scenario because I€m not taking down the building. I realize in the future people can change things. But what I€m proposing to do will really enhance and provide a service in Hilo that is needed, and the people will really like what I€m going to do there, which is also with the Hawaiian quilting and local crafts. I believe the agenda that the zoning, planning wants is to develop these kinds of commercial properties. ALAMEDA:Okay. Question, Commissioner Iwashita? IWASHITA:I have a, if you€ll give me a second, I need to consider -. 8EXHIBIT A ALAMEDA:Yeah, and can you please raise it in a question? Let€s save our statements for our discussion. And the public can also, you know, have purview to our opinions. But I would like to ask that for discussion if you have any specific questions for our applicant, now is the time. IWASHITA:Ms. Tripp, I understand what you want to have done and what you believe to be your, the value in how you want to proceed. Did anyone discuss with you, you know, doing, requesting a special permit which would allow you to conduct your store without getting a zoning change, which is a much bigger request? TRIPP:No. IWASHITA:Okay. ALAMEDA:CommissionerMcCall. MCCALL:Just,CommissionerIwashita,aspecialpermitisnotallowedina residential area, only in agricultural. IWASHITA:Well, I, there is, is there not a permit process where Doctor, I believe, Charlie Sugiyama has his dental practice on the corner of Lanikaula and Kilauea? His property is still zoned residential but he€s allowed to conduct his dental practice there. ALAMEDA:Mr. Director? YUEN:At one time the Zoning Code said that medical offices could be allowed in residential zones through a use permit process. That was changed, I believe, in the 96€ revisions to the Zoning Code. However, there are abilities to get use permits within residential zones, but it€s very restricted what you can get a use permit for. So you can€t get a use permit to open a retail store, for example. That would be something that you would need a change of zone to get. So, anyway, the example you gave is not -. There was a use permit process at one time. Now it would be a change of zone, even for the medical office. IWASHITA:I withdraw my question. ALAMEDA:Thank you, Commissioner Iwashita. Commissioner Watanabe, you had your hand up earlier. WATANABE:Oh, no, I was hoping that we would echo what you said that we should hold some items for discussion as opposed to -. ALAMEDA:Any other questions for the applicant? Commissioner Graham. GRAHAM:I would just like to make a clarification, I think, to Ms. Tripp. Your change of zone request is going to be acted on by the County Council; and we€re just an advisory Commission on this kind of a request. So we€re here to take public testimony and to flesh it out a little if there are issues that concern us and then we€ll make our advisory opinion to the County Council. 9EXHIBIT A ALAMEDA:Seeing no further questions for the applicant, you may be seated. Hold on, we don€t have any testimony, right? NOMURA:No one signed up. ALAMEDA:Actually, you still can be seated. We€re going to have a discussion, so you can be seated right behind and then we€ll call you up shortly. Yes, Mr. Director? YUEN:I would like to make a statement on behalf of the Department as far as what the Department sees as the relationship between the existing 1975 Hilo Community Development Plan and the General Plans that have been passed since then. Since the 1975 Hilo Community Development Plan was passed by resolution, there have been twocomprehensiveupdatestotheGeneralPlan,aswellasacoupleofinterimamendmentsto the General Plan, that are not consistent with the Community Development Plan. Both the 1989 and 2005 General Plan made changes to areas in Hilo. There are also two very significant Interim General Plan Amendments in the area covered by the Development Plan including, the ones I€m thinking of are Prince Kuhio Plaza which is not consistent with the Hilo Community Development Plan and the Big Island Candies itself. So it has been, given that the General Plan is passed by Ordinance, it has been the position of the Department that when not consistent the General Plan supersedes the 1975 Community Development Plan. So in this case the General Plan is Medium Density Urban which provides for a number of different kinds of uses. Now it does not, as I said many times before, I think that the General Plan designation does not mandate a particular decision on the rezoning application. It does mean though that it can be considered under the umbrella of that General Plan designation. ALAMEDA:Other discussion items or comments now is the time, or we can entertain a motion and then have discussion. Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:Yeah, once again, I mean it seems like every Hilo meeting we have an application in the Waiakea area and inevitably it€s to take out another residence from our already limited and rapidly depleting stock of affordable homes. And I have a lot of problems with that; and I€ve mentioned that before, and I€m being consistent. Thank you. ALAMEDA:Thank you, Commissioner Siracusa. Commissioner Watanabe? WATANABE:Yeah, we€ve crossed this bridge many a times. And I guess from my point of view, I came from Hilo and I can remember as a young boy running my bike through Manono Street, and everything else. And way back then there were mixed commercial uses within that district. So it has been there for a long time. The pace of change has accelerated possibly over the last 20 or so years, but certainly not something that has come about only recently. And in my mind I think what Ms. Tripp said is very true, we all know that eventually all of that is going to change. Where we seem to run into the issues -- and I€m a little surprised that this time we€re not having any testimony and people crying about, you know, this was my dad€s home and I€m living here, etc. -- is that particular area that she€s in, I guess, we don€t have the original residents any more. That€s the only reason. And, you know, when we€re looking at the proposed 10EXHIBIT A amendments to the General Plan, the Director last week I believe talked about the major throughways and those being mixed with Commercial and Manono would be considered a throughway. So in my mind I think it€s inevitable all of this is going to change. A lot of the original owners either have passed on or their children, whoever would normally inherit the property, don€t live here any more and don€t choose to return. So the complexion of the entire neighborhood I think is going to change. Those few remnants, I think, yeah, they€re going to feel like they€re being displaced, but the vast majority I think of the people there would agree with the General Plan. And for that reason, I don€t particularly have a problem with this. ALAMEDA:Other Commissioners, any thoughts? Commissioner Galdones. GALDONES:Mr. Chair, if the Chair is ready to entertain a motion, I€m prepared to produce a motion. ALAMEDA:Sure. GALDONES:I€dliketomakeamotionthattheKathyTrippchangeofzoneapplication (REZ 06-000032) be given a favorable recommendation and be forwarded with the County Council, along with the background report and the recommendation, and a typo on page 5 of the recommendation, the highlighted, it should read instead of state‚ should read statute.‚ ALAMEDA:Statute, what paragraph? GALDONES:It€s the highlighted, the second to the last paragraph at the bottom. ALAMEDA:Oh, I got you. Mr. Darrow, okay, statute,‚ yeah. GALDONES:Statute. WATANABE:I second. ALAMEDA:Motion was made by Commissioner Galdones, seconded by Commissioner Watanabe. Discussion, or further discussion? Commissioner Siracusa. SIRACUSA:Yes. I€m looking at the General Plan Amendments that come later on on our agenda for the Waiakea Houselots area, just to remind myself. And when we were talking about that at the workshop I believe it was Director Yuen who was saying that they were looking at putting the development along some of the major arteries, like Kekuanaoa. And Manono runs perpendicular to Kekuanaoa and she€s in the middle of that block there, it appears. So that would not be one of the preferred streets on which commercial development is being suggested, even for these General Plan Amendments. Would the Director care to comment on that? ALAMEDA:Mr. Director? SIRACUSA:I was looking at the South Hilo format. 11EXHIBIT A YUEN:Yes. The proposed course of action would say within the Waiakea Houselots Medium Density area commercial development shall be focused on the major streets, Kekuanaoa, Piilani, Manono and Lanikaula -. SIRACUSA:Okay, so, Manono. YUEN:While the interior block should be zoned primarily for Single and Multi- Family Residential use. So this is consistent with what we are proposing as a more specific amendment to the General Plan to guide where -. Within the Medium Density area you can have Multi-Family zoning, you can have Single Family zoning, you can have Neighborhood zoning. But as an overall guide, the idea is that the Commercial zoning would go to the busier streets; and the interior streets like Laukapu Street or Hinano Street would be more, if people wanted to change from a Single Family zoning, we would encourage them more to look at Multi-Family zoning rather than Commercial. So that€s, but the reason, Manono is a major collector on the CountyRoadPlan.OfthestreetsthatparallelKekuanaoa,it€samajorcrossstreet.Sothat€sthe reason for making that proposal within the General Plan. SIRACUSA:Thank you for clarifying that. ALAMEDA:Thank you for the observation, Commissioner Siracusa. Commissioner Iwashita and then Commissioner Galdones. IWASHITA:Again, I€d just like to restate for the record that my concern really is that I don€t see a real shortage of available for lease or purchase Commercial space. We do have a crisis in our housing requirements for this island as a whole and, in particular, in Hilo. And, you know, as Commissioner Siracusa has mentioned, and as a matter of fact, we keep getting this serial requests to take residential properties like this with houses on them that can be used for dwellings and we€re being asked to take those out and replace them with businesses. And we don€t have, the County doesn€t have any kind of plan, any kind of notion, really, that I can see how to address our housing crisis. And if we keep taking residences out of the pool of what€s available for residential use, then we keep aggravating that situation. You know, as a community we really have to be concerned about that, you know, people who cannot afford to live in a house. One, in particular, the problem we have in Hilo is because of the way real estate prices have gone. You know, we have people who work in Hilo but cannot afford to live in Hilo, either renting or buying in Hilo; and by doing, if we keep what we€re doing here, you know, we just aggravate -. If we close our eyes to that fact, all we€re doing, as a matter of fact, is aggravating the housing problem. Not just the homeless people, we€re talking about people who earn incomes, work two jobs, three jobs, still can€t afford to live in Hilo. And that is something that really needs to be looked at. You know, I think the fact that the County has some money now to use, we really should be using it for what I believe is probably one of the most important functions, and that is to plan for the infrastructure and redo the community development plan for Hilo so that it does include affordable housing. The Director mentioned that, you know, we€re going to look at General Plan Amendments. That€ll be the directive in terms of, well, we should have more, you know, denser housing in the houselots area, within the internal parts of the houselots area, and have commercial activity along these major roads through the neighborhood. I don€t have any basic problem with that. But the reality is that that doesn€t give the development community, the 12EXHIBIT A people with the big bucks that can come in and do affordable housing and those kinds of projects, any real clear directive on how we€re going to address these issues. And in my mind, the community development plan is authorized by the General Plan Amendments, adopted last year; and the one for Hilo and all of them for the entire island in my mind can be used as a vehicle to address the housing issue now, to be specific about how affordable housing is going to be addressed. I know this is not -. And the way my view is as to your request, you know, I commend what you want to do, you know, obviously you€re the business person, you know, you€re probably going to make it work and make money. But in the big picture from where I sit as a Commissioner and what I believe my job is, is to look at the big picture and how your project fits into the big picture. You know, my sense is that most of this panel is going to go along with your request. But I€m speaking towards taking a bigger picture and that denying your request at this time is not going to be a devastating thing in terms of where the commercial development, you know, and how the commercialdevelopmentisgoingtotakeplaceinthiscity,andthatwereallyneedtolookatthat big picture. And if after the community development plan is done and, in fact, your property is within the commercial area, great. Right? It will work. But I really, if we don€t start taking a stand about this as a body and we allow on a piece-meal by piece-meal basis every month coming here and approving one by one this type of request, then in my mind there€s really no plan to do it. The fact that the General Plan allows for Medium Density Urban use is a really, it€s not a fine planning tool. You know, within that area you can have everything from 7- Elevens to apartment buildings; but it doesn€t tell you where and how it should be done. That€s what the community development plan is for, in my mind, and that€s how it should be done. And in that way we can address the bigger issues. The way we€re proceeding now as a body, we have no way to address these bigger issues. These housing concerns, some of us really feel that there is a real problem with that and it should be addressed; and in my mind it is a determinate factor, we€re taking a house out of use, you know, and we€re allowing you and people to do that. That just aggravates the problem. And we cannot really turn a blind eye to that. We€re a policy board. We€re supposed to be implementing policies and looking at the big picture. And by turning a blind eye to the fact that we€re taking a dwelling out of the housing market, I think that cumulatively it adds up and it cannot make things better. We need a better process to do that. So all of that said, I apologize for the length of it, but that€s the basis for my voting nay on this application. ALAMEDA:Thank you, Commissioner Iwashita. Fellow Commissioners, let me just remind you that this is a discussion opportunity and the discussion opportunity is really for us to discuss with each other. So try to refrain from making further comments directed to the applicant. They€re off the hot seat already, so -. Commissioner Galdones? IWASHITA:I did not intend to place the applicant on the hot seat and I was simply trying to -. And I don€t know if it€s improper but it is -. My view is a bigger view and in my mind, right, so -. ALAMEDA:That€s fine, that€s fine. Just direct it to us, your Fellow Commissioners. I would appreciate that, Commissioner Iwashita. INWASHITA:Okay. Well, Ms. Tripp, if I offended you in any way, I apologize. 13EXHIBIT A ALAMEDA:Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner Iwashita. Commissioner Galdones. GALDONES:Thank you, Mr. Chair. And I hope the motion that I had made is not viewed by Commissioner Iwashita as a small point of view cause I assure the Commissioners and the public also here that I do have, I€m looking at the big picture, too, and my responsibility as a Commissioner. The reason why I am supporting this, I€d like my fellow Commissioners to understand where I€m coming from in presenting this motion to you. A lot of points that were made by Commissioner Iwashita I cannot disagree with. It€s very uncomfortable for the Commissioners that piece-meal applications do come forward to the Commissioners. But the Commissioners, however, on the other hand, are guided by policies and rules and regulations that, whatever we have before us. I foroneamnotadvocatingthatwetakeawayallofhousingandthatbusinessesjustencroachinto the neighborhood and take away all of our affordable housing. We all know that there is a crises, we read about that, regarding affordable housing. However now, in this particular case, the applicant, Ms. Tripp, did go to the community and informed the community of her application; and in the report that we have gotten back is that there was no comment from the community at all. I am guided by the community. I would like to empower them to decide what their community should look like. It€s not for me to tell them what their community should look like. She did that. She followed the rules, she followed the regulations; and the community decided by absence of any comment that they are accepting her application. And that influences me. Secondly is what we call the LUPAG, which is the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map. In accordance with the report that was given by the staff, it is in conformance to the LUPAG Map. So those information that is being presented to us does influence my decision on how we should be proceeding on this. If we decide that we do not want any further business development of this kind of nature in communities, I think what we should do is go before the County Council or the regulating body to establish moratorium on all communities until such time that the communities come up with their own community development map. But short of that, the applicant is following all of the regulations and rules and procedures that she needs to follow, and she meets all of that, and the community is okay with it. And, therefore, I believe that this application should be forwarded to the County Council favorably by the Planning Commission. ALAMEDA:Okay, Commissioner Watanabe? WATANABE:That€s all right. I don€t want to be redundant. ALAMEDA:Okay. Commissioner McCall? MCCALL:Yeah, just, again, I will be voting favorably for this. I think that this is in compliance with, not in compliance, but this fits in with where the development of Hilo is going. I am concerned about the loss of housing and the housing crisis. But, you know, as a body or as a county or whatever, we can make recommendations on where we want, you know, zoning changes can be approved. We cannot force somebody to build housing, we cannot force somebody to build something. In my tenure here on the Planning Commission I have approved many times over more housing for Hilo than I have taken out housing as commercial probably, I 14EXHIBIT A would guess, 10 to 1, 20 to 1. That housing has not materialized in many cases yet but that doesn€t mean, you know -. But there is much more residential area available for housing now than there was, you know, the lots are there. And I think it€s, you know, I mean it is true it€s moving out but that€s the nature of development, that, you know, we can€t stop people from moving into Hilo. There is more population here than there was 10 or 20 years ago. There needs to be more commercial development and there needs to be more residential. I think this fits with where we€re trying to go. Thanks. ALAMEDA:Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:Yes. This is not exactly discussion on the motion itself but I, you know -. I know right now that the Department is working on community development plans for both Kona and Puna. And I would like to urge the Director considering how many applications we get from the Waiakea area to put that on the list and give it a high priority for the next set that comesalong. ALAMEDA:Okay,allright.CommissionerIwashita? IWASHITA:IjustwantedtoacknowledgeCommissionerGaldones€comments.AndI guess my concern in particular with regard to the community involvement, I mean, you know, basically what€s involved is a mail-out of a notice to the owners within 500 feet of this particular property, no one responded. There€s a recent notice of the sign on the property. And there€s actually, the property next to this application has a sign also for a zoning change request. That lot has been totally flatten, covered with basecourse; and it looks like they€re going to pave the whole thing. Strip Mall here we come. And, you know, I know we have the procedures, and we haven€t gotten any kind of response whatsoever to this application. But that doesn€t tell me that the community supports this, or opposes this, or anything. You know, it€s a very minimal process, to be very frank, about how we go about giving notice and trying to get community involvement. And our proceedings are really not community involvement proceedings, in my mind. And so, again, I really think that the community development plan developing, that is the process to get the community involvement; and that really should be done before we keep going down this road. I€m not saying it should be a moratorium but the community involvement is important, I agree with Commissioner Galdones on that. I disagree that that€s taking place in this case. ALAMEDA:Fellow Commissioners? Commissioner Siracusa. SIRACUSA:I€d like to call the question? ALAMEDA:What does that mean? WATANABE:She€s asking for the vote. ALAMEDA:Are you ready? SIRACUSA:Yes. 15EXHIBIT A ALAMEDA:Okay. Other Commissioners? If there€s no further questions, we can move forward with staff. DARROW:Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioner Galdones? GALDONES:Aye. DARROW:If I could just get a clarification. This is a favorable recommendation to the Hawaii County Council, with the revised conditions, correct? GALDONES:Yes. It is with the revised conditions. DARROW:And also the typo on page 5? GALDONES:Yes. DARROW:Thankyou.CommissionerGaldones? GALDONES:Aye. DARROW:CommissionerWatanabe? WATANABE:Aye. DARROW:Commissioner Graham? GRAHAM:Aye. DARROW:Commissioner Iwashita? IWASHITA:Nay. DARROW:Commissioner McCall? MCCALL:Aye. DARROW:Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:Nay. DARROW:And Mr. Chairman? ALAMEDA:Aye. DARROW:The motion passes five to two. ALAMEDA:Thank you. 16EXHIBIT A The discussion ended at 10:40 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon M. Nomura, Secretary 17EXHIBIT A