Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-09-01 Windward Exh B (Item #2 Sandra Kaneshiro) WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI`I HEARING TRANSCRIPT SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 A regularly advertised hearing on the application of SANDRA KANESHIRO (PL-REZ-2023- 000046) was heard at 9:17 a.m. in the County of Hawaii Council Chambers in Hilo, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, Hawaii with Chair Dennis Lin presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Dennis Lin, Louis Daniele III, John Cross, Wayne De Luz. and Chantel Perrin (from 9:43 a.m.). ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Lauren Balog. ALSO PRESENT: Suzanna Tiapula, Esq. (Counsel to the Commission), Jean Campbell, Esq. (Counsel to the Planning Department), Jeffrey Darrow (Deputy Planning Director), Jessica Andrews (Planner), Clinton Mercado (Planner), Alex Roy (Planner), Tracie-Lee Camero (Zoom Host), Christian Kay (Acting Planning Program Manager), and Melissa Dacayanan-Salvador (Commission Secretary). And eight public members in the audience. APPLICANT: SANDRA KANESHIRO (PL-REZ-2023-000046) Application for a Change of Zone from an Agricultural-3 acres (A-3a) to a Family-Agricultural-1 acre (FA-la) zoning district for 3.16 acres of land. The subject property is located at 605 Makalika Street, approximately 540 feet southwest(mauka) of its intersection with Railroad Avenue, Pana`ewa Farm Lots, South Hilo, Hawaii, TMK: (3) 2-2-048:092. Secretary's Note: [indecipherable] indicates that there were technical and/or internet difficulties, which made the conversation inaudible. LIN: Okay, we'll now move on to agenda Item 92, applicant is Sandra Kaneshiro, application is PL-REZ-2023-000046. An application for a Change of Zone from Agricultural-3 acres (A-3a) to a Family-Agricultural-1 acre (FA-la) zoning district for 3.16 acres of land. The subject property is located at 605 Makalika Street, approximately 540 feet southwest (mauka) of its intersection with Railroad Avenue,Pana`ewa Farm Lots, South Hilo, Hawaii, TMK: (3) 2-2-048 parcel number 92. Alright, staff, Clinton. MERCADO: Mahalo, Chair Lin. Good morning, everyone. We will begin the Kaneshiro Change of Zone slide with the location map. Excuse me, first of all, Janice, can you see the presentation screen? CAMERO: Yes, you're good Clinton. 1 EXHIBIT B MERCADO: Aw, sorry Tracie. Thank you. Okay, so the subject property is located in the South Hilo District west of Railroad Avenue off of Makalika Street. The applicant's request is a Change of Zone from Agricultural-3 acres to a Family Agricultural-I acre for 3.16 acres of land. The property currently consists of two existing single-family dwellings. One of which is an approved `Ohana dwelling and several related accessory structures. No additional improvements to the subject property are currently being proposed by the applicant. The reason for the request is to subdivide the property into 2 lots, at a minimum of 1.4 acres each to establish a fee-simple ownership of the resulting lots. Here we have the County zoning map. The subject properties is outlined in blue. The majority of the property around is Agricultural. To the left of the subject property is a similar zone that the applicant, excuse me, the applicant is requesting which is the Family-Agricultural in the lighter teal. Here is the State Land Use Boundary Map. The subject property is designated as Agricultural and most of its surrounding across the street, across Makalika Street is Urban designation. Here is the General Plan Land Use Allocation Guide Map showing the subject property and its neighboring properties as Low Density Urban and across Railroad Avenue to the east is Important Agricultural Lands. Here's a site plan provided by the applicant showing the proposed divided lot line. So, we have Makalika Street on the right with the shared driveway, the existing single-family dwelling towards the back of the property is the `Ohana dwelling and further back is the open grassy area and in the middle is its existing accessory structures. Next is the aerial photograph of the subject property outlined in blue. Showing Railroad Avenue to the right of the screen and Makalika Street to the bottom and its improvements. The neighboring property is mixed of single-family dwellings, agricultural uses, and some vacant land. Here are a couple shots of Makalika Street. The top left facing east with the subject property driveway on the left as indicated. The bottom right is an opposite view facing west with the subject property on the right and with the dwelling of the subject property right here. Our final slide is the Planning Director's recommendation which is to forward a favorable recommendation to the County Council. At this time, I'm here to answer any questions you may have, Chair Lin. LIN: Thank you Clinton. MERCADO: Thank you. LIN: Any questions for staff, Commissioners? Okay, seeing none. I will now ask for the applicant and the applicant's representative to please come forward. [Two males from the audience approached the testifier table]I'll swear both of you at the same time. Please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Windward Planning Commission? MALES AT TESTIFIER TABLE: I do. I do. 2 EXHIBIT B LIN: Please speak directly into your microphones. State your name and the area you reside and whom you represent. I'll also have to ask if you have received the Planning Department's Background and Recommendation reports, and do you agree with the recommendations including the proposed conditions? KANESHIRO: Yeah, I'm Tyler Kaneshiro. I'm here on behalf of my mother, Sandra, and I reside here in Hilo. ARAI: Good morning, Mr. Chairman and members of the Commission. My name is Daryn Arai. I reside in Hilo and I'm here assisting the applicant Sandra Kaneshiro this morning who's capably represented by her son, Tyler. I have discussed the background report and the recommendation and proposed conditions with the applicant, both Tyler and Sandra, and they both accept the proposed conditions as presented. We appreciate the hard work of the Planning Department's staff and preparing the report. We appreciate the Director's favorable recommendation, and we also appreciate the very thorough presentation that was presented to you this morning. The request is quite simple. It's, you know, the property itself was once or is the Kaneshiro family compound but as many families encounter life changes occur. So, they are at that point in life now where they wish to look toward the future and try to manage the property as best as they can. Which in this case includes placing each existing home on its own separate lot. The Commissioners may be well aware that with a lot size of over 3 acres and the requested zoning of FA-la that there's the possibility of a third lot that could be created within on this property. However, let it be known to that with the you saw the site plan during the presentation. The sighting of the 2 existing homes and accessory structures will make it somewhat difficult in order to create that third lot due to the need to provide adequacy of access to the lot in the back. Which is currently just a large grassy area but, should that opportunity to create that third lot occur in the future the applicant will be obligated and compelled to comply with all of the requirements of this subdivision code. So, whether 2 lots or 3 lots the subdivision will be completed in a compliant manner. So, with that I stand ready to, or we stand ready to answer any questions that you may have. LIN: Thank you Mr. Arai. Any questions Commissioners? Mr. Kaneshiro, did you have anything to mention. KANESHIRO: Nothing Chair. DE LUZ: A quick question, Chair because they're going — LIN: Go ahead. DE LUZ: —to a 1-acre FA and is that the only designation they can go with? Is that, to get it down to that smaller parcel? DARROW: They could change the State Land Use to Urban and go into a residential zoning. It sounds like they are okay with the 1-acre zoning. They probably want to keep 3 EXHIBIT B that flexibility of agricultural uses maybe on the property. But that obviously is a possibility. They are located within the General Plan Low Density Urban area and as you saw on the map the properties across the street are in the Urban zoning. So, that's a possibility but right now sounds like what they want to do is just separate ownership on the 2 houses. So, I don't know if you folks caught this but in the fair share condition. It only applies to new lots that currently don't have dwellings on them and so if they were to create that third lot. They would be required to pay that fair share, as well as what Mr. Arai had mentioned comply with the subdivision code for access. I'm sure there's plenty of water there for an additional unit. Lastly, the Ag zoning seems to be consistent with that side of the Makalika Street and so, but they do have that option in the future in case they want to go to smaller lots. DE LUZ: Oh no, thank you for the explanation. I was just kind of curious that why they wouldn't go into more of the urban type. But I understand the family wants to kind of keep it in Ag. So, thank you. No further questions. LIN: Okay, thank you Commissioner De Luz and Deputy Planning Director. Any other questions? If not, is there a motion for action? DANIELE: I move that a favorable recommendation be forwarded to the County Council on application for Change of Zone, Docket No. PL-REZ-2023-000046 based on the Planning Director's recommendation, which shall be adopted. LIN: Okay, it's been moved by Vice Chair Daniele. Is there a second? CROSS: Second. LIN: Seconded by Commissioner Cross. Any discussion on the motion for approval, oh, sorry, this is not an approval but for a favorable recommendation. Okay, seeing none. Staff roll call vote please. MERCADO: Thank you Chair Lin. We'll begin with Vice Chair Daniele? DANIELE: Aye. MERCADO: Commissioner Cross? CROSS: Aye. MERCADO: Commissioner De Luz? DE LUZ: Aye. MERCADO: And Chair Lin? LIN: Aye. 4 EXHIBIT B MERCADO: Thank you, the ayes have it. LIN: Thank you very much and you'll be notified of the Commission's decision in writing. ARAI: Thank you Commission and have a great long weekend. LIN: Thank you and you too. The item ended at 9:30 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Melissa Dacayanan-Salvador, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 5 EXHIBIT B