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Home My WebLink About2008-10-03 TSONOMURA PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 3, 2008 SONOMURA RENTALS, INC. A regularly advertised hearing on the application of (REZ 08-000081) was called to order at 11:23 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 Takashi Domingo Andrew Iwashita Shelly Ogata Alvin Rho Rell Woodward Ivan Torigoe, Deputy Corporation Counsel Christopher Yuen, Planning Director Norman Hayashi, Staff Planner Phyllis Fujimoto, Staff Planner Jeff Darrow, Staff Planner And 3 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: SONOMURA RENTALS, INC. (REZ 08-000081) a. State Land Use Boundary Amendment from Agricultural to Urban for 6.3 acres of land. b. Change of zone from Agricultural 3-acre (A-3a) to Residential and Agricultural .5 acre (RA-.5a) for 6.3 acres of land. The property is located along the west side of Awa Street approximately 1,300 feet north of the Awa Street – Makalika Street intersection, Panaewa Farm Lots, Waiakea, South Hilo, Hawaii, TMK: 2-2-48:10 and 120. WATANABE: Sonomura Rentals has asked for a continuance. Before we do continue though we do have one individual, Marvellee Branco-Azevedo, that wishes to testify from the public. So would you come up, Ma’am. May I swear you in. Could you raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth now before the Planning Commission? BRANCO-AZEVEDO:I do. WATANABE: Okay, thank you. Would you state your name and address for the record, please. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: My name is Marvelle Branco-Azevedo. My address 184 Awa Street in Hilo, and currently neighboring the proposed property. EXHIBIT C 1 WATANABE: Okay, you may begin your testimony. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Well, actually, I represent my family. We are life-long residents of the area. And we’re just really concerned with the property being divided to half-acre lots. We’re definitely opposed to half acre ag lots. It’s just not feasible to properly farm on a half acre lot. That’s our concern. And second of all the traffic, the impact that it will make to the area is a big concern of ours. One-acre, that’s fine. Also, if it’s definitely going to be a half acre lot we have a little restrictions, we would want to make sure that there’s not an ohana dwelling on the property or condos which would eventually add up to 40 something dwellings in the area. And we just don’t think that we could withstand that. WATANABE: Okay. Anything further? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: No, that would be it. WATANABE: I believe as the recommendation is proposed now there are restrictions on ohana dwellings on the half-acre. I’m correct, am I not right, Mr. Yuen? I believe that was one of the conditions that they, you know, condominimization, and that it would be recorded in the deed. YUEN: Yes. WATANABE: And the only way that they could change that is to come back to the Planning Commission and also get approval from the County Council. So the way it’s stated right now it’s already included in that, so it wouldn’t double the density. However, I would like to open it up to the other Commissioners to see if they have any other questions they might have of your testimony. Mr. Iwashita? IWASHITA: As I understand your testimony, Ma’am, you want to, if it’s going to be allowed to go forward you want to limit it to one acre as smallest? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: That’s what we would prefer, the smallest, one acre, correct. IWASHITA: And why is that? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Again, just for future development; and if they are going to be using it as an agricultural district or agricultural lands, a half an acre is pretty difficult to sustain agricultural farming. Second of all, it would just impact, lengthen the impact in our area. IWASHITA: Okay. So my impression then is you want to keep this area as agricultural and so one acre is the smallest it should be? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Yeah, yeah. And I think, I believe in the General Plan there is some use of urban, some knowledge of urban use, I think, in the area. I’m not real certain, but we just don’t want urban use right now in the area. And -. EXHIBIT C 2 IWASHITA: You want to keep it Ag? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Yeah. IWASHITA: Okay. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: We’d like to keep it Ag as long as possible. You know, I mean, we just really wouldn’t want to have an nice big development going on in the area. IWASHITA: How much Ag is actually done on Makalika Street? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: You know, I’m not sure but we’re losing it really quickly. IWASHITA: Okay, thank you. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: I think there’s probably just two or three farming lots going on right now. IWASHITA: Actual Ag being done? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Actual farming, yeah. IWASHITA: Thank you. WATANABE: Any further questions, comments? Mr. Alameda? ALAMEDA: Thank you, Ms. Azevedo, for coming today and for staying. So just to clarify again, thank you Commissioner Iwashita, so the one-acre, the reason for the one acre is, well, first you find it hard to farm anything less than that, true farming. And, secondly, it sounds like also you want to keep the agricultural ambiance, if you will, of that area as long as possible. And so then the question is so really in a sense the half acre would be kind of like compromising your earlier perceptions of the area? So you’re kind of stretching it. So, really, you really don’t even want the half acre, not even the acre, but you’re willing to settle, sounds like. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Yeah. To be very honest, not even an acre. Three acres, great. But we have to be realistic. And, you know, I’m not anti-development at all but one acre is fine. And, also, we farm and we have livestock which would be abutting the neighbor’s property. So kind of in a sense of we’ve been living in a farming area, country area, and then we have a big development going on next to us, and I’m sure if they’re going to be rezoned to Urban there would be a lot of complaints on our side. You know, they wouldn’t appreciate livestock roaming in their backyard. ALAMEDA: Right. Thank you. WATANABE: Any further questions for this woman? HOUSEL: I wanted to ask -. EXHIBIT C 3 WATANABE: Yes. HOUSEL: Where do you live in relation to this site? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Right next door about 300 feet away. HOUSEL: Do you share a boundary? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Yes. HOUSEL: Okay. So this -. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Well, actually we have pastoral land right next to the proposed property. HOUSEL: Okay, now you have pastoral land. Do you live on that site? BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Yes. HOUSEL: Okay. Thank you. WATANABE: Any further questions? Doesn’t look like it, so thank you for your testimony. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Thank you. WATANABE: I need some clarification from staff. The request was to continue Sonomura till the November meeting in Hilo, is that correct, Mr. Hayashi? HAYASHI: Yes. In speaking with the applicant’s representative, Mr. Nishimura, he indicated the next November meeting in Hilo. WATANABE: Okay. So we have a request to continue to the next November meeting. Anyone care to make a motion for that? ALAMEDA: Sure. WATANABE: Mr. Alameda. ALAMEDA: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I move that Change of Zone Application Rezoning 08-000081 be continued to the next November Hilo meeting. WATANABE: Okay, thank you. Any second on that? IWASHITA: Second. WATANABE: Okay. Do we need to do a roll call vote on this? TORIOGOE: No. EXHIBIT C 4 WATANABE: No. All those in favor, say aye. COMMISSIONERS: Aye. WATANABE: Any opposed? Hearing none, I guess it’s continued to the next November meeting. rd ALAMEDA: What’s the date for that, the November, what was that, 3? WATANABE: I have to defer to staff. ALAMEDA: Just in case the testifiers like come back. th COTTLE: November 6. HAYASHI: I believe that’s a Thursday. th ALAMEDA: November 6, Thursday. So not Friday, yeah? HAYASHI: Yes. th ALAMEDA: Okay. So just for the public, November 6. BRANCO-AZEVEDO: Thank you. The discussion ended at 11:31 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon M. Nomura, East Hawaii Secretary EXHIBIT C 5