HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-11-30 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes
KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I
MINUTES
MEETING DATE: November 30, 2010
TIME: 5:30 p.m. (Convened 5:40 p.m.)
PLACE: Mayor’s Conference Room aka Hanama 1
75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103
Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740
ROLL CALL
1. Members Present: Cindy Coats, Paul Bleck, Nancy Burns, Stephen Herbert,
Ann Kern,Shane Kitchens and Eugene Power
2. Absent and Excused: Riley Saito
3. Applicants:Laurie Sokach for Kona Ali'i AOAO; Terry Dunlap, Thomas King and
Faye Bagay for Prem Reddy Relo Kona, LLC
4. Planning Department:Bennett Mark, Rosalind Newlon and Noriko Sauer
5. Public: None attended.
Chair Coats called the meeting to order at 5:40 p.m., welcomed those in attendance, introduced
the commissioners and explained the role of the Commission and the meeting procedures.
STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS
None.
NEW BUSINESS
Chair Coats took up agenda item No. 2 first at the request of Planning Department staff in
consideration of that applicant's attendance time constraints. The order listed below is the actual
order of business.
1. Design review of a sign permit application for two wall signs for Scanlan Management
LLC: Applicant: Prem Reddy Relo Kona, LLC. TMK: 7-5-004:031. Located at
75-934 Henry Street, Kailua-Kona, near the intersection of Henry Street and Kuakini
Highway.
Ms. Newlon oriented the commissions to the subject site by map reference, and described
the site including land area, existing buildings and other principal improvements. She
described the two proposed wall signs by dimension, coloration, letter size, and sign
placements. She related the request to the sign criteria Guidelines for Review set forth in
the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona. Ms. Newlon explained that the proposed signs do not
comply with the County's Sign Code, and thus the applicant will have to apply to the
Hawai'i County Council for a Sign Variance in order to obtain a sign permit approval. She
noted that apart from non-compliance with the Sign Code, the proposed signs appear to
meet the above-referenced Guidelines for Review.
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Applicant representatives Terry Dunlap, architect, and Thomas King came forward to
address any questions by the commissioners. The commissioners discussed the lack of
progress on Sign Code revisions to have been undertaken by the County Department of
Public Works (DPW) a year or more ago. Some concern was also expressed regarding the
lack of visibility or legibility of sign lettering too small for use by some motorists.
Commissioner Kitchens moved, with a Second by Commissioner Herbert, to recommend
that the Director of the DPW give a favorable recommendation to the County Council,
should the applicant apply for a Sign Variance. The motion passed unanimously with the
Chair abstaining per KVDC rule.
2. Design review of a sign permit application for two directory signs for Kona Ali‘i,
Association of Apartment Owners (AOAO): Applicant: Peter Froehlich, President of
Kona Ali‘i AOAO. Land Owners: Kona Ali‘i. TMK: 7-5-008:001. Located at
75-5782 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona
and Kuakini Highway intersection.
Ms. Newlon oriented the commissions to the subject site by map reference, and described
the site's existing buildings and other principal improvements. She described the two
directory signs by dimension, coloration, letter size, and the two sign locations: one facing
Ali'i Drive and one facing Kuakini Highway. Ms. Newlon noted that proposed signs
appear to comply with the Sign Code and the sign criteria Guidelines for Review set forth
in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona.
Ms. Laurie Sokach, Manager of the Kona Ali'i Association of Apartment Owners, came
forward to represent the applicant and address any questions by commissioners. Following
discussion, Commissioner Herbert moved, with a Second by Commissioner Kern, to give a
favorable recommendation regarding the subject application to the Director of the DPW.
The motion passed unanimously with the Chair abstaining per KVDC rule.
3. Design review of a sign permit application for two wall signs for Paul Bleck AIA.
Applicant: Paul Bleck AIA. Land Owners: Joseph E. Trent and Eila Clifford.
TMK: 7-5-018:090. Located at 75-5921 Walua Road, Kailua-Kona, north of the Lunapule
Road junction with Walua Road.
Ms. Newlon oriented the commissions to the subject site by map reference, and described
the site by land area, zoning district and the existing building and related improvements
thereon. She explained that the applicant revised its application between the date of
submittal and today's meeting to re-classify the two proposed signs as marquee signs rather
than wall signs. The placement and specifications of the proposed signs were not changed.
She described the two marquee signs by dimension, coloration, letter size, and the two sign
locations: one facing Walua Road and one facing Kuakini Highway. Ms. Newlon noted
that proposed signs appear to comply with the Sign Code and the sign criteria Guidelines
for Review set forth in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona.
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4. At the outset of discussion among commissioners, Commissioner Bleck disclosed that he is
the applicant for the subject landowner and asked the Chair to be excused from deliberating
and voting on this application and instead to be allowed to re-seat himself before the
Commission in the position of applicant's representative. Chair Coats assented.
Following Mr. Paul Bleck's presenting himself to the Commission for any questions by the
Commission and brief discussion of the request and inadequacies of the current Sign Code,
Commissioner Kitchens moved, with a Second by Commissioner Burns, to recommend to
the Director of the DPW that the application be approved. The motion passed
unanimously, Commissioner Bleck abstaining with approval of the Chair, with the Chair
also abstaining per KVDC rule.
Based on Sign Code issues raised again in their deliberation of this agenda item,
Commissioners then restated their concerns regarding the existing County Sign Code.
These concerns included: (i) lack of enforcement of the existing Side Code which results in
unfairness to those who elect to follow its requirements and limitation in contrast to the
many perceived as not following it, and (ii) lack of progress by the County in enacting
revisions to the Sign Code which some commissioners felt were appropriate to today's
communities within the County.
Commissioner Kitchens then moved the Commission to compose and send a letter to the
Director of the DPW, with a copy sent to the Hawai'i County Council, urging the Director's
completion of the Sign Code revision process and forwarding of the revisions to the
Hawai'i County Council for its consideration and adoption within the first quarter of
calendar year 2011. The motion included having additional copies sent to the Hawai'i
County Councilmember Angel Pilago, Mayor Kenoi, and the Planning Director. Seconded
by Commissioner Burns, the motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
1.Approval of Minutes of the Meeting of November 16, 2010.
Commissioner Kern moved, with Commissioner Herbert the Second, to approve the
minutes as circulated. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
2.Election of Chair and Vice-Chair.
Following discussion and informal affirmative comments among commissioners, Shane
Kitchens and Nancy Burns were elected Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively by
unanimous voice vote.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mr. Mark announced that there would be no meeting in December as no applications have been
submitted therefor.
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ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, at 6:41 p.m., Commissioner Herbert moved that the meeting be
adjourned. Motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners in attendance.
Respectfully submitted,
Noriko Sauer, Secretary
A T T E S T:
Cindy Coats, Chair
Kailua Village Design Commission
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