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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-04-07 EXHIBITA WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT APRIL 11, 2011 COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I A regularly advertised hearing on the application of DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (SMA 11-045) was called to order at 9:07 a.m. in the County of Hawai‘i, Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i, with Chairman Zendo Kern presiding.  COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Zendo Kern, Dean Au,Wallace Ishibashi, and Stephen Ono STAFF PRESENT: Julie Mecklenburg (Deputy Corporation Counsel), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Phyllis Fujimoto (Staff Planner), Jeff Darrow (Staff Planner), and Maija Cottle (Staff Planner). And approximately 64 people from the public in attendance. ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Takashi Domingo and Rell Woodward APPLICANT: COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (SMA 11-045) Application for a Special Management Area Use Permit to allow the Hilo Bayfront Trails project, which will include a variety of multimodal paths spanning a distance of approximately two miles between Hilo Harbor and the Wailuku River in Downtown Hilo and looping into several associated areas. The project will include various improvements such as signage, bicycle racks, benches and related improvements. The properties are located along the Hilo Bayfront area, South Hilo, Hawai‘i, TMKs: 2-1-1:12 & 102; 2-1-3:1 & 19; 2-1-5:1; 2-1-6:10; 2-2-1:27; 2- 2-2:1 & 035; 2-2-3:3 & 046; 2-2-4:1, 2, 25, 28, 35, 56 & 60; 2-2-5:2; 2-2-6:1, 26 & 27; 2-2-7:18; 2-2-11:1; 2-2-12:1 & 16; 2-2-13:3; 2-2-14:2; 2-2-29:1, 8 & 27; 2-2-31:1; 2-2-33:1 & 15; 2-2- 53:19, 20 & 23; 2-3-1:2 and various County and State road rights-of-way adjacent to above described parcels. KERN: Applicant: County of Hawai‘i, Department of Research and Development, SMA Permit 11 – 045 regarding the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. And if we could get the applicant and their representative to come forward, if both of you wouldn't mind raising your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth today before the Windward Planning Commission? DYSTRA: I do. TERRY: I do. KERN: Cool. And then name and address and you may begin. 1 EXHIBIT B DYKSTRA: I’m Beth Dykstra. I’m with the Department of -. KERN: Microphone, please. DYKSTRA: Beth Dykstra, Department of R&D, 25 Aupuni Street. TERRY: Ron Terry, Geometrician Associates, PO Box 396, Hilo 96721. DARROW: Staff presentation. KERN: I'm jumping the gun a little bit. Yeah, I'm still a little new. I've got a lot of people out there, so my forgiveness. I’m so sorry, Jeff. DARROW: No problem. KERN: My bad. I knew something like this would eventually happen. You guys enjoy your seat. You're sworn in. Jeff, let's do the staff presentation. Thanks. DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the Planning Commission. If I could direct your attention to our presentation on the wall. This morning our first applicant is the County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development. They are requesting a Special Management Area Use Permit for their Hilo Bayfront Trails project. The location of this project will be basically along the Bayfront area from, all the way from the Hilo Harbor to Wailuku River. It will include a majority of the Bayfront area, including Banyan Drive as well as areas where it will come inland and associated loops. This is a zoning map. This shows the different zones for the area. The gray areas are identified Industrial zoning. The purple and pink areas identify Resort zoning. The darker green areas identify Open zoning. And your crosshatched red and white area represents Commercial Downtown Hilo. This is an aerial photo. It’s not the best, but it kind of gives you an identification of the different structures that are located in this area. The applicant is requesting a Special Management Area Use Permit to allow the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. This project will include a variety of multimodal paths spanning approximately 2 miles between Hilo Harbor and the Wailuku River and Downtown Hilo, and loops into several associated areas. The project will build several new parking areas, interpretive signs denoting areas of interests, bicycle racks, benches, supplemental water fountains and supplemental plantings. 2 EXHIBIT B The reason for the request is that there is a clear need for pedestrian and bike trails that can complement and enhance the attributes of the Hilo Bayfront, including the dramatic views of Hilo Bay, and Mauna Kea, green spaces, historic landscapes, and cultural and community events. This project will also enhance a variety of recreational activities that occur along the Hilo Bayfront area, including walking, strolling, bicycling, picnicking, outrigger canoe paddling, and racing and paddle boarding. This is a portion of the master plan. And the reason why I'm going to break it up into three different maps is so that we can see a little bit clearer the different proposed pathways and bikeways that are being proposed. The actual beginning of the trail, or one end of the trail, will begin at the Hilo Harbor. You’re going to have a pathway that will consist of existing pathways, as well as new pathways and bikeways, that will work its way towards Wailuku River and along Bayfront. You’ll see that it also goes along Banyan Drive, as well as the Coconut Island area. You see little identifications that will have either a T, or an R, or a P. These represent where the trailhead and signage will be located, where the new parking areas will be identified, as well as restrooms along the pathway. This is the middle portion of the project. Again, you’ll see the different pathways that are working its way towards Wailuku River, as well as the associated bikeways that are working its way inland. One of the new parking areas will be at Maile Street; and this is identified in this particular area. Additionally, we're going to be looking at a new parking area on Ponahawai Street right in this particular area, just mauka of the existing gas station located in that area. And again you'll see the pathway work its way in and coming to Downtown Hilo as well. This is the legend that was provided with the application, as well as the final environmental assessment, which identifies all the different proposed pathways and bikeways on the master plan. This is a picture showing the different trailheads and signage that will be located along the pathway. And this is an illustration of what some of the bikeways may look like, as well as along the Wailoa Bridge area, Wailoa Bridge. They are looking at possibly extending out the barrier so that this area will be set aside specifically for a bike path, as well as pedestrian path. The Planning Department is recommending approval with conditions. Just for the Commission's attention we have received several letters of correspondence, mostly letters of support, as well as comments from different governmental agencies since the background and recommendation was passed out to the Commission. Are there any questions? KERN: Thank you, Jeff. Are there any questions for staff? Seeing none, thank you, Jeff, I appreciate it. All right, applicants, here we are.You're sworn in. Go and give us your side of it. DYKSTRA: This has been an interesting project to work on, and it has been going on since 2006. It is taking a long time, a lot of public input. That's why it took so long. And the pieces of the plan that you see were not the invention of a planner. They were the community who came to the public meetings and mapped out exactly what they wanted to see and what they needed. And we had to do compromises about dreams and what’s reasonable and feasible. And that's a plan you see before you, because it has been something on the lines of probably three administrations that there is a need for this connection. It's all about connecting existing areas of recreation, providing safe recreation for children, bicyclists perhaps like me who aren't very good and want to stay away from cars, people in wheelchairs, elderly people, mothers with strollers, can do the whole part of the park safely, and make it aesthetically pleasing. 3 EXHIBIT B Interpretive signs about the different ahupua‘a and ‘ili crossings, the stories of Hilo Bayfront and of the tsunami, and all the rich history will be in the interpretative sign element. And I think it would be an awesome economic boost for Hilo. I’ve had over the years several entrepreneurs come to me and want to set up businesses related to recreation and services along existing commercial areas to impact and bring the tourists into town instead of the Volcano. KERN: Very good. Do you have anything to -? TERRY: I’m just here to answer questions if the Commission has any. KERN: Okay, great. Thank you. Do the Commissioners have any questions for the applicant? Seeing none, you may have a seat. Thank you. Okay, so we do have ten people signed up from the public to testify. We’ll call Alice Moon, Anita Steckel, James Leonard, and Jon Miyata, we have five seats actually, and Miles Yoshioka.And I might say, at the beginning, I apologize for messing up anybody’s name. I know how it is having a first name like to Zendo, quiet, weird. Can I get you all to raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth today before the Windward Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: I do. KERN: Very good. So I'll start with Alice Moon. Please give us your name and address and you may begin, three minutes. And you're doing the timecards for us? MECKLENBURG: Yes. KERN: Right, very good. MOON: Good morning, my name is Alice Moon. I live at 121 Lokoaka Street in Hilo. I'm providing testimony on behalf of the Hilo Downtown Improvement Association, as the Executive Director of that Association. It's kind of hard to separate my hats because growing up on Hilo Bay I also have a personal interest in this project. The Downtown Improvement Association encourages the Commission to grant the SMA Permit for the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. I’d like to first of all thank the County of Hawai‘i, Mayor Kenoi and former Mayor Kim for initiating this project, Beth Dykstra who led the project, leads the project, continues to do the project, Ron Terry for his great work on the SMA application, and Helber, Hastert and Fee for the actual master plan. The DIA supports this project because it will enhance and protect the natural, cultural and historical resources within the planned area. It will only enhance, it will only conserve, it will only protect. Because anybody who's spent any time here in our community, seeing documents like this, that area, that entire area has been pretty denigrated by development, and construction, and reconstruction. Number two, it will provide increased access to and from Downtown Hilo with a positive economic impact. And it's very important to us as we watch people climb over the fence every 4 EXHIBIT B day trying to get from Bayfront to Hilo and vice versa. It will offer alternatives to fuel-based transportation and encourage healthy lifestyles. All of these are very important factors, in my opinion, when I watch people trying to negotiate on their bicycles in the various areas, or wheelchairs, or strollers, or even walking. It will mitigate public safety issues involving public access to the shoreline recreational and infrastructural facilities, such as the Mooheau Bus Terminal, Hilo Harbor, Wailuku River, Hilo Bayfront Park and the soccer fields. It will improve the quality of life for all who utilize the trail. There is an increased awareness of Hilo Bay as a community asset and a desire to protect and enhance the area. For example, the Malama Kaipalaoa Working Group, Connections Public Charter School, Mokupapapa Discovery Center through NOAA, all of these organizations are involved in restoring the area. And, finally, it ranked very high in the EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 Community-based Vision and Living Action Plan, which had been updated and adopted by the Hawai‘i County Council. Thank you, Commissioners, for considering this application. KERN: Thank you. Any questions of the testifier? I see none. Thank you. Ms. Steckel, you may begin, name and address, and you may begin your testimony. STECKEL: My name is Anita Politano Steckel. I don’t do it to torture people, but I use both. I live at 31 Halaulani Street in Hilo. This Hilo Bayfront Trails project is well represented in the EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 Plan. We think of this as the sort of jewel in the crown for many actions, EDH 2025 Plan. This project embraces all the many ideas our community has expressed for providing greater access to Hilo Bay, and for preserving our open spaces and helping to make them active recreational areas for both residents and tourists. The Bayfront Trails is truly a gift to our community. I've been here long enough to recall this area over the many years. And I probably won't live to see the completion of this project, but it's wonderful to dream of. KERN: Thank you very much. Any questions from the Commissioners for this testifier? Seeing none, thank you so much. James Leonard, you may begin. Name and address and away you go. LEONARD: My name is James Leonard. My address is 1100 Ainalako Road, Hilo, Hawai‘i. I'm also a member of the Vision Keepers which is a voluntary group that has been involved with the planning for Downtown Hilo, the EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 Plan, and continue to be working with that group. And Mr. Kern, Chairman and Commissioners, I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony. We have actually submitted written testimony; and rather than repeat the written testimony, I want to just emphasize a couple of points from our testimony. I wanted to note from the initial start of the development of the EDH 2025 Plan starting in 2004 on up to the recent approval of the plan’s five-year update, there have been substantial amount of time, effort, and community involvement that has gone into this planning effort - countless presentations, meetings, workshops, town meetings and special events. Throughout that process we repeatedly heard about the importance of strengthening the connection and creating walking access from Downtown to the Bayfront. Implementing or implementation of the Bayfront Trails project will not only help strengthen this connection between Downtown Hilo and the Bayfront, 5 EXHIBIT B it also embodies several of the goals and strategies of the EDH 2025 Plan from developing a network of trails, paths, and green spaces for recreational use to creating more pedestrian friendly amenities – bike paths, parks, landscaping and interpretive signage. The Bayfront Trails project is a major step and an important project that will help to implement many of the actions in the EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 Plan. It has received tremendous support from the community. Thank you very much. KERN: Any questions from the Commissioners for the testifier? Seeing none, thank you. Jon Miyata, name and address, and you may begin. MIYATA: Sure. Jon Miyata representing the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, address is 483 Makanaa Street, Hilo. We are here on behalf of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce which represents both large and small businesses on Hawai‘i Island and has approximately 300 member businesses comprising more than 700 individual members and are here in support of the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. We feel this project will greatly enhance the “Hilo” experience for our visitors and residents alike. The project would provide approximately 6 miles of bike and pedestrian paths from the Port of Hilo to Downtown. This will be a great place for families to ride bikes with their children and for visitors to walk along Hilo Bay, making for an easier and more enjoyable stroll to Downtown. This will also better promote Downtown Hilo and benefit many of our member businesses. This project is needed now; and we hope the Commission will approve the Special Management Area Use Permit. Thank you again for your consideration. KERN: Thank you. Any questions from Fellow Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you. Miles Yoshioka, name and address. YOSHIOKA: Good morning. My name is Miles Yoshioka, 106 Puhili Place in Hilo. I am the office manager for the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce whose office is located in Downtown Hilo. But I am here today as an individual who works in the Downtown area and has direct contact with our visitors and cruise ship passengers. I would like to express my support for the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. Our town really is a beautiful place and this project will make the Bayfront area even more attractive for our community and visitors alike. The planned improvements which include benches, parking, bike racks and signage will create safe pathways which will encourage usage by our families, recreational walkers and joggers. If you could visualize the nearly constant use the walkways surrounding Liliuokalani Gardens presently receive, now imagine that along all of Hilo Bayfront. It may even get me to start walking regularly. 6 EXHIBIT B You know, many of our cruise ship visitors have only one day to see what Hilo has to offer. This would be our chance to promote the beauty of our Downtown Hilo area by providing comfortable access to areas along the Bay. I have spoken with numerous cruise ship visitors who have walked from the Pier, along the sidewalk on the Kalanianaole, on to Kamehameha Avenue through the soccer field area, to finally reach the shaded sidewalks of Downtown Hilo. Then there are those who want to get a view of the ocean along the Bay and walk along the Bayfront Highway and cross the highway near Waianuenue. Either way, it's a long hot haul. Please support the passage of this trails project. It will benefit our community, transform our Bayfront area into a much more attractive venue for tourism and help strengthen the economy of Downtown Hilo. Thank you very much. KERN: Thank you. Any questions from my Fellow Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you. You all may have a seat. A little housekeeping here, if you wouldn't mind please turning off your cell phones. I'm going to do the same here. Just folks using electrical devices, that if the phone goes on that it potentially disrupts. So thank you for all that. All right, next testifiers, I’ll call Vaughn Cook, Tom Yeh, Bob Duerr, Mary Begier, Peter Kubota and Claudia Rohr. Six people, six seats, very good. If I can get you all to raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth today before the Windward Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: I do KERN: All right very good. So before you begin state your name and address. We're going to start in the order I called. So Vaughn Cook, you may begin. COOK: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the Planning Commission. My name is Vaughn Cook. My residence is 34 Lilinoe Street in Hilo. First of all I want to express my thanks to you for serving our community by volunteering your time for the Planning Commission. I know that this is a volunteer position and you spend not just the time here in hearings but also reading sometimes voluminous materials to prepare for this. So I just wanted to express my thanks for that. I am vice president of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce and president of a community organization known as the Hawaii Shima Fukuoka Kenjinkai. But today I am here to testify as a member of the community, as a husband, and as a dad to three children who live, study and play in our community. I appreciated and agreed with the sentiments and the reasons for support given by the people who spoke before me. And I have also submitted written testimony, so that can go on the record; and I would encourage you to look at those reasons for support. But I wanted to highlight just a few other reasons why I recommend that the Commission approve this project for the Hilo Bayfront Trails Special Management Area Permit. Last month our entire family including our three children (the 9-year old, the 7-year old, a 1 ½-year old) participated in the Heart Walk around Liliuokalani Gardens and along the Hilo Bayfront. You know, I'm a fourth-generation resident of the Big Island, born and raised here. I remember 7 EXHIBIT B growing up in Hilo and, you know, sometimes I forget, and actually it has been a long time since I've gotten to walk in that area. It was such a beautiful day, and we got to really appreciate the views of Downtown Hilo. My children enjoyed it too. And when I heard about this project, I know it has been going on for quite a while, it just -. That walk reminded me of how it really can be the same kind of experience that will benefit both families, community, and the visitor industry in the Bayfront, with the ability to walk along and enjoy the Bayfront area, you know, at a time when so many suffer from inactivity and obesity. There is a lot of discussion about that. And I agree with Miles Yoshioka who says maybe, maybe some of us, you know, even I can start walking a little more with, with trails like this. Our 1 ½ year old, my youngest daughter, has just discovered, she has been walking for a few months, but she has really started to enjoy walking. And you know, anytime I walk close to the door, I get close the door, even if I’m going to go off to work, she starts running close to the door and says “walk, walk,” cause she wants to go for a walk. You know, I want to encourage that, and I want to encourage the trail. And thank you for your time. KERN: Thank you very much. Any questions from Fellow Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you. Tom Yeh, name and address, and you may begin. YEH: Yes, 85 West Lanikaula Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i. Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Commission. I am actually here representing myself today, which is a little unusual, but also as a friend of Malama Kaipalaoa where we have done some work in improving some of the locations near the lighthouse. A lot of the things that, you know, I wanted to say have been said already, but I'll give you an example. About five years ago, I became pretty ill and in order to strengthen myself I took to walking. And the place to walk was really around the Liliuokalani Park site. But it got a little old because it was a circle, you'd see the same faces. And so this project here is really good not only for tourists but really also for the residents. And it will provide this connectivity between the various locations that we have. One of the examples of how bike paths and walking paths can really help strengthen the community is like in Portland, Oregon. They are really big on this kind of green kind of projects. What I found that when I visited last is in the smaller neighborhoods where you has these biking locations, the smaller businesses actually thrive. Because instead of people getting out of their cars to go down to the big shop, they could just walk down or bike down to the restaurant or the shop that was there. And so those kinds of places and those residences actually thrived. We're also looking at an unstated benefit, which is the value that this kind of thing can create for the residents that are in the neighborhood, because it makes the area more vibrant, you feel safer, more people are around, and you have this connectivity and synergy that is going on both within the neighborhood as well as the businesses. So, you know, I think Hilo just got a reputation, I think, for being the unhealthiest location either in the state or elsewhere. We can really change that and really polish our image here in Hilo by creating what we have here. So, you know, there are probably going to you a few bugs in the system that we have to work out. The funding is not there yet. But unless we have a plan, we will never implement it. So thank you. I hope you approve it. KERN: Thank you. Any questions from Fellow Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you very much. Bob Duerr? 8 EXHIBIT B DUERR: Yes, Bob Duerr. KERN: Duerr, name and address, and you may begin. DUERR: Bob Duerr, 99 Honolii, Hilo. And I’m representing today the Kaipalaoa Working Group. I just want to say a big part of this project and why the SMA should be granted is the professionalism of the people who have run this project. You know, Beth Dykstra of R&D has been most professional. She has also helped our group get off the ground, and within a year succeeded at becoming a citizen park. I think the other element of this project is the planning and Mr. Ron Terry. So I think you're in good hands. You've got data you can rely on. I think the other thing has already been mentioned, that, you know, surfers support this and fishermen support this. And as we all know, you know, there are a lot of fishermen on Bayfront, and they bring their families. And right now they’re just coming to a, you know, a gravel parkway. So having this is an ability to kind of reached out to the Bay and teach some valuable lessons about conservation and how to make the future better. And I think the other thing too is, you know, one, we know this will get passed. The tough spot is going to be -. You know, as a former board member of Panaewa Zoo, I thought of Jean Curtis, you know, who passed away recently, she built partnerships between government and local businesses. So you had the Kiwanis Club volunteering and building, you know, the monkey enclosures which saved thousands of dollars. So, SMA gets done, but the key thing is how we're going to fund it and how does it get built. Thank you. KERN: Thank you. Any questions from Fellow Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you very much. Mary Bergier, name and address, and you may begin. BERGIER: Good morning. Mary Begier, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 315. I also would like to acknowledge your volunteerism. I think that there are a number of people who volunteer in our community and some people think that you are being well paid from the taxpayers’ rolls, and it's clear that you’re not. I come to you today to support the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. I became familiar with this project or the need for one like it in many ways. My Rotary Club, the Hilo Bay Rotary Club, was responsible for painting the yellow and blue slippers that are extremely faded coming from the Pier into Hilo. But the number of visitors who thanked us for those, even as worn out as they have become, it really demonstrates that they need them. The children that count those blue and yellow slippers, even faded now, just to, it's really interesting that they would have that impact. I'm also a realtor who owns an office within the area that had the right to file a contested case hearing. So I come before you and say that I have no objections. As a realtor I often have to counsel my clients about curb appeal. And I look at this project as our curb appeal, not only for Hilo but for the entire island. Many come to our island via the airport or the cruise ships. And what are we saying, what are we telling them about what we think of ourselves, what pride are we instilling in our children for their future? So I appreciate your support for this project today. Thank you. 9 EXHIBIT B KERN: Thank you. Any questions from Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you very much. Peter Kubota, name and address, and you may begin. KUBOTA: Thank you. Good morning, Chairman Kern and the members of the Commission. My name is Peter Kubota. I reside at 35 Terrace Circle, Hilo; and I also have an office down the street at 505 Kilauea; and I directly abut this project. I'm speaking as an individual and not as a representative of any organization. I believe that if we build that they will come. This, you know, it’s trite, but this is really a trail of dreams. There’s so much potential for this thing. And, you know, I was born and raised here in Hilo, and Hilo was a much more conservative place 40-45 years ago. I attended the University of Oregon about 30 years ago; and if any of you guys have been to Eugene, the shopping center was, you know, a few miles away from the campus. And I had to, you know, the only transportation I had was to ride a bike. And fortunately for us there’s a trail along the Willamette River. It was a 7-mile round trip back and forth; and I just always remember how beautiful it was to hear the river, not have any cars. And there was about maybe 100 yards separating the trail from the nearest houses. You come back to Hilo and you see that, wow. You know, we’ve got places like Wailoa Park, it’s one of the most beautiful places you ever can be in. But it’s so underutilized because it’s not maintained, there’s no real infrastructure and things. And, you know, if you go there and you appreciate it, or if you look at what the County did with Leonard Bisel’s design at Liliuokalani and Coconut Island, we’ve got so much potential here. And we can do this for all the City of Hilo. When I first got involved with this it was this Hilo Bike Paths organization. I just kind of did some internet searching and I hooked up with Sandy Bonk; and they’re kind of, there’s two sides to it. They’re kind of more geared to like bicycling is for transportation. You know you get here and there doing that stuff. I’m an occasional bicyclist, I would say. My original tires on my mountain bike is 15 years old and it still hasn’t worn out. But I, you know, because I do, you know, I’m an attorney and I do this kind of stuff, you know, I kind of help figure how to get things through. So I did a list of stakeholders and who we had to touch on to try and get help to get this project going around by law. But then our group got contacted by Mayor Kim’s office and he brought all the stakeholders into this very room. And it was the canoe paddlers, the large harbors, small boat harbors, soccer field guys, everybody that had a stake in this, the Downtown Improvement, and he got us here to start talking. And thanks very much to Beth Dykstra, I mean, she championed this thing and put heart and soul into this project right up to this point. The last thing I wanted to say is just, you know, we take so much for granted in our lives, yeah, but we live in the most beautiful city, in the most beautiful state, in the best country in the world. And we’ve got to appreciate it, and we’ve got to show it off to everybody else. My job is as an estate planner. I help people figure out their legacy, you know, for the kids in a financial sense and planning kind of stuff. I believe that this is our legacy. We build this, we leave it for future generations, and this is the mark that we leave on this earth when we’re gone. Thank you. KERN: Thank you very much. Any questions from Fellow Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you very much. Claudia Rohr, name and address, and you may begin. ROHR: Claudia Rohr, 369 Nene Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i. I'm here representing myself, although 10 EXHIBIT B I'm on the board of PASH (Public Access Shoreline Hawai‘i). I own a bed and breakfast down in Keaukaha, down across from Leleiwi Beach Park or Waiolena Beach Park. And for years I rode my bike from my home up to Honoli‘i to check out the waves at the end of the day, until I went over my handlebars one day. I had an accident. Then I slowed down and rode my bike from Leleiwi down to the nice little park behind Suisan; and then I’d take a break; and then I’d go home. But then the traffic got so bad from the Port of Hilo down that one stretch that I stopped riding my bike. And here I am today. It is one of the things that you can continue doing as you get older. It doesn't wear out your joints and uses a lot of different muscles. But there is the fear that you're going to get seriously injured in an accident. Right now, since I pass the Port of Hilo every single day of my life, I can attest to the fact that the trucks come out of the Port of Hilo without even looking, turn that corner to merge into traffic. And they basically have been pushing people out of the drive lane. And there have been a lot of accidents right there. There was even one where they ended up in the fence of the oil company on the corner there, Tesoro. So it’s now that the point where the traffic issues have grown and you see those poor tourists walking from the Port of Hilo Downtown or back again; and they are under stress. There is no sidewalk. And I'll tell you my experience from my guests why they're walking. I had guests who came from the big city, and they're not used to driving around. She was pregnant. They were here getting married. They took the bus Downtown and missed the bus home, and ended up having to walk home; and here she was pregnant. She should have called a cab but she was young so they decided to walk home. Sometimes people have to walk because transportation doesn't appear to be available. Or they start off, they decide, “Oh, well, I'll just walk” and then they get themselves into an uncomfortable situation. But again it will add so much to what we can say about Hilo and the beauty of the Bay. And as I drove in today, I once again embraced the beauty of looking across the Bay, at Mauna Kea. And the beauty of it and the enjoyment of it and being able to walk and ride along it will be a pleasure. I hope you pass this SMA today. KERN: Thank you very much. Are there any questions from Fellow Commissioners? ONO: Yes. KERN: Commissioner Ono. ONO: Yes, if I may have -. KERN: Use your mike, please. ONO: Oh, I’m sorry. I wish to thank the last testifier. I also have a concern on this. In the presentation by staff, we seem to be focusing on Liliuokalani Park and that area for the walking area. I am as concerned about the last testifier regarding the wharf to the entryway into the Bay area. My concern is the heavy traffic that is generated in that area. So I did note for myself that I wanted to ask that. To what extent, and you did a beautiful presentation on the plaque, the signs and everything else. But, and I wasn't clear on the extent of improvements from the Harbor to the Hilo Bay area regarding the walking trail. 11 EXHIBIT B DARROW: Commissioner Ono, what I'll do is refer back to this. So this here is a portion of the Hilo Harbor, just past Liliuokalani Park in this particular area. As you look on the map you’ll see different dotted lines, as well as solid lines; and those lines will represent different types of improvements that will be a part of this project. There are portions of the project that will utilize existing walkways. They’re just trying to identify how this entire project connects to itself with existing pathways, as well as they will be constructing new walkways as well as new bikeways, and also shared pathways. To the extent that they are going to be doing this, it just takes a little bit of time to look over the entire master plan and be able to see all the different areas that they are going to be doing the improvements, as well as utilizing the existing walkways that are in place. It might be a little difficult, it might take some time, but basically, again, as you look at this map you’re going to see the purple lines as well as red. Red and purple and blue dotted lines that will, that identify the different improvements that will be done. What might be good is bringing up the applicant to explain in more detail what are the actual proposed improvements, rather than just the existing, because there are quite a few existing pathways that will be utilized. Just for your information looking at the map this entire area here by the Wailoa Park identifies a lot of this. You see the blue solid line, and that's going to be a shared use path that will be created so that it will have both pedestrian and bikeway. And so that's a big portion of it. You are going to see a shared use path along Bayfront, as well as coming into Downtown. My understanding is that from the Harbor to this particular area they are going to be utilizing existing pathways, but they are going to be doing some improvements, as the lady had testified about putting the slippers on the ground. They are probably going to be redoing that type of improvements so that the tourists that come from Hilo Harbor walking towards Hilo will be able to know exactly which way to go. But it might be appropriate to bring up the applicant just to ask him more specifically the major proposed improvements. KERN: Very good. I'll have the applicant come up. You all may have a seat. Thank you very much for your testimony. And I've got something quick to ask you. You have seen the recommendation and the conditions with the –. DYKSTRA: Yes. KERN: Package? And you're agreeable to those? DYKSTRA: Yes KERN: Thank you. Very good. Go ahead and answer the question? DYKSTRA: Should I start, Ron? TERRY: Go ahead. DYKSTRA: The impetus for the project was the pier. The initial funding for the project was from the Tourism Authority. So that was our focus first, bringing them Downtown. And I must admit in these last five or six years that is the most problematic piece in the trail. We don't have 12 EXHIBIT B much room to work with. We have an existing Industrial area. We have been an expanding port. The plans aren't shown on there but they're going to move out the pier and the container yard and everything. We had big plans to go behind on Railroad Avenue to make a beautiful park and bridge, but that's too environmentally sensitive. And the new cargo and the pier put that out of the question because of Homeland Security. The trucks are an issue. We have been working in constant discussions with the State Department of Transportation. And when it comes to truck traffic, which is our major economic transit way, we do have to acknowledge that it has been difficult to find a solution. There is not a lot of room to work with. So we're trying to make the walk more attractive, try to expand maybe the sidewalk. But there is not a lot of room for bicycles, except for the existing bike lane that is there. I am hoping that as the trail starts to get developed that people will see the glaring disparity between the projects and maybe help some more trying to perfect that area around the Port. But that is a problematic part. Around Ice Pond there is an interesting little development, you know, where the kids go jumping into the Ice Pond. The plan includes a cantilevered deck on the inside because there is no roadway room, so people can walk down on that. But that was the most problematic part of the plan actually. Do you have anything to add to that, Ron? TERRY: No, I think you did good. DYKSTRA: Okay. KERN: Very good. Thank you. Is that, do we have any other questions? ONO: Thank you for acknowledging that that is the most difficult part. That was my primary concern. Thank you. KERN: Very good. Any other questions for the applicant? Seeing none, you all may have a seat. Thank you very much. Anyone wanted to entertain a motion? Commissioner Au? AU: I make a motion to approve County of Hawai‘i Department, Applicant: County of Hawai‘i Department of Research and Development, SMA 11-045. KERN: Is there a second? ONO: Second KERN: Okay, motion has been made and seconded. Clarification, that is with conditions, yeah, as it states? AU: Yes. KERN: Yes, okay. 13 EXHIBIT B AU: With the conditions. KERN: Very good. Jeff? DARROW: Thank you Mr. Chairman. The motion before us is to approve the Special Management Area Use Permit request for the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. With that I'll take the motion? Commissioner Au? AU: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Ishibashi? ISHIBASHI: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Ono? ONO: Aye. DARROW: And Mr. Chairman? KERN: Aye. DARROW: The motion passes 4 to 0. KERN: Very good, you will be notified in writing. And good luck. Let's get the funding. DYKSTRA: Yes. Thank you. AU: Mr. Chair? KERN: Yes, Commissioner Au.. AU: One thing that I do want to mention, you know, nobody said anything about runners. Okay. I love to run. What I do is I train at night. So I park at the Mall and I run along the sidewalk; and I can't go very far because of cars, you know, they can’t see me. So, you know, I am very glad that this is going to happen. You know, and I thought somebody else was going to bring up running, nobody did. But, thank you. KERN: Thanks. All right, very good. The discussion ended at 10 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon M. Nomura, Secretary 14 EXHIBIT B Windward Planning Commission 15 EXHIBIT B