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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008-07-10 TMAEDA PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT JULY 10, 2008 SATORU STEWART MAEDA A regularly advertised hearing on the application of (SPP 08-000056) was called to order at 10:33 a.m. in the County of Hawaii, Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii, with Chairman Rodney Watanabe presiding. PRESENT: Rodney Watanabe ABSENT & EXCUSED: Lani Bowman C. Kimo Alameda Alvin Rho Takashi Domingo Rene’ Siracusa Andrew Iwashita Shelly Ogata Rell Woodward Ivan Torigoe, Deputy Corporation Counsel Christopher Yuen, Planning Director Norman Hayashi, Staff Planner Phyllis Fujimoto, Staff Planner Jeff Darrow, Staff Planner And approximately 15 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: SATORU STEWART MAEDA (SPP 08-000056) Special Permit to allow the establishment of a commercial boarding kennel, a quarantine kennel, office, and certified kitchen on 4 acres of land situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The property is located off the south side of Ihope Street, approximately 0.7 mile southwest of the Ihope Street – North Peck Road intersection, Olaa Reservation Lots, Olaa, Puna, Hawaii, TMK: 1-8-6:193. WATANABE: Agenda Item No. 3, the applicant is Satoru Stewart Maeda (SPP 08-000056). This is a Special Permit to allow the establishment of a commercial boarding kennel, a quarantine kennel, office, and certified kitchen on 4 acres of land situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. Now I believe there are a number of people that are here to testify on this. We’ve also had a request to continue this. But before we address that we will accept the testimony from the public since the request for continuance I believe was only emailed in yesterday. th DARROW: This particular application we had received a letter dated July 7; and this should be with the Planning Commissioners. WATANABE: Oh, I’m getting confused. DARROW: Yeah, two Maeda’s. EXHIBIT A 1 WATANABE: Okay, so with that I have Diane Makepa who has signed up to testify. Would you come up to the table, please, and we’ll allow your testimony. Is there anyone else from the public who’d like to provide testimony for this agenda item? MAKEPA: There isn’t -. WATANABE: Okay, thank you. MAKEPA: It seems rather like a moot point at this time but I put so much effort into it, the package, the delivery and being here that I will go ahead and speak on behalf of my neighbors. WATANABE: Okay, okay. May I swear you in first, though. Would you raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth now before the Planning Commission? MAKEPA: Absolutely. WATANABE: And, once again, for the record, could you state your name and address. MAKEPA: My name is Diana Makepa. I live at 18-1763 Ihope Road. My PO Box is 1067, Mt. View, 96771. WATANABE: Okay, that’s great. You may begin your testimony. MAKEPA: My name is Diana Makepa. I’ve been on this island since 1969. I’m almost 70 years old. I’ve lived in my present neighborhood for 20 years and on my present property for 8. I have a life-time lease on 12 acres that runs on Ihope Road. Behind me is Mr. Johnny Histo who can’t be here, he’s in jail. And behind him is Stewart Maeda. Mr. Maeda is, I’m upwind from Mr. Maeda; and our neighborhood is so solid - such a solitude in this area that everything he does I hear. It’s right in my living room. I have presented you with a package of all the neighborhood signatures. Everyone in the subdivision does not want this. We feel that we have a one-lane road in an extremely rural neighborhood, a unique little place. There are only 14 homes in our neighborhood. One of those people didn’t want to be involved and one is Mr. Maeda’s good friend so they didn’t sign. But everybody else has signed the paper. There are photographs attached.We just think putting a quarantine station next to a forest reserve is Murphy’s Law waiting to happen. It isn’t conducive to the neighborhood for anybody. We have nothing against Mr. Maeda or dogs. We just think possible 27 barking dogs is a bit much. We have such a unique neighborhood that mostly what you hear is birds. We have a lot of I’o, a lot of Puueo, a lot of wild birds, very few people, very few cars, and no commercial business in any part of that area at all. So that’s all I’ll say.Most of what we need to have you know is in these letters that we presented to you, and the signatures of everybody that lives up there. So thank you very much. WATANABE: Thank you. Please remain seated just in case some of the other Commissioners have questions for you. Do we have any questions for the testifier, Diana? Seeing none you may be seated. MAKEPA: I’ll be back in September. EXHIBIT A 2 WATANABE: Okay, fine. Thank you. Yes, Mr. Domingo? DOMINGO: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, would it be appropriate if I asked the staff a few questions regarding this situation? WATANABE: Sure. DOMINGO: You know, because this being an agricultural property I perceive that the necessity for a special permit is because they’re coming in and doing a commercial venture and that they’ll be running a business. Is it why they need to come in for a special permit? DARROW: This is correct. A kennel, private or personal kennel, would be a permitted use. A commercial establishment, kennel boarding, that type of activity would trigger the need for a special permit. DOMINGO: Now what if it’s by chance, you know, he builds a series, a number of kennels and then just bring, he would probably own some dogs and probably some of his friends would come in and bring the dogs in, this being agricultural in an agricultural zoned area, then that would be permissible, wouldn’t it? DARROW: Correct. WATANABE: Okay, thank you. MAKEPA: Could I add something? WATANABE: Unfortunately we don’t normally go backwards and you will have again th an opportunity come September 4 yeah. Okay, but I understand your point, Mr. Domingo. So, yes -? ALAMEAD: I was going to say unless somebody else would like to testify, we’ve still got time for that. WATANABE: Yeah, I had asked earlier; and I didn’t see anyone acknowledge, so -. Okay, let me ask you this -. CAUSEY: I -. WATANABE: Yes, sir. If you wish to provide testimony you have to come up here and get sworn in and provide your name and address for the record, sir. So have a seat, please. Would you raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth now before the Planning Commission? CAUSEY: Yes, sir. EXHIBIT A 3 WATANABE: Thank you. Would you please use the mike. We’re recording this and we have to do the minutes so speak into the mike and provide your name and address, and you may provide your testimony. CAUSEY: Yes, my name is Wendell Causey and I live up in the Moki’hana Subdivision where these dog kennels, you know, special permit -. IWASHITA: Can you hold the mike like this so you talk into it. CAUSEY: I do own a lot of dogs and I understand what you’re saying. You know, your friends come in with their dogs and, you know, you help them out with their dogs. But I live in that area and I do have seven dogs that I keep; and they do make a lot of noise. And my concern is that a lot of the traffic will be coming up in that area with, you know, even outsiders. People just come in to say, oh, we’re going to the dog kennel, but they’re not. You know, they’re going to scope out our properties. We’ve had a lot of, you know, things being ripped off, houses burned in our area. And I’m just trying to keep out the traffic and keep it agricultural. That’s why I retired and bought up in that area, so I can, you know, enjoy my retirement. Thank you. WATANABE: Thank you. Yes, Mr. Domingo. DOMINGO: I appreciate the situation you’re in and the concern that you have. But isn’t it so that regardless of whether this permit is approved or denied that you’d still have the traffic come into your subdivision, and the same situation that you’ve described would continue to happen? CAUSEY: No, Mr. Domingo. You know, what I’ve learned in that area is that, like say this kennel, they’re going to need a lot of cement so you’ve got cement workers, truck drivers coming up into the area. And then you’ve got, you know, other carpenters, carpentry people, roofers. You know, these are the people that I see that are doing a lot of driving around which they shouldn’t be. You know they have no business in the area. I have a private road and they just, you can’t stop them. You cannot stop them, you just can’t, you know. And you try to be nice, you know, and say this is a private road, what are your concerns, you know. They just say, oh, we’re just driving, and so they get hostile. You know, you try to be nice but they get hostile; and nothing you can do. So I’m just trying to keep it agricultural, peaceful, you know, like it has been in the past. But, you know, I understand he wants to build these kennels. Well, good luck to him I say. You know, but this is an impact on all the people in our neighborhood, you know. Thank you. WATANABE: Thank you. Do we have any further questions for the testifier? Thank you. You may be seated. Oh, I’m sorry, did I miss Mr. Alameda? ALAMEDA: No, I was just going to say thank you for sharing. Thank you for your testimony, I appreciate that. You know, we’re always looking for public input. So just to let you know your time is not wasted. I appreciate that. Thank you. WATANABE: Okay, would there be any objections for the Commissioners to continue th this until the September 9 meeting in Hilo? EXHIBIT A 4 WOODWARD: Fourth. th WATANABE: September 4, excuse me. Dyslexic already, too many continuances. DOMINGO: Senior moments. th WATANABE: Okay. Seeing none, then we will continue this until the September 4 meeting, Planning Commission meeting. The discussion ended at 10:45 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon M. Nomura, East Hawaii Secretary EXHIBIT A 5