HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-50 PRTCP SC - AC Aquinaldo Rezone Comments
From: Mark Hinshaw [mailto:baileysdad@hawaiiantel.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 3:45 PM
To: 'Larry Brown'
Subject: Aguinadaldo Upzone Statement
Phoa Regional Town Center Plan
ā
Steering Committee
Communication No. 2012-50
November 21, 2012
To: Dan Taylor, Chair, Action Committee, Puna Community Development Plan
Re: Change of Zone Application No. (REZ 12-000159) Applicant: Aguinaldo 4, LLC
Request: RS-10 to CV-20 TMK: 1-5-003:037
While welcoming the Aguinaldo’s business proposal for a dialysis and geriatric care center in Pāhoa, the
Pāhoa Regional Town Center Plan (PRTCP) Steering Committee has concerns regarding the Aguinaldos’
proposed business location at the intersection of Highways 130 and 132, a piece of property which lies
within the proposed PRTC town center planning area, and the Aguinaldo’s request for up zoning to
Commercial for this same piece of property.
Allowing commercial development along Pāhoa’s highways is contrary to the key objectives of both the
emerging PRTC Plan and the Puna Community Development Plan: to prevent urban sprawl, keep traffic
flowing, and preserve a rural appearance alongside Puna’s /Pāhoa’s highways. The PRTC Steering
Committee supports planning choices which preserve the precious natural, historic and cultural assets of
Pāhoa & Puna, while encouraging economic prosperity in the midst of rapid new development.
Approving commercial zoning at the Hwy. 132 and Hwy. 130 intersection will set a precedent
which encourages commercial development along Puna’s highways and will lead to irreversible
urban sprawl and congested traffic flow.
Approving commercial zoning at the applicant’s proposed location will create the potential in
the future for an array of commercial ventures, inappropriate to the location, should the
proposed business not reach fruition, or should there be a change of ownership.
A business entrance and exit for vehicles in proximity to the intersection of Hwy. 132
& Hwy. 130 will create traffic congestion and unsafe conditions. Substantial highway
improvements to enable safe traffic flow will be required.
When Hwy. 132 is widened at the intersection, the vehicles exiting the proposed property will
not be able to turn left without crossing several driving and turn lanes. Right-turn-only will result
in inappropriate u-turns along Highway 132 and/or cumbersome and disruptive detours through
residential areas.
The current rate of growth in Puna is exponential. Increased density of automobile and bus
traffic along Hwy. 132 may be expected as the population in Puna grows, along with an increase
in tourism to the Kapoho and Kalapana areas. Increased residential occupancy and build-out in
Nanawale and Leilani Estates will directly affect Hwy. 132, as will growth in lower Puna’s
agricultural production.
Hwy. 132 is a major scenic resource for the Pāhoa/Puna area, as well as an important
transportation artery and requires protection for both of these reasons.
The issues surrounding this application, as described herein, will affect the future of Pāhoa, Puna, and
the Big Island in perpetuity. We urge your decision be grounded in long range planning for the greater
good of the community. We urge your support and leadership in seeking out and implementing a
mutually satisfactory alternative solution, which will foster the success of a much-needed dialysis center
in Pāhoa Town. The Steering Committee is in full support of the Aguinaldos’ enterprise and joins with
the Pāhoa community and our elected representatives to urge a swift and successful accommodation, to
ensure that this much needed project can be successfully accomplished at a location agreeable to all
parties.
Respectfully Submitted,
The Pāhoa Regional Town Center Steering Committee