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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-03-20 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES Meeting Date: March 20, 2012 Time: 5:20 p.m. Place: West Hawai‘i Civic Center nd Planning Department Conference Room – Building E, 2 Floor 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, 96740 CALL TO ORDER Commissioners Present: Shane Kitchens, Theresa Andreae, Fanny Au Hoy, Nancy Burns, Stephen Herbert, John Hetherington and Sammie Stanbro Absent and Excused: Riley Saito Applicants/Representatives: Chad Raymond Planning Department: Bennett Mark, Keola Childs and Noriko Sauer Public: None A quorum was present. Chair Kitchens called the meeting to order and the Commissioners introduced themselves. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS – None. The Chair suggested that the Commission reorder the agenda and take up the New Business first. There were no objections. NEW BUSINESS 1. Design review of a sign permit application for a replacement marquee sign for RadioShack. Applicant: John Allen Sign Company, LLC. Land Owners: Pres-Kona Coast LP and Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust. TMK: 7-4-015:001. Located in the Kona Coast Shopping Center at 74-5586 Palani Road, Kailua-Kona, on the northwest corner of Queen Ka’ahumanu Hwy. and Palani Road. Mr. Childs oriented the Commissioners regarding the subject and surrounding properties on the location map and site plan, and described the proposed sign. He handed out to the Commissioners a picture showing the existing marquee sign, which would be replaced. He noted that although the sign area, lettering size, and type of material used did not follow the Sign Code or the signage guidelines in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona, the proposed sign did comply with the 1999 blanket sign variance granted for the entire shopping center. The applicant’s representative, Chad Raymond, introduced himself. In response to Commissioner Andreae’s question, he said that the reason for the design change was to update the sign to match the new company logo. Mr. Childs added that the company name, which had been “Radio Shack” with a space in between, was now spelled as one word, “RadioShack.” Commissioner Andreae further asked whether the proposed sign was in line with the other signs in the shopping center. 1 Commissioner Stanbro pointed out size consistency in particular, even though the proposed sign was in compliance with the variance. However, no comparison information was available at that moment. It was moved by Commissioner Hetherington, and seconded by Commissioner Burns, to recommend to the Public Works Director the approval of the proposed sign as submitted. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with six ayes (Hetherington, Burns, Andreae, Au Hoy, Herbert and Stanbro), and one absent and excused (Saito). 2. Design Review of a sign variance application for a wall sign for Goodyear Auto Service Center. Applicant: Goodyear Auto Service Center No. 8021. Landowner: Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust. TMK: 7-4-015:010. Located in the Kailua Industrial Subdivision at 74-5488 Kaiwi Street, Kailua-Kona. Mr. Childs oriented the Commissioners regarding the subject and surrounding properties on the location map and site plan, and described the proposed sign and variance application. He also distributed recent pictures of the subject property to the Commissioners. He noted that the applicant could be expected to revise its application to add a variance also from Section 3-59(a)(4), as the proposed mounting height appeared to exceed the limit set forth. Mr. Chad Raymond represented the applicant. Commissioner Burns said that she was having a problem with considering any sign applications because of lack of enforcement; it seemed wrong for the Commission to deny any application from someone trying to comply with the Sign Code, while there were many businesses that were allowed to go on with illegal signs. Commissioner Andreae opined that it was prudent for the Commission to make recommendations as to what should be acceptable or unacceptable in the Kailua Village. Commissioner Hetherington said that even though the Commission was not the final decision-making body, it was given the power to make recommendations and it should use that power consistently. Regarding the subject sign, Commissioner Stanbro said that it should be looked at proportionally to the building rather than by itself, and that accordingly the proposed size seemed acceptable. She suggested, however, that the spacing between letters could be reduced in order to make the overall area smaller, if necessary. Mr. Raymond responded that the applicant was very strict about their corporate branding, which included the letter spacing. Mr. Mark mentioned that changes in letter height restrictions were being proposed in amendments to the Sign Code in progress. Commissioner Burns said that uniform height restrictions were not practical in the Kailua Industrial Subdivision due to various building sizes and shapes in the district. Mr. Childs gave a brief history of the Kailua Industrial Subdivision being incorporated into the Kailua Village design district, and said that it had been subject to the more permissive County-wide provisions of the Sign Code until then. Commissioner Au Hoy pointed out that the reason for the incorporation was because the community wanted to clean up the area, and that they had not been successful in achieving the objective because no enforcement was taking place. Commissioner Stanbro commented that there might be a way to appropriate sign application fees for enforcement personnel. Mr. Raymond said that more businesses would comply, if code restrictions were realistic. Commissioners were in agreement that considering the size and architecture of the building, as well as the setback from the street, the size of the proposed sign was acceptable, that the proposed mounting height was appropriate for visibility to motorists where the primary traffic was vehicular, 2 and that all other signs, including banners, on the subject property should be taken down. The Chair commented that a clean, in-compliance look in the midst of the impermissible signage clutter might actually work to the applicant’s advantage in public relations, and that that would also give the Commission a good example to point at to other applicants. He also suggested that the applicant testify in front of the County Council. It was moved by Commissioner Hetherington, and seconded by Commissioner Herbert, to recommend to the Public Works Director that the sign variance application be approved as presented, subject to the condition that no other signs or banners shall be kept on the subject property. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with six ayes (Hetherington, Herbert, Andreae, Au Hoy, Burns and Stanbro), and one absent and excused (Saito). ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 1. Approval of Minutes of the Meeting of March 6, 2012. It was moved by Commissioner Burns and seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy that the minutes be approved as submitted. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners in attendance. Commissioner Burns asked about the status of the Sign Code Review Committee, which had been formed on September 27, 2011, with Commissioners Burns, Dunlap, Hetherington and Kitchens as its members. (Commissioner Dunlap who was to chair the Committee has since resigned from the Commission.) The Chair requested the staff to place the matter on a future meeting agenda, so that the Commission could: 1) disband the current Committee, and 2) form a new one. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Childs made the following announcements:  The new sign permit application referral form that was mentioned at the last meeting is being finalized and will be implemented shortly. rd  The April 3 meeting is cancelled since no applications were received by the due date. There is a thth possibility that the following meeting may be rescheduled from April 17 to either April 10 or th April 24 due to staff schedule conflicts. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, at 7:05 p.m., it was moved by Commissioner Hetherington and seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners in attendance. Respectfully submitted, A T T E S T: Noriko Sauer, Secretary Shane Kitchens, Chair Kailua Village Design Commission 3