The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutAIA SDAT_VK_LSP_Debriefing May 09r enV ision 1 Downtown Hilo ;OE. A' sots Envision Downtown Hilo 2025 �' ' ►� American Institute of Architects Sustainable Design Assessment Team Program for Downtown Hilo VisionKeepers[Uad Solution Partner Debriefing May 18, 2009 PARTICIPANTS: (44) 1 1. CyVan Yamamoto - Hilo High School 2. Lauren Miyata - Hilo High School 3. Taylor Escalona - Hilo High School 4. Reina Sako - Hilo High School 5. Charlene Masuhara - Hilo High School 6. Alice Moon - Alice Moon & Associates 7. Curtis Takai - Department of Health 8. Ian Birnie - Historian 9. Robert Chow -- Historian 10. Larry Nakayama - Planning Dept. 11. Brad Kurokawa - Ki Concepts 12. John Thatcher - Connections PCS 13. Steve Godzsak - HBWAG 14. Koran Munafo - HDIA 15. Sam Puluole - HDIA 16. Walter Tachibana - Taishoji Soto Mission 17. Kawehi Stevens - DT Landowner Rep 18. Val Ferrari - Windward Designs 19. Crysttal Atkins - Planning Dept. 20. Scott Fleming - AIA 21. Dennis Taniguchi - EHCC 22. Loretta French - Guest 23. Judi Steinman - HICC 24. Millie Uchima 25. Donna Saiki - Pacific Tsunami Museum 26. Jeffrey Mermel - Fireplace Center 27. LeAna Gloor - Journalist 28. Jeff Melrose - HDIA 29. George Curtis - UHH 30. Sonia Juvik - UHH Geography Dept. 31. Kanani Aton - Dept. of Water Supply 32. Jane Horike - Research & Development 33. Amy Self - Corporation Counsel 34. Rochelle Nagata -Wu -- AIA 35. Carolina Macias - Planning Dept. Intern 36. BJ Leithead -Todd - Planning Director VisionKeepers: Kaholo Daguman, Susan Gagorik, Tommy Goya, Eileen O'Hara, Ellen Takazawa, Kylie Alexandra, Marlene Murray Student Intern: Hans Santiago VisionKeeper Chair, Eileen O'Hara, welcomed the group and thanked them for their participation during the SDAT process. Students from the Hilo High School Key Club presented the VisionKeepers leis made of paper flowers with hand written messages that included viewpoints about Downtown Hilo, thank you messages, directives calling for action, and commitments to volunteer. The students gave examples of the service projects they are committing to: • Paint storm drains. 1 • Maintain Liholiho Park. • Help to organize family oriented activities in Hilo. • Organize a recycling fair to inform to bring awareness. Tommy Goya, VisionKeeper and advisor to the Key Club, encouraged everyone to listen to the children, who have so much to offer. He added that youth need to be more involved with public process. The leis will be presented to Mayor Kenoi by the VisionKeepers and the students. SDAT 2009 DEBRIEFING The group was invited to share their comments on the SDAT Working Groups and Public Meetings by answering the following questions. (This list also Includes comments from several who participated In the project, but were unable to attend the DebrlefzngMeeting.) Charrette (Working Groups) WHAT WAS GREAT? • Participation was great ✓✓✓✓✓ • "so many people showed up" • "good participation" • "the level of participation" • "lots of people working creatively" • The level of expertise of the people involved✓✓✓ • "impressed with Jay Raskin — had a tremendous amount to share" • "knowledge of the SDAT team" o "the tools, resources, and expertise that were brought to the table" • Having students interacting in group — we need to listen to them more-vv' • "impressed with the youth" • "important that youth express their opinions because they are the future." o "the openness of the high school students" • Diversity of people who came together was very impressive✓✓✓ • "wide variety of people" • "everyone in the group had something to offer" • "impressed with the diversity of people who came out" • Safe environment to participate✓✓✓ • Many creative ideas✓ • Enjoyed the experience — wish they had been involved with EDH 2025 earlier; motivated to get involved now • A lot was accomplished — just need to follow through now (Example: DPW establishing a special district in Downtown which would make it easier to refurbish older buildings) • Very informative — good learning experience (especially form-based codes) • Good coverage in media (newspaper and radio) • Opportunity to learn about projects and solutions • Big maps were good — helped to visualize • Partnerships that came out of the process • The presence of the aide from Councilman Onishi's office • Willingness of participants to solve the problems • New faces • Glad Steamy and Kaholo participated • Good newspaper coverage • Impressed that SDAT team visited much of the community to see for themselves • Process yielded good results on many levels • Thank you to VisionKeeper staff and Kanam — all interaction was positive • Kaholo • Regular emails were helpful in keeping informed • The opportunity to meet other people in the group • Planning districts • Inclusion of the Local Expert Resource Team (LERT) — provided a lot of help to the visiting team • Interaction between government, the private sector and non-profit groups • Engaging process — team building • Appreciate the roles of the group • Made us appreciate and bring to light all we already have in Hilo • Enjoyed the stories on historic preservation • Assistance of the architects • High level of engagement /involvement: confirmation of the power of community-based planning — bringing people together to look for solutions • Hearing connections being made between organizations that gave me hope that some of the ideas and suggestions may come to fruition WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY? • More time✓✓✓ o "to pick their brains" • More involvement of private business owners ✓ • Not enough focus — would have wanted more time to address the "branding" ✓ o "more information on branding and how to do it" • More focus on economic development✓ 3 • The orientation with Hilo was too rushed — the visiting team should have arrived at least a day earlier — it takes time to get a sense of Hilo-' o "SDAT team should have spent more time in Downtown Hilo before delving into meetings" • More preplanning✓ • Perhaps we could have done more to prepare for their visit but we were novices to this project • The AIA staff should have been able to tell us they needed specific data ahead of time like traffic counts, aerial photos, etc. • Too abstract — would have preferred more concrete answers • Expected a "laundry list" of priorities • SDAT team should have requested more information ahead of time (as Jay did) • Bus Tour was too ambitious — wished it could have been longer • Individual wished they could have cleared their calendar to participate more • Hope it all gets implemented! • Allow more time between the site visit and the SDAT to communicate with team after they were chosen • Where are the gifts they brought ? ?? (Going to library) SUGGESTION: Don't let them get "lost" in the library. Keep them close — so they get read by VK • Web broadcasting might have been good for students /rest of community • Aupum was too noisy for working groups on the first day — should have reserved another conference room. • Not including Kupuna in the earlier part of the day • Use new technology, like FACEBOOK, etc., to get young people involved • The set up of tables did not allow for a free flow of energy • Some key County Departments were noticeably missing (administration and County Council) • Parks and Recreation should have been there • Difficult to hear group discussions • Should strive for zero waste events • Need mixed-bin recycling • Wished there was more information on sustainable design • Should have began with explanation of a charrette • Property owners are key and there must be some way to get them informed and involved • Have reps from the different focus areas do the tour of Hilo, so that there is more of an opportunity for us to offer our information on our background areas. The focus group meetings attempted to accomplish this, but I think that having a voice on the ground would have been much more effective. 4 Public Meetings WHAT WAS GREAT? • Taishoji Soto Mission — great venue✓✓ • Having the public meeting right in the heart of Downtown Hilo-' • Kanam Aton✓✓ • "shared the culture and followed native Hawaiian protocol" • "gave the events a good Hawaiian cultural feel" • The number of people • Everyone had a chance to speak and that those who like to dominate the conversation were well managed • The number of people that turned out to the public meetings exceeded my expectations given the amount of publicity we had been able to do • The wealth of contributions from LSPs for the public meetings • Liked the concept of downtown "districts" and branding. The suggestion for a trolley or similar to promote a connection to other parts of town, the university, airport, and port of Hilo, was particularly creative and far-thinking. • Wide variety of people who participated • Good work with press releases • Positive atmosphere • Safe to participate • Process was well established • Inspired by ideas • Learned a lot • Great ideas for service projects • Like the branding concept • Pule and oli helped to create the setting WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY? • Larger venue o "crowded" • Let general public know expectations • More focus at 2nd public meeting • Not enough kupuna /old-timers — need to share stories — sometimes we need to go to them • Should have had more public meetings and venue locations • Better management of people who came with their own agendas • Not enough outreach — did not see any posters in Downtown Hilo • Include more technology — social networks (web) • Should have had sign-up sheets for public who wanted to volunteer to work on projects (government can't do it all — need community help /support) 5 What priority Actions should we work on now? • Removal of bayfront highway • Promotional campaign for Downtown Hilo • Zoning to decrease height limit • Traffic slow down — change parking patterns • Return Kilauea Avenue to 2-way • Special district/historic district • Explore business improvement district • Circulation and parking plan • Community Resource Center with project manager • VisionKeepers need fulltime staff person • Encourage property owners to take care of their properties • Youth corridor • More restrooms • Strategies on how to get property owners involved • Develop special districts — market, arts /culture, restaurant row • Support Vincent Tai in his proposed mixed used development to bring more people to downtown • Changes to 50 foot flood line • Permit sidewalk cafes • Support Bayfront Trails Project ✓ • Public (mass) transportation plan • Develop historic district • Develop brand " a place where life slows and community grows" • Get youth more involved (youth committee being developed by HDIA) rrExr suers I � A PowerPoint presentation from the SDAT team will be posted to the EDH2O25 website soon. A comprehensive report, with recommendations, should be completed within a couple of months and will also be posted. An email notification will be sent out once these reports are received. C.1