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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-12-05 Windward Transcript - Jordan WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT DECEMBER 5, 2013 SHERRY JORDAN (REZ-13-169) A regularly advertised meeting on the was called to order at 9:07 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: Wallace Ishibashi, Ronald Gonzales, Gregory Henkel, Myles Miyasato, Stephen Ono and Raylene Moses STAFF PRESENT: Margaret Masunaga (Deputy Corporation Counsel), Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Phyllis Fujimoto (Staff Planner), Maija Cottle (Staff Planner), Jeff Darrow (Staff Planner), and Sharon Nomura (Secretary) ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Charles Heaukulani And 13 people from the public in attendance APPLICANT: SHERRY JORDAN (REZ-13-169) Application for a Change of Zone from a Single Family Residential-10,000 square feet (RS-10) to a Neighborhood Commercial-10,000 square feet (CN-10) zoning district for approximately 11,771 square feet of land located along the east side of Laukapu Street roughly mid-block between Kekūanāo‘a and Leilani Streets in the Waiākea Houselots Subdivision, Waiākea, South Hilo, Hawai‘i, TMK: 2-2-036: 053. ISHIBASHI: Moving to the first agenda item, we’d like to have Sherry Jordan (13-169). Okay, go ahead. ARAI: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, Commissioners, and Happy Holidays. If I may direct your attention to the presentation screen in front of you. Again, the first item on this morning’s agenda is a request by Sherry Jordan for a change of zone application. This is a location map showing the location of the subject property. We are looking at a portion of the city of Hilo, with this bright white line on the right side of the map showing Kanoelehua Avenue. The gray area here is the Hilo International Airport. The subject property is located here outlined in black. It’s along the east side of Laukapu Street in an area designated Medium Density Urban as indicated by the yellow, I’m sorry, that’s not the General Plan designation, it’s in an area designated Single Family Residential as indicated by the yellow color. 1 EXHIBIT A Zooming in more closely, you can see the subject property once again here outlined in black along the east side of Laukapu Street, Single Family Residential zoning indicated by yellow surrounding the subject property, as well as you can see Commercial, Neighborhood Commercial zonings in the immediate vicinity indicated by the pink color, General Commercial by this darker red color, and Commercial-Industrial Mixed Use indicated by the blue color. The remaining gray colors are Limited Industrial Zoning designation. So you can see the pattern of land use in the area where lands once zoned Single Family Residential has been transitioning over the years into Industrial or Commercial type of zoning designations. And for a real good point of reference, this dark red color here which is General Commercial is the Big Island Candies complex. Kanoelehua Avenue in this vicinity here is the road that will take you directly into the airport. This is the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map which designates the property for Medium Density Urban type of uses, which is consistent with the Neighborhood Commercial zoning that the applicant is requesting for. As you can see also the red color here is the High Density Urban designation that accommodates the Big Island Candies commercial complex. And gray represents Industrial zoned lands, that also includes and encumbers the Hilo International Airport. This is an aerial photo of the affected area. Again, where my laser pointer is showing is where the subject property is situated. And you can see the state of developments on surrounding properties which at this current point in time is predominantly Single Family Residential uses. The applicant is requesting a change of zone from Single Family Residential-10,000 square feet to Neighborhood Commercial-10,000 square feet for approximately 11,771 square feet of land. The applicant currently operates a real estate and property management firm in Hilo and purchased the subject property in a commercial/residential setting to establish her operation in order to improve her customer service. This is a site plan of the subject property. As you can see, I’m sorry, my laser pointer is not really showing up well. But you can see it outlined here in black. Adjacent to the property and behind it is a flag lot, as you can see. And as you’ll also note the subject property is currently improved with an existing single family dwelling that’s approximately 80 years in age. Looking directly at the property and off to the right, you can see that flag pole that I had mentioned that goes to a lot in the back of this home. The property itself which has the 80-year old structure has a separate designated access to Laukapu Street; and you can see that off to your left. And you do have an established parking area in that particular location. Out here is looking north along Laukapu Street with the property off to your right. And you can see the access point over here in this particular location to the gated entry way into the parking area. And this is looking south along Laukapu Street with the property off to your left and, again, looking at the driveway entrance into the parking area. The Planning Director is recommending a favorable consideration of this change of zone request subject to conditions of approval. We have received a letter from Lillian Takemura this morning, copies of which I believe have been distributed to all of you. So with that, that concludes my presentation, and I stand ready to answer any questions that you may have. 2 EXHIBIT A ISHIBASHI: Mahalo. Any questions, Commissioners, of staff? Thank you. If we could have our applicant come forward, please, Sherry or Mr. Fuke. Could you raise your right hand, please. Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth before Windward Planning Commission over this matter? FUKE: I do. JORDAN: I do. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. FUKE: Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Commission, and also Happy Holidays to you all. Sherry Jordon, by the way my name is Sidney Fuke. I’m a planning consultant assisting Sherry Jordan. She’s present over there. She has had a chance to review the staff’s proposed conditions and recommendation; and, of course, obviously very enthusiastic about a favorable recommendation. Just to summarize, and your staff’s presentation of course was like, was on point. Just to summarize, however, I wanted to kind of note that while she currently, Mr. and Mrs. Jordan currently lives on the property right now. She relocated her residence from Hawaiian Paradise Park to this location largely because, you know, her children are attending St. Joseph’s School and they participate in sports, so on and so forth, so it makes more sense for her to be close to the Hilo Urban area. In addition to that, you know, normally I guess like if you do have a real estate office you could possibly qualify as a home occupation; however, she does have a like number of employees, and so that kind of eliminates the home occupation provision. So, unfortunately, you know, the only route to enable her to continue her real estate activity is to be able to go through the change of zone. Fortunately, in this situation here she does not have any plans to tear down and build a new building, you know, because it's a very expensive proposition. What she wants to do is essentially convert her existing dwelling to make it more accommodating for her real estate operation. And that in a nutshell is what is proposed before you. So if there are any questions then, you know, I'd be more than happy to answer. If not, Mrs. Jordan would be able to assist more, I guess. ISHIBASHI: Thank you, Mr. Fuke. Any questions, Commissioners? GONZALES: I have one. You mentioned employees. How many employees? FUKE: Yes. Currently she has like three staff members and then one or two from like on a part- time basis and one definitely is a full-time, in addition to herself. Of course she has like a number of agents but the agents do not reside, I mean, do not come to the property. ISHIBASHI: Questions? You may be excused. We have some testifiers. If we could have Roy Tanabe, John Turalde, come up; and Lillian if you could come up too, Lillian. We have three minutes per testifier. If you can come in, Lillian. You can sit down. Okay, thank you. If you could raise your right hand, all of you, please. Do you swear and confirm to tell the truth before 3 EXHIBIT A the Windward Planning Commission over this matter? TESTIFIERS: I do. Yes. ISHIBASHI: You can go first, Roy. TANABE: My name is Roy Tanabe. I live right next door to that building that we’re talking about. My family has lived there since 19, the middle of 1930s, we’ve owned the land. It has always been residential and we want to keep it that way. Our main concern, for me anyway, is taxes. They keep telling us our value of the land is going to go up. But if the land value goes up, the taxes go up. And like all of us, we are on a fixed income. So we would like it to stay the same way. And, because everybody keep telling us the taxes are going to remain the same, can we get something in black and white that says it’s going to be that way, so long as the residential people are there? I don't object to progress but we'd like to keep it the same way basically. Thank you. ISHIBASHI: You see the area changing so much since the 30’s. You look at the industrial buildup all along that area. TANABE: Yeah, I understand that. But there’s a lot of commercial areas on the lower side, right? If you’re in real estate you why don’t you find commercial land that’s zoned for commercial use? I would figure there’s a lot of room on the other side. ISHIBASHI: Commissioners? Any questions for this testifier, Commissioners? Okay. Brother John. TURALDE: Yeah. Good morning County Council (sic), the Planning Department. I live at 67 Laukapu Street. I’ve been there for ten years, me, my wife and my kids. And since planning has being going on for the past half a century or quarter century, we’re trying to go against that. And most concern is like the tax and the highway, especially the highway. At night I’m sleeping, get speeders come through there. And when you hear the cars flying by 30 miles to 60 miles an hour, I cry and I pray that the car no head on, head on to that main highway. Yeah? How much head- on accidents in my mind? And I dream every night when the car bang one other car, head-on accident. When are they going to make speed bumps on the road from the beginning of Laukapu Street to one other end of Laukapu Street? And I cried when that happened, yeah? And I still cry when I talk and nothing gets done. And when the car bang head on to the other car, I cry after that and I pray to God. Hopefully one day they can make speed bumps all the way down to my neighbor, Laukapu Street, because the new development happening over there. Yeah? And nobody think about that, no body live there but us. Yeah? And I cry hard because if somebody head on into the main highway and it’s not one bump, it’s a head-on, everybody die in the car. It has been going on for years, yeah, head on. People just move there want to do something, they don’t have our feeling, they not there to see or hear what happened. Yeah? 4 EXHIBIT A They got to evacuate again to Queens Hospital and hopefully two or three guys not make (dead) or kids don’t die in the car. And, another one, yeah, I’m Hawaiian; and from day one I’m always against corporations and development. Yeah? And I’m Hawaiian, okay? When people develop on the island, that really hurt me, or something small that hurt me too. That’s from development. Yeah? But life goes on with this side. But my side, yeah, my life gotta go on and live on and keep my words. Like I said, I raised my right hand, only from the beginning of time of my birth, yeah. But somebody has to do something about speed bumps, sidewalks. I’ll tell you what, speeding - that make me cry every night. I get up 2, 3 o’clock in the morning, 11 o’clock at night, the car flying by 60 miles an hour. I hope whoever going to develop that real estate office think about that kind of stuff. Yeah? People die, every road, not only Laukapu Street, yeah. That hurt me. No matter where I stay I always think about that, no matter if I catch a plane outside or any place on my street where I live. We need speed bumps, every road. And the Planning know, the Planning Department know what’s happening, how much accidents we have. That’s not just accidents, it’s dead accidents, because people speeding, no more speed bumps. I like put up 4 by 4s if I can or 2 by 4s on the highway just to slow down the car on Laukapu Street, Hinano, both of those roads over there because I can hear head-on accidents every night, or at least one time a month. Okay? Please wake up because I crying at that for -. I’m trying to save other people. If I can save, save my spirit to save that person or the baby, the child, I would. Please. Thank you. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. TANABE: Can I say something? There’s so much traffic coming from the airport, we have accidents there all the time. And we would ask for stop lights along that road, nothing is done. Every week we hear accidents, we can hear the banging on the road. Nothing is being done. Thank you. ISHIBASHI: Any questions, Commissioners? Moving on, Lillian. Good morning. TAKEMURA: Good morning. I understand his concern that he has little children. I’ve been living in this location. I hate to give my age, but I’ll say over 50 years. I was not born there but I started living there when I was about four years old. And I really understand their concerns. I have the same concerns about traffic and taxes because the house I live in was built in the 30’s too. And I remember the whole area being so different because there was no Kanoelehua, there was no Kekūanāo‘a that extended to the shopping center. And it was completely residential, except for some small mom and pop businesses in the area. But my name is Lillian Takemura. I live at 650 Laukapu Street in Hilo which is directly across from the property before you this morning. And I’ve met the applicant, Sherry Jordan, and her husband, who have indicated the plans for the property. I have no objections to these purposes that she has as a business doesn’t appear to create extensive traffic and noise problems that will intrude on the quietness of the neighborhood; and it doesn’t seem to create a lot of safety problems for families with children. I imagine that someday the young people will start moving 5 EXHIBIT A into the area, some of them have, and build their homes there. Like it becomes very difficult when you see all these businesses coming up; and every time I drive down the street to the lower end of this house lots, I know there’s more buildings coming up and not just one story, they are two- story buildings. In fact, the other day I drove by one lot because I was concerned with the homes right next to a building that is now coming up. But that’s another problem. Since Sherry plans to renovate the present residence rather than erect a whole new building as I’ve seen happening in the other part of house lots, she’ll be helping to retain this neighborhood- type of appearance. And the only concern that I have at this point is will this set a precedent if you approve her quest. Will this hasten the increase of businesses in our section of house lots? If you travel through this area frequently you’ll notice that there is a growth of businesses in this area, the lower end of house lots, because of all the variances that have been given in the past. Many of them have not constructed new buildings, they’re just homes that have been renovated, so it doesn’t seem too bad. But it’s changing rapidly. So I’ve lived over here in this area for over 50 years and I’ve seen a lot of changes in house lots, the entire house lots. And I know that change is inevitable. Because of my age I know that I’m not going to be around very much longer. And sometimes the change can be really good for the area, sometimes it’s not. But some of our older generation who have been coming out to some of these hearings have accepted what’s happening and they say, oh, shikataganai, can’t do anything about it anymore. But I hope not that just three of us from our area, because we just live next door to Sherry. And as I said I have no objections, great objections to these changes. So thank you very much for providing me this opportunity so that I can present my case. ISHIBASHI: Thank you so much. Any questions, Commissioners? Okay, thank you. Thank you. Go ahead, John. TURALDE: Yes, excuse me. I was, we got notified, yeah. But when something develop on any street or in a neighborhood, I wouldn’t put like 300 feet where that person going to develop something. Yeah? The 300 feet just came only up to my house, it’s only two houses away from that residence where they going have the realty office. Yeah? I think if they going have people notified what going to happen when they develop on any land, they should let the whole neighborhood or the whole street know, let them know, not 300 feet from there. Because 300 feet that’s only two houses that come up right up to my house. Yeah? If the neighbors three homes down the road could know about what’s happening because we all related, we all live on the same street -- and later on they can find out what’s happening down the road -- they never get notice what happened, and what can develop or what when get developed. Okay, thank you. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. Come up, Mr. Fuke. FUKE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. ISHIBASHI: You heard some of the concerns so -. 6 EXHIBIT A FUKE: Sure. I think that the concerns are very valid. Specifically, you know, just going from the back, the last one in terms of the notices to surrounding property owners. I mean like right now legally the requirement is only 300 feet; and, you know, whether it’s extended or not that becomes a policy decision. I know there’s an existing provision to enable the public further notice, you know, through not only the newspaper but -. Sherry and I were just talking about like how often does people, you know, do people really look at the public hearing notices in the paper. But the other way, of course, is like the signs are posted on the property as well. But, again, it’s a policy decision. And I think both the administration and the Council would have to decide on whether the band or the ring should be extended further. I know like within the agricultural district, you know, it’s like 500, and I think in certain instances it goes up to 1,000 feet. But, you know, again, it’s a policy decision that the administration and the Council would have to wrestle with. In terms of the speeding along Laukapu Street, the applicant totally agrees. And, you know, I think that we agree with the need possibly for traffic calming devices such as like the speed humps. You know, you have speed humps here in Hilo like on Haili Street. In Kona they’re like Royal Poinciana Drive, Halekii Street. But I think a lot of it is driven by homeowners who live on that street. They have to petition the County Council or their respective, you know, Council Members to initiate such an action. And if the residents along that area wished to have speed humps, then my recommendation is to contact Councilman Onishi who represents that area and formally petition, you know, to have speed humps be investigated and hopefully implemented. And if such a petition is initiated Ms. Jordan would be one of those who would be signing the petition because she too have, she and her husband also have children who live in that area, and young children that also play in the streets too. So -. Finally, in terms of the taxes, you know, it’s true. I think that, I did talk to Mr. Tanabe about it. You know, in years past, like as I understood the real property tax code, if you had a property that was zoned residential and, I guess, kind of in a commercial area, then you had an opportunity to freeze your tax rate at the residential rate for like a 10-year period. In talking to Councilman Onishi recently about this whole issue he mentioned that he, he brought me up to speed about some of the tax implications. And he mentioned that that provision was deleted for something else, which was to provide a cap every three years in terms of how a property could be increased, you know, the valuation of a property. So it’s like every three years would be the maximum. On an evaluation there would be like a cap. So like every year you would not have an increase annually but, you know, there will be a reevaluation at the third year. That’s my understanding. My preference, however, is really to go back to the old system that if you live in a residential area and you commit yourself to living in a residential area then, you know, like the agricultural tax provision you have a tax, you have a 10-year freeze provision; and then if you choose to sell to another person who has different interest, then, of course, you would be responsible for the difference in the tax. And that’s how the agricultural tax program works. But, you know, what Mr. Tanaka is saying is true. You know, aside from the tax rate, we know that the rate is fixed, the valuation of your property will vary, and then at the end of the day what comes out is, 7 EXHIBIT A depends on how the public perceives the valuation of your property. So there’s very little, I think, we can do, you know, as the applicant. But relative to the safety concerns that the other gentleman raised, you know, she’d be very receptive to that idea and would be willing to sign a petition to that effect. ISHIBASHI: Thank you, Mr. Fuke. Have you reviewed the conditions? ONO: I’ve got a question. ISHIBASHI: Any concerns? ONO: Mr. Chair? ISHIBASHI: Oh, go ahead, Commissioner Ono. ONO: Mr. Fuke, the, I’m not familiar with private businesses and how they operate. So if you could enlighten me. Being in a residential area, would the individual be conducting the business during the evening part? I mean what would be the activities of the business so that it will not disturb the residential environment in terms of, for the residents -. Let me clarify my question. If the individuals meet with the clients say 9 o’clock in the evening because that’s after work hours, whatever for that, how often does this happen, if it does? And to what impact would that have with the, the neighbors, the residents? FUKE: Well, in this situation here, you know, the applicant is a realtor and so it will be very unlikely that transaction would occur during the evening. But like you said, Mr. Ono, there is a possibility that the person cannot make it during the day so they’re going to have to sign papers during the evening. So I think that if person, you know, under that basis would be no different than a, you know, you’re being visited by a friend coming to your home during the evening. But it’s not something that’s going to be an extended period or going to generate a lot of noise, you know, cause it’s not like a bar or a night club. So -. ONO: In any given month, would that occur three, four times a month, you think? FUKE: According to the applicant, you know, just for the record, she has confirming that it does not happen, yeah. ONO: Thank you. ISHIBASHI: Go ahead, Director. KANUHA: Sidney, I think one of the remaining concerns was that this would set a precedent for more commercial rezoning applications on that end of house lots. How would you respond to that? 8 EXHIBIT A FUKE: You’re the Planning Director. I’m only kidding. I would think like in years past, like this similar kind of concern was raised. There was a resolution that was passed by the County Council I think at one point in time that the area be, a certain portion of house lot the General Plan be amended. And so if I recall correctly, and I’m not really testing too much my memory now, but then that whole area, the existing General Plan is, you know, is what was like way back when. And then because of the concerns raised by a number of residents, you know, about commercializing of that area then the Council passed a resolution. And then the General Plan was amended to create like only certain areas to be set aside for Industrial, certain areas were going to, I think like this pocket of the Waiākea House Lot area was going to be kept in Low Density Residential. And then in the most recent General Plan Amendment it went through the review, then it went back to the old, you know, the original map. I mean generally I think that’s how I kind of understood. So the short answer to your question, Mr. Director, is probably, again, like if the members wish, if the residents in that area wished to not see any commercialization in that area, the best bet would probably be to petition the Council again and to ask that the General Plan for this area be amended from Medium Density to Low Density. But as long as you have the Medium Density area, subject to infrastructural issues, you know, probably as in this case here, you know, you would lend support for a Neighborhood Commercial zoning, but definitely not Industrial. ISHIBASHI: Any further questions, Commissioners? Go ahead, Commissioner Moses. MOSES: Chair, you know, I see the memorandum from the Department of Public Works; and in that they comment for our consideration that street light and traffic control devices may be required. And as we heard from the residents that this is really a need, and your applicant also sees that. So are we able to put that as part of a condition, you know, moving forward any type of approval pertaining to zoning in this area with the agreement, of course, of the Traffic Division, Department of Public Works? FUKE: I think that if you look at the staff’s proposed Condition E it already requires that the applicant provide an additional five-feet section, five-foot section fronting his property, her property, and constructing curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Of course it’s not going to stretch the entire length of Laukapu Street cause no individual property owner can do that. But in this situation here there’s an incremental improvement, you know, like a “fair share system” where she would be responsible in providing that curb, gutter and sidewalk system. The traffic light system what I understood Public Works was referring to was not like signalized but then if there’s a need when you put in your curb, gutter , sidewalk for like a street lamp in that particular area, then that’s also part and parcel of that whole requirement. ONO: Mr. Chair, question? Chair? ISHIBASHI: Go ahead, Commissioner Ono. 9 EXHIBIT A ONO: If I may ask the, your request is for an exemption to the zoning at this time. So may I ask why the party decided to buy this or develop this property, rather than, because the question was raised, rather than looking at kind of a, an area that already has this kind of a zoning right? FUKE: Well, I think two reasons. One is like if you’re interested in, if you’re going to find a commercial area, it’s like, you know, you would have to purchase property at like a high rate and kind of develop it. The alternative is that if they’re already developed then you’ve got to be renting it. And I think the preference for a lot of small businesses is to find a place where they can own, and then develop on their own, you know, rather than renting necessarily. And, you know, so if you start of with the premise that a person wants to find a place to own and operate a business and the property, then one of the first things they’re going to look at is whether the properties are either zoned or if they’re not zoned whether they’re capable of being zoned. And if they’re looking at whether they’re capable of being rezoned, then you’ve got to look at the General Plan. Because the General Plan provides the future direction, land use direction. And in this case here the General Plan states that its Medium Density where commercial uses are kind of like envisioned, you know, on the General Plan. And this is why it goes back again to the comment I made earlier that if the concern about the community is that they absolutely do not wish to have any sort of commercial uses in this area, then I would recommend that they petition the Council to have the General Plan amended in this area. Otherwise it creates this false expectation for the people, the public. HENKEL: Mr. Chair? ISHIBASHI: Commissioner Henkel. HENKEL: Getting back to what Commissioner Moses was talking about with Ms. Jordan, would it be possible for her to coordinate with Public Works and install speed humps on the street as a gesture of good faith to the neighbors? FUKE: See, as I understand it, before a particular street would be eligible for speed humps or other traffic calming devices, then they need to have like, I don’t know what percentage of the property owners in that area consenting to that. And all I represented earlier was that she would be more than willing to be one of those that says, yes, I want it. In terms of providing the speed humps, I think it’s a question of like what is equitable. You know, if all of the property owners in that area are agreeable to have speed humps and then there’s like an apportioned share, you know, then she would be more than willing to provide her proportionate share. What she’s doing right now, you know, by virtue of this condition is providing the curbs, gutters and sidewalks fronting the property, which is something that is only unique to this property and then to her. It doesn’t apply to everybody else. So that’s kind of like over and beyond the requirement. I think in the final analysis, you know, the best way is to talk to Councilman Onishi. He’s the area, you know, the area Councilman in that area; and they do have discretionary funds. Cause I don’t think that the cost of putting speed humps -. You know, once the decision is made 10 EXHIBIT A to put speed humps then it can probably be done all internally, you know, rather than having it to subout to another contractor. HENKEL: I think, you know, what my question is, and it’s probably for the Planning Director, is if it’s even possible to have that as a condition. But what I feel like is, you know, people are concerned about this setting a precedent for commercialization of this residential neighborhood. At the same time by putting in speed humps it might set a precedent that if you are going to develop a residential neighborhood that you improve the infrastructure, you know, with the safety of children and stuff in mind. So, but thank you for your answer. ISHIBASHI: Any answers to that question? ARAI: Well, maybe not answers but maybe now is the best time for me to sort of like chime in. And I don’t mean to complicate the discussion, but maybe -. I would like to provide clarification on what’s currently before you. What’s before you is a change of zone request from Single- Family Residential to Neighborhood Commercial. As part of that request, if approved, will go, along will go all of the privileges that the zoning provides. And that means a range of various types of commercial uses that the Neighborhood Commercial zoning district would allow. It is not specific to what the applicant is proposing, although it’s consistent with the request that she’s asking for. But should the zoning be approved, keep in mind that a range of commercial uses normally permitted within the Neighborhood Commercial zoning district will be permitted. So I just want that stated for the record. Secondly, regarding traffic controls, Public, we concur with the applicant’s representations that what Public Works intended was traffic mitigating improvements commensurate with that project’s access connection to Laukapu Street. So the improvements are directed toward traffic movements at the driveway intersection and not meant to provide traffic mitigating controls along the entire length of Laukapu Street. Secondly, or thirdly, keep in mind that when we talked about speed humps, generally, and maybe I shouldn’t be representing Public Works, but generally speed humps are installed along local streets because of the limited traffic volume. Because the area is being envisioned by the General Plan to transition to a higher density use, commercial type of uses, then along with it should be the commensurate, the type of facilities to support that higher level of use. It’s sort of like contradictory to say that we’re looking at this area for higher density uses that involves higher volumes, traffic volumes, but at the same time installing speed humps which sort of takes away from that. So without that being said, I thought I’d just make that, these points clear to the Commission as it continues its deliberations. ISHIBASHI: Thank you. Commissioner Miyasato? MIYASATO: Daryn, I have a question. You know, the proposed improvements for that sidewalk and curbing, that you stated is to improve traffic mitigation in that area. So would parking be allowed along there? 11 EXHIBIT A ARAI: The improvements are meant to facilitate pedestrian and traffic movements directly in front of the property as traffic attempts to turn into or turn out of the subject property’s access driveway. That’s the extent of the improvements that the condition, recommended condition of approval will be looking at. So it’s not to provide more community wide or regional type of improvements to the traffic circulation. MIYASATO: So will that curbing area, would parking be allowed? ARAI: Parking may be allowed. That’s something maybe Department of Public Works will need to address. Simply because when you add an additional 5 feet, it will increase the width only in that one particular section to roughly 60 feet, well, that’s the attempt anyway. You’ll need an additional 5 feet from the other side of Laukapu Street. Whether it allows for parking in addition to the curb, gutter, sidewalk improvements, I’m not exactly sure that this time. But typically in a commercial district on-street parking is normally allowed, just as a general rule of thumb. MIYASATO: Okay, I was just thinking parking would contradict the purpose and intent of, say, for traffic in and out, yeah? ARAI: Yes. And that’s where depending, parking on the street is normally controlled by Public Works. And they would determine where parking can occur -- to make sure that sight distances going in or out of a driveway, especially a commercial driveway, is managed. MIYASATO: Okay. ONO: Mr. Chair, question for Daryn. ISHIBASHI: Commissioner Ono. ONO: Clarify for me, please. With the suggested improvement of the curbing and the sidewalk in front of her proposal, doesn’t this increase the value of properties around the surrounding area as well? I just wanted to address the previous comment. So if there’s improvement on the property, the frontage of that, where that proposed commercial development is, the neighbors next door because of that improvement, wouldn’t the value of their property also increase and be, not obligated so much but, suggested that they also improve their sidewalk frontage? ARAI: Myself or the Planning Department is not in the position to make a determination as to whether or not the improvements alone would have some sort of increase on the value of adjoining properties. We simply don’t have that ability or skill set. ONO: But what has been the practice in the past? What has been the practice in the past? Would that kind of improvement affect the neighbors? KANUHA: Commissioner Ono, if I can respond. It’s actually not germane to the level of 12 EXHIBIT A improvements but just the conversion of the property from a residential use to a higher use. Okay? You know, whether or not those improvements are related to or not, the higher use for this particular property will probably result in some increase in the value of the surrounding properties, which therefore would result in potential increases in the tax base for those properties as well. FUKE: Thank you. Mr. Chairman, just to add to that -- and so that’s one of the reasons why like I suggested that if the community is overwhelmingly against commercializing this area then the first step is to have the General Plan amended to make it residential. But until that occurs then I think that you’re going to find this kind of situation where people are going to be looking at the General Plan and saying, oh, there’s a potential to have this area commercialized because the General Plan designates it Industrial or Medium Density. So I don’t think that you’ll have the same kind of pressure if it were like designated Low Density Residential. And it will have an influence on the value of the property. ISHIBASHI: Any further questions, Commissioners? Okay, you’ve reviewed all of the conditions and you’re okay with it, or any comments on the conditions? FUKE: No, Mr. Chairman. The, I mean, yes, rather. The applicant had reviewed the conditions, and I’ve explained them to her. And then she finds them acceptable, including the provision of the curb, gutter and sidewalk fronting the property. ISHIBASHI: Thank you, Mr. Fuke. Okay, Commissioners? Okay, Brother John, come up. You’re still sworn in so go ahead. TURALDE: Okay, mahalo, yeah. I’d just like to say, maybe late, a little words about the planning of the road traffic and the highways because we try hard to get every house owner to sign for make the, from my end of Laukapu Street to the other end for make speed bumps. And for find the house owners, it took us a long time. It took us couple of years, yeah, not one day or one week, yeah. And I think the planning should, is the way for make speed bumps, no wait for the homeowners to sign because we live there, we’re there every day, at night, yeah. But I think the planning should just make speed bumps on the highways in the house lots, period, because I tell you what – I don’t want to say it again. And I think they should just do it. Speed bumps is going to help in the day time and the night time for speeders slow down so we don’t have major, major accidents. And I hear from every road, yeah, major, critical accidents. Please do it. And thank you. ISHIBASI: Thank you. Commissioner Moses? MOSES: I’d like to thank the testifiers today. I’m listening to everything that we’ve just discussed. It sounds like that -. You know, if the residents would like to or have made attempts, they should continue to do so to speak to your representative which happens to be Mr. Onishi, as well as putting forth the request to change the General Plan as it now stands. As Commissioners, we are subject to the guidelines that we need to follow, and it just happens to be in this area. So I 13 EXHIBIT A would encourage you to continue to do that. With that said, I’d like to make a motion. ISHIBASHI: Okay, Commissioner Moses. MOSES: I move that a favorable recommendation be forwarded to the County Council on the application for Change of Zone Docket No. REZ 13-000169 based on the Planning Director’s recommendation and proposed conditions. ISHIBASHI: Okay, it has been moved by Commissioner Moses. Any second? GONZALES: I’ll second. ISHIBASHI: Okay, second by Commissioner Gonzales. Any discussion? Okay, seeing none, call for the question. ARAI: Okay. Commissioner Moses? MOSES: Aye. ARAI: Commissioner Gonzales? GONZALES: Aye. ARAI: Commissioner Henkel? HENKEL: No. ARAI: Commissioner Miyasato? MIYASATO: Aye. ARAI: Commissioner Ono? ONO: Aye. ARAI: And Mr. Chairman? ISHIBASHI: Aye. ARAI: Mr. Chairman, motion carries with five ayes, one no. ISHIBASHI: Thank you, Mr. Arai. You’ll be notified in writing. KANUHA: Mr. Chairman? Can I just say -? 14 EXHIBIT A ISHIBASHI: Yes, go ahead, Director. KANUHA: One final comment for those who testified today, the Planning Commission just provides a recommendation to the County Council. So it will go up to the County Council. Their procedure is it will go to the Council, they will assign it to the Planning Committee. Okay, so the Planning Committee will hear this particular application, and the Planning Committee will then make a recommendation to the County Council. They have to have two favorable readings to pass this to make it into an ordinance. So basically what I’m saying is that there are at least three more opportunities for you to provide your input to the Council, either as a whole or, you know, through your representative down there to express your concerns. So it’s not as if this decision is it, the final decision. Yeah? I just wanted to make sure you guys understood that. ISHIBASHI: Thank you, Mr. Director. You understand, Brother John? TURALDE: Thank you. ISHIBASHI: Okay, moving on. The discussion ended at 9:58 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sharon M. Nomura, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 15 EXHIBIT A