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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-07-11 Windward Transcript Hirakami WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT JULY 11, 2013 STEVEN AND LYNDA HIRAKAMI A regularly advertised hearing on the application of (USE 13-040) was called to order at 9:39 a.m. in the County of Hawai‘i, Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i, with Chairman Wallace Ishibashi presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Ronald Gonzales, Wallace Ishibashi, Myles Miyasato, Charles Heaukulani, and Gregory Henkel STAFF PRESENT: Molly Stebins (Deputy Corporation Counsel), Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Phyllis Fujimoto (Staff Planner), Jeff Darrow (Staff Planner), and Sharon Nomura (Secretary) ABSENT & EXCUSED: Raylene Moses and Stephen Ono And 11 people from the public in attendance APPLICANT: STEVEN AND LYNDA HIRAKAMI (USE 13-040) Application for a Use Permit to allow the establishment of a medical clinic and accessory uses on 1.31 acres of land situated within the Single-Family Residential (RS-10) zoning district. The property is located on the south side of Pāhoa Village Road across from Sacred Heart Catholic Church between Paul’s Repair station and Ka‘ohe Homestead Road, Pāhoa, Puna, Hawai‘i, TMK: 1-5-114:022. ISHIBASHI: The next item, Item 2 on the agenda, Steven and Lynda Hirakami. ARAI: Good morning Commissioners. If I may direct your attention to the presentation screen. The second item on today’s agenda is a request by Steven and Lynda Hirakami for a special permit (sic). Before I get into the details of the special permit (sic), I would like to orient you as to the location of the subject property. It is located within the town of Pāhoa. Just for orientation the area indicated with the yellow, brown and pink colors is basically Pāhoa town, at least the commercial, residential and commercial core of Pāhoa town. This thicker white line running from the top to the bottom of the screen is the Pāhoa Bypass. And where my pointer is showing is basically the old Pāhoa Village Road that runs right through the center of town. The next slide will show me zooming into Pāhoa town. As you can see you have the pink which represents the Village Commercial zoning district within Pāhoa town. The mustard color represents the Single-Family Residential zoning district, and the green color that surround this area is your Agricultural zoning designation. The subject property is situated here outlined in red. It sits on lands designated Single-Family Residential 10,000 square feet minimum lot size. And you can see its proximity to the Commercial area in Pāhoa town. Because of its location on 1 EXHIBIT B the Single-Family Residential zoned land the Zoning Code does provide the option of applying for a use permit to allow the establishment of a medical clinic on residential zoned lands, which is why you have the application before you today. The next slide depicts the County General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map. The yellow represents Low Density Urban which is basically Single-Family Residential uses. And this orange color here represents Medium Density Urban which would accommodate higher density residential uses such as apartment complexes, as well as various commercial type of uses. And as you can see the applicant’s property highlighted in red is situated within that Medium Density urban designation. This is a copy of a map representing the regional town center for Pāhoa, as depicted within the Puna Community Development Plan. The dotted lines represent the outline of those lands designated as the Pāhoa Regional Town Center. As you can see, right here indicated by the green dot, that is the location of the subject property which sits or resides within the proposed town center boundaries. This is an aerial photo of the subject area. Again, the property is, once again, outline in red. As you can see there is an existing single-family dwelling located on the property. It sits roughly 80 feet from the Old Pāhoa Village Road, which is shown off to your left, as well as about 15 feet from its property boundaries with the adjoining single-family residential dwelling. This complex here is Paul’s Repair which resides on commercially designated lands . Across the street you have the Sacred Hearts Church. And, again, there are single-family residences in this location. Off to the bottom of the map resides a Kamehameha School facility, as well as Pāhoa High School. Getting into the details of the proposed request, the applicant wishes to secure a Use Permit to allow the establishment of a medical clinic that will provide quality primary health care services to Pāhoa Village and surrounding communities. An existing 2,457-square foot dwelling and attached carport will be converted to accommodate the proposed medical clinic. Staff will include two Family Nurse Practitioners working as primary care providers in collaboration with a Medical Doctor, a Registered Nurse, a certified Dietitian, a Behavioral Health Specialist, and a receptionist. Hours of operation is proposed from Monday through Friday 7 o’clock to 5:00 p.m. each day and every other Saturday from 8 o’clock in the morning to noon. Approximately 4 to 6 clients per hour will be cared for at the clinic. This is a depiction of the applicant’s site plan. Pāhoa Village Road is at the bottom of this site plan. And as you may note there’s a proposed future road widening setback approximately, I’m sorry not approximately, exactly 15 feet in width. Pāhoa Village Road itself fronting the property is approximately 44 feet in width. Once again, the property sits about 15 feet from its side property boundary with the adjoining single-family dwelling located to the left of the map and approximately 140 feet from Pāhoa Village Road. And off to your right of the map is where Paul’s Repair is situated. As you can see there’s a driveway leading up to the existing home, and the proposed parking is located along that boundary, common boundary, with Paul’s Repair. 2 EXHIBIT B This is a photograph looking at the existing single-family dwelling from Pāhoa Village Road. You may note the existing driveway off to your right. And off in the distance where this truck is located is where the proposed parking lot will be. Another angle looking at the property. And you can see closely that the existing driveway is paved; and its connection and apron with Pāhoa Village Road currently has paved shoulders with these, and I forgot what they’re called, curbing along the side. And this is a depiction of the proposed parking area, which currently is grassed. This is looking down towards Pāhoa Village Road, and you can see the church off in the distance on the other side of the street. This is looking at the existing driveway entrance looking back towards town. And, again, this is another angle looking at the existing driveway connection with Pāhoa Village Road, with the Kamehameha School facility and Pāhoa High School off in the distance. The Planning Director is recommending approval of this Use Permit to allow the medical clinic, subject to conditions of approval as contained within your recommendation report. I should note that we have received two recent communications, copies of which were distributed to all of you. th The first is a letter dated July 11 from Winifred and Antone Enriques. And the other is from Paul Ogasawara. And I took a read of those letters and, let me back up here. Mr. Ogasawara is the owner of Paul’s Repair, which is this whole complex adjacent to the north side of the subject property. And maybe the applicants can confirm for me but Winfred and Antone Enriques are the owners of this single-family dwelling located adjacent to the south. What both of them are basically saying is -- due to existing topographical conditions, existing landscaping conditions, and the efforts that the applicant has made to rehabilitate or restore the landscaping on the property, which from what I gather was previously unkempt and weeds -- they’re basically saying leave it as is. You may note in the proposed conditions of approval that it does require plan approval prior to getting a building permit to establish the medical facility. The conditions are also asking for paved driveway improvements, paved parking, and landscaping along those two common boundaries consistent with commercial standards. So I just wanted to highlight those comments to you. They’re basically saying they’re fine the way it is, don’t impose any additional requirements regarding landscaping. So that is something you may want to consider in your deliberation. So with that I stand ready to answer any questions that you may have. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. Any questions from the Commissioners for staff? Could we have the applicant or representatives come up please. Raise your right hand first. Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth before the Windward Planning Commission over this matter? S. HIRAKAMI: I do. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. Go ahead, Steve. S. HIRAKAMI: Good morning, Commissioners, Chair Ishibashi, and Director Kanuha. My name is Steve Hirakami. I’ve been living, my wife and I have been living in the Pāhoa-Kalapana area for 40 years now. And we’ve seen a lot of changes, we’ve seen a lot of services brought in, most of them food service in Pāhoa. But the two greatest needs I think in the rural community 3 EXHIBIT B are health and education; and I’m pretty involved in the education of our youth in the Pāhoa area. And so this is kind of out in my league, so I wanted to let my wife Lynda described the proposed use of the clinic. L. HIRAKAMI: Hi, good morning. Thank you for allowing us to come and speak with you today. As Steve said, you know, one major facet of our community that’s lacking in Pāhoa is health care services. We do have the clinic, the public clinic, but not everybody wants to go to the public clinic. And many of us for years have driven to Hilo to be seen by a provider. So this will be the first of its kind, and I think it’s a service that the time is now. And I think it would be a wonderful thing to provide quality health care to our residents in our village. S. HIRAKAMI: Thank you. And now about some of the conditions. I looked over the recommendations and the conditions for the permits and it’s all doable. I’ve had the Water Department out there. He says, I was trying to get my backflow preventer put up by the house because a lot people walk by and they fill their water bottles. You know, there’s a bleeder, and there’s also vandalism. And we’re not going to be there at night so if somebody runs over our meter or kicks over our stand we’ll lose a lot of water, the County will lose a lot of water. So, there’s no outlet before the main valve, which is right next to the house. And I kind of had the Board of Water Supply guy out there; and he says unless you cement the whole line leading up to the house, you have to put it 5 feet from the property line. So they’re afraid of letting you put it by the house and then later on you put a spigot down between the area. So cementing in the line would prevent it. So I guess we’re going to take our chances by putting the backflow preventer right there on the street of Pāhoa and take our chances. Also, I met with the Fire Captain, Robert Perreira. He was nice enough to come out to the property and look over the fire lane that I needed to do, and then also the surface of the roadway. And although it looks like grass it’s compacted gravel. The former owner actually owned a granite company, he sold granite out of that thing. He didn’t go for a use permit, by the way, but -. So anyway they brought up 40-foot containers with a semi-truck and backed it up into this thing that I’m having to fill to reestablish the driveway. And so the driveway, there’s pictures on the second sheet. On the bottom of the second sheet is actually what the makeup of the parking area and the driveway is. It’s really compacted gravel, and it’s all level. So, anyway, I talked with Captain Perreira and he said that an all-weather surface is sufficient for fire, for them. And he said that he would sign off on it. The other problem is that with a paved parking lot that big and a 20-foot driveway that big, when it rains in Pāhoa -. As you know Pāhoa gets a lot of rainfall but it gets in storage real fast so you hardly see any water puddles. With a paved parking lot and a 20-foot driveway, you know, and downpour rain, that thing will collect and then, you know, it would distribute it down that driveway. It’s quite a steep driveway, not that steep, but sort of directed right through the area where the people cross and everything, and it might cause a hydroplane thing. So I was just kind of, kind of wondering -. One of the conditions I wanted to see is if I could leave it in the existing condition -. Cause it is compacted gravel and it’s an all-weather surface. The other conditions are relatively minor. The letter from Winifred Enriques basically says that she’s been there all her life. She was born actually on our property in 1941, so basically 72 years she has been a resident of that -. And if you look at the pictures on the second page, too, that 4 EXHIBIT B lawn, that shared lawn, is really a nice visual effect in Pāhoa; and they’ve always liked the openness of the front lot. Now the back lawn when we got it was like incredible, like a war scene. There was a lot of left- over construction rubbish. There were household rubbish, bags of household rubbish that fell apart when I tried to remove them, so I had to rebag all of that. And basically it was a tangle of a mess that I’ve totally cleared by hand, and testing out my old body, but -. So, anyway, they enjoy the front yard, the openness. And also too they’ve been there, and one of the points is they always look out for neighbors. And we’re not going to be there in the evening, and for a visual screen -. Like a funny story was the other night my friend called me and he says, wow, did you leave your water on? And I said, no. And he says, well, your water was on outside; and he said we went and shut it off. Evidently a pig came by and brushed against the wall, rubbing itself against the wall, and turning the faucet on. And, so that’s the only explanation. So, anyway, it’s kind of like that. They’re used to -. On the other boundary, Paul Ogasawara, you know, if you look at the map like a straight line you would think, yeah, it makes more sense to landscape between the properties. But if you look at the visual pictures that I’ve put on page 1, if I were to landscape it and build a 20-foot wall, that’d be the wall I’d have to build, right there - because basically it’s a bluff. And in the top, on the first page, on the top, second picture to the right, that’s actually looking directly at the housing. If you look real, real closely, you can see that right behind the coconut trees, so the visual effect. And then on page 2 there’s a view of the parking lot looking down, and it’s basically the back side of the Pāhoa businesses. So the businesses, it’s actually the back side of Akebono parking lot. It’s not the primary parking lot. But on a Saturday they have a farmers market back there. So visually we’re not impacting anything. And like I said it’s a natural bluff. And there’s existing landscaping on the hill, there’s exoras (phonetic), and there’s, there’s some t-leaves, red t-leaves, and palms and stuff. So I’ve been hand clearing it and bringing it back. I kind of feel, Mr. Oishi built the house in 1981 and I heard he recently died about five years ago. But I feel his vise;and any plant that I can save I’m saving. So if you see in the current pictures there, in the frontal view, you’ll see the landscaping in the front of the house, on the side of the house, between the Enriques, on Paul Ogasawara’s side. I’m bringing back to life, all the landscaping that was there for many years. And I just wanted to see if I, the Commission would not require us to put in additional landscape but work with what we have. So those are my basic things. The rest of them all are doable. And actually they’re all doable. But because of the existing conditions we’re asking for a waiver on that. Thank you. ISHIBASHI: Okay. You need to say anything? GUENETTE: Good morning. My name is Roger Guenette. I live a 15-203 Puni Lapa in Pāhoa, actually connects Hawaiian Shores which we just finished hearing that discussion about. I’m here to generally support the project. I think the Commissioners are all probably aware that there is a substantial shortage of health care providers throughout the State, and in particular on the Big Island. I think the last article I read in the Tribune Herald couple of months ago, the shortage is identified at 196 primary care providers. Currently in Pāhoa and Puna, I believe there’s one health care clinic and one urgent care center. And as has been alluded to Puna being the fastest growing district, I think, in the State and continues, projected to continue to have substantial growth, health care being an essential service when a new resident moves into Puna, 5 EXHIBIT B if they want to try to find health care right in that vicinity, they can get into the clinic but it may take 6 to 8 weeks to get your first appointment. And that clinic is certainly operating above capacity. One of the other factors about the clinic is that since it’s a Federally subsidized clinic most of the providers that end up working there go there fresh out of medical school, because they’re able to get a subsidy by working at a Federally subsidized clinic. There are college loans, there are medicals loans that are repaid within two years. So we have kind of a revolving door, which isn’t to say that they’re bad providers, but they’re not here for the long haul. By establishing, and I know there is on the drawing board another clinic proposed for a commercial development over by Bryson’s Cinders. But from what I can tell that’s a couple of years away before that’s open. So I think the establishment of a medical facility in Puna and Pāhoa would be a very positive thing. And one of the other issues that I think it would impact -. You know, this Commission and certainly County Council have obviously been concerned and will continue to be concerned with transportation issues as the population grows in Puna and the log jam and the traffic flow back and forth to Hilo and other points on the island. Being that health services are an essential service, if we could provide this clinic and the clinic in that commercial center proposed for Bryson’s, it’d thus further reduce the need for people who make what would potentially be unnecessary trips. I think in the long run it helps promote health and safety of everybody. So I’m just simply here to support this project and say that I think it’s going to be a good thing. Thank you. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. Okay, any questions from the Commissioners? Commissioner Henkel. HENKEL: Hi. I’m Greg Henkel. If there’s no other comments, I’d like to make a motion that this Special Use Permit Number 13-40 for the Hirakami’s be approved with the -. ISHIBASHI: Try hang on, brother. We’ve still got public testimony. HENKEL: I’m sorry. ISHIBASHI: I just wanted to know if you had questions for the applicants. HENKEL: Okay. My bad. ISHIBASHI: Okay. Any questions for the applicant? GONZALES: I have a question, Mr. Chairman. ISHIBASHI: Go ahead. GONZALES: Steve, so, this, what you call it, the water -. 6 EXHIBIT B HIRAKAMI: The backflow preventer? GONZALES: I mean I hear your concerns. Is there something that you can do there, 5 feet from the property? Can you put it in a -? NOMURA: Microphone, please. GONZALES: Can you lock it up or something? Cause I can see what you’re saying. HIRAKAMI: Well, it’s going to be exposed, yeah. And then you need 2 feet clearance on either side. So I’m going to be building a big box in the front yard. So you can have a cap on it. You can have it surrounded on three sides, you need 2 feet of clearance to do it. So basically it will be a, I’ll take my chances. I mean I’ll draw more attention to it if I build a boundary???, oh, what’s that, you know? Let’s, looks important let’s fuss around with it. So the, you know, none of the commercial businesses have it right now. But I think if they do come or they sell their property, and they have it, I don’t know how they do it -. They say that in building, you know, Pāhoa is really tight. You know, buildings are right next to it. They do allow people to put it like go up and before it goes into the house they can put it up on the roof, on the second floor and stuff, so long that there’s no outlet before that thing. It has to be the first, the last thing that, before you prevent it. So I’m trying to get around it -. And, you know, there is a solution that the Water Department did say that if I dig up the line and I concreted it solid that they’ll allow us to put it up there. So I figured that’s more trouble and expense than it’s worth so I decided to just take my chances down there. But, you know, on the newer agricultural lots down in Kapoho, Vacationland, they’ve all had to put in a backflow preventer and they’ve had umpteen problems with them. And for the reasons that I said either vandalized or people come and -. There’s, there’s a way you can open the meter valve and fill up a water bottle and stuff like that. So it’s kind of like with all the foot traffic in front of our property I figured, you know, like the County water -. ISHIBASHI: Spigot. S HIRAKAMI: Spigot or something, yeah. So, but -. ISHIBASHI: Thank you, good luck with that. HIRAKAMI: Yeah, yeah, we’ll deal with it. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. HIRAKAMI: Thank you. ISHIBASHI: Okay. Any further questions for the applicant, Commissioners? Thank you. Public testimony at this time, we have three testifiers. Brooks Maloof? MALOOF: Yes. 7 EXHIBIT B ISHIBASHI: Lynda Hirakami, you’re okay. L HIRAKAMI: I’ll talk. ISHIBASHI: Okay. Roger, you’re okay. GUENETTE: I spoke -. ISHIBASHI: Sorry, Brooks. Aloha. Could you state your name and address, please. MALOOF: Brooks Maloof, 15-1479 Puakalo Street, Keaau. I’m just here to support this project. It’s a perfect location. It provides a service that all of us need. And to wait for medical treatments and appointments is, you know, it’s almost a third world the way we’re set up now. So I’m just here to support. I agree with everything that has been said, and I want to thank the Planning Department for moving ahead and approving this; and, hopefully, these conditions that were added on there can be alleviated due to the fact that the building has been there for many years. And if everything is well established and they’re going to improve everything and bring it up to Code -. So that’s all I have to say. I commend everybody on this project. Thank you very much. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. Any questions from Commissioners? Okay thank you. Okay, Commissioner Henkel, you can make your motion now. HENKEL: Thank you. I apologize for going out of turn. I’m a long time resident, you know, this is my neighborhood down there; and this project is greatly needed and will greatly benefit the community. I also, you know, I know both of the neighbors, the Enriques and Paul. And there is a tremendous barrier with that, it’s pretty much a cliff that separates the two properties. So I would move that Special Use Permit Application No. 13-0140 be approved with a waiver of the two conditions of paving and landscaping. GONZALES: I’ll second. ISHIBASHI: It has been moved by Commissioner Henkel and seconded by Commissioner Gonzales. We’re open for discussion. Mr. Henkel. HENKEL: You know, the paving part of the waiver, what’s up there now is essentially a drainage field, you know, and it works as such. And I think adding pavement would probably, like Steve Hirakami pointed out, take what’s a stabled drainage field and turn it into a waterway, you know, pushing water where it doesn’t necessarily need to go. And that’s my reason for asking for that waiver. ISHIBASHI: Any further discussion? This is a project that’s very well needed in our community. Thank you for this project. I like that property. We used to go there as kids and go buy poi up there on that hill. There was a poi man up there. It was the good old days, big yard to run around with. So, yeah, I support this project. It’s a good one. And with the conditions, the two amendments that Commissioner Henkel put in, would be a problem? 8 EXHIBIT B ARAI: Okay, I’ll try to clarify the motion as well. And maybe we can reconfirm with the two Commissioners who made the motion. But first of all this is not a special permit application. It is a use permit application. I just want to make sure that’s clarified. Secondly, I understand the motion is to adopt it as recommended by the Planning Director but waiving the Condition No. 2 regarding paving and landscaping. It’s not so much a waiver in the that sense you haven’t even approved it yet so there’s nothing to waive. But I understand where you’re heading with this. So I think I would rather offer proposed amendments to Condition 2 that would clearly eliminate the need for paved driveway access, paved parking, and basically maintain the existing landscaping. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s kind of like where I’m hearing the motion is heading. HENKEL: I would support those amendments. ARAI: Commissioner Gonzales? GONZALES: That’s fine with me too. ARAI: Okay. I have proposed new language. When I heard all of this happening, I was sort of trying to get ahead of you all and I hope did it correctly. But if you’ll allow me to, it’s going to be too difficult for me to show you all the cut and pastings that I’ve done. If I could just read you a replacement Condition 2a) that I believe will address all of your concerns. Will you allow me to do that? ISHIBASHI: Yes, please. ARAI: Okay, thank you. So Condition 2a) as it currently reads will be replaced with the following language: “Secure Final Plan Approval from the Planning Director in accordance with Section 25-2-70, Chapter 25 (Zoning Code), Hawai‘i County Code. Plans shall identify all existing and proposed structures, twenty-foot wide gravel driveway access, gravel parking areas, and existing landscaping associated with the proposed use. Landscaping along portions of the southern property boundary in proximity to the medical clinic and along the northern property boundary in proximity to the proposed parking lot shall be maintained in good condition.” You want me to repeat that? ISHIBASHI: I think we’re good. Is the applicant okay with that? HIRAKAMI: That’s good. ARAI: So if you’re in agreement I believe you would have to make sure the motion is clear that you agree to the revised Condition 2a) as I just articulated. HENKEL: Do I need remake the motion? STEBINS: Does the motion maker want to remake his motion, amend his original motion? 9 EXHIBIT B HENKEL: Yes. I’d like to amend the motion to approve Use Permit Application No. 13-040 with Section 2a) amended as specified by the Planning Commission. GONZALES: I’ll second. ISHIBASHI: Okay, it has been moved and seconded. Any further discussion over this matter, Commissioners? Okay, staff. All right, you can take the vote. ARAI: Commissioner Henkel? HENKEL: Aye. ARAI: Commissioner Gonzales? GONZALES: Aye. ARAI: Commissioner Heaukulani? HEAUKULANI: Aye. ARAI: Commissioner Miyasato? MIYASATO: Aye. ARAI: And Mr. Chairman? ISHIBASHI: Aye. ARAI: Mr. Chairman, motion carries with five aye votes. ISHIBASHI: Thank you so much. Applicant, you’ll be notified in writing on the outcome. Thank you. S. HIRAKAMI: Thank you. The discussion concluded at 10:14 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon M. Nomura, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 10 EXHIBIT B