HomeMy WebLinkAboutPL-SMA-2023-000038 01.12.24 June Gravitte Comments Dacayanan, Melissa
From: June Gravitte <dawgnut@hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday,January 12, 2024 11:26 AM
To: LPCtestimony
Subject: June Gravitte - Comments on PL-SMA-2023-000038
Aloha Leeward Planning Commission Members and Planning Department personnel,
I submitted a Petition for Standing in a Contested Case Hearing on December 14, 2023 against
proposed project PL-SMA-2023-000038. I co-own a condo at Hale Kona Kai across Kahakai Road
from the proposed hotel.
The Planning Department noted in their recommendation that they feel Hawai'i/Kona is fortunate to
have this development/project. As someone who grew up and lived in the DC area while the
Marriotts were building their empire and as a fan of their hotels, I totally understand that sentiment. I
have stayed at their hotels - their customer service and quality is excellent. However, I do have
some concerns about the project.
During email and phone conversations with Alex Roy after I submitted the Petition, he noted that I
should focus on identifying and documenting personal concerns with the development (vs. very
generic broad ones that anyone could identify). Additional comments have been submitted by
several members of the Hale Kona Kai community including Jana Cook and Jan/Richard Dodge.
Public Services and Facilities Access During Emergencies - Access to the underground parking garage will be
via Kahakai Road. The Planning Department recommendation notes that during a major event the evacuation
of this site will be via Ali'i Drive or Walua Road. In the event of an emergency, how is the Planning Department
and the developer proposing to ensure that hotel guests will be evacuated via Ali'i Drive or Walua Road vs.
Kahakai Road where the planned parking access is via Kahakai Road? Owners and guests from Hale Kona
Kai along with the house and the Kona Reef are expected to use Kahakai Road to evacuate during an
emergency, whether it's from a tsumami, a fire(wild or building), high surf from a Kona Low, hurricane, or god
forbid, Hualalai erupts and during a luau at the Royal Kona. I do not think the Leeward Planning Commission
should assume that all guests will automatically evacuate via Ali'i Drive. At least some of them will want to get
in their cars and evacuate via Kahakai Road. Unless employees are trained to evacuate guests via Ali'i Drive
and evacuation drills are performed on a regular basis, I am concerned that vehicular and pedestrian traffic
from the proposed development will impact those Hale Kona Kai owners and guests that are trying to evacuate
via Kahakai Road.
Pedestrian access and safety is also addressed by the developer and in the Hawai'i Planning
Department recommendation via the development of a 7 foot sidewalk to accommodate pedestrians
along Kahakai Road. However, it does not take into account the increased vehicular traffic that should
be anticipated by the parking garage access on Kahakai Road. As noted by the developer and the
Planning Department, traffic studies are not required. Although Kahakai Road may technically be a 2
lane road with a speed limit of 25 mph, in reality it is currently a 1-1.5 lane road with most vehicles
traveling no more that 10-15 mph. Access to the Hale Kona Kai parking areas are difficult on a good
day due to the narrowness of Kahakai Road. Hale Kona Kai's south entrance (my parking place
entrance) should be approached/exited from/to the south side of Kahakai Road since basically a U-
turn is needed to enter/exit that parking area from the north. An additional 7 feet of pedestrian
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sidewalk will only impact Hale Kona Kai's south entrance/egress even more. The picture below
shows the view of the south Hale Kona Kai exit.
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Developer plans initially considered impacts to Kona Reef (130 units) and Royal Kona (multiple
parcels with hundreds of hotel rooms, businesses, and condos) while skipping over Hale Kona Kai
(39 units), the James Rodney Paul house, and the CJ Kimberley property. The developer has
attempted to address other Hale Kona Kai owners' concerns with a set of new drawings. However,
additional studies to the impacts to Hale Kona Kai along with the James Rodney Paul House, and the
CJ Kimberley property are needed.
CJ Kimberley Property impact. As noted above, the CJ Kimberley property was removed from some
of their earlier drawings but was restored in later drawings. My property manager leases part of the
property. If the CJ Kimberley property becomes a part of the development, she will need to move her
office given the location right across the street from my condo — an impact to me since it's really nice
to have her across the street so she can easily observe my condo. The picture below shows the view
from just outside of my front door facing mauka, the CJ Kimberley property, and the proposed
development property.
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Noise. Although not a Planning Department consideration in approving the development, I want to
note that I was down at Hale Kona Kai on Sunday, December 17 around 4 pm evaluating my condo
(205) for issues between guests. In addition to taking a couple of pictures from the walkway on the
second floor, I listened. It was quiet. Birds were singing. Only a very small amount of pedestrian and
vehicular traffic was noted on Kahakai Road. As I went south on the walkway towards 201, the noise
from the ocean increased. I also went back on Monday, December 18 around 630 pm and opened
the louvered front door to allow the ocean breezes to flow through - as many Hale Kona Kai guests
and owners do. Again it was quiet - I couldn't even hear the luau music although in the past I have
heard it from there. The developer has noted basically that there shouldn't be any noise impacts.
Between the increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic and additional guests, I don't see how the
noise couldn't increase, even after construction is completed......and construction is a totally different
issue that seems to be beyond the scope of this meeting.
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Mahalo for your time.
June Gravitte
Hale Kona Kai 205 and Captain Cook
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