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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-11-19 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES Meeting Date: November 19, 2013 Time: 5:18 p.m. Place: West Hawai‘i Civic Center nd Planning Department Conference Room – Building E, 2 Floor 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, 96740 CALL TO ORDER Commissioners Present: John Hetherington, Theresa Andreae, Fanny Au Hoy, Nancy Burns, Shane Kitchens and Sammie Stanbro Absent and Excused: Alvin Akina, Jr., Paul Bleck and Adam Broderson Applicant/Representative: Matthew Kilgore, Clem Kanhai, Brian Shiroma, Robert Saito and Scott Fleming Office of Corporation Counsel: Margaret Masunaga Planning Department: Bennett Mark, Keola Childs and Noriko Sauer A quorum was present. Chair Hetherington called the meeting to order and the Commissioners introduced themselves. It was moved by Commissioner Andreae and seconded by Commissioner Stanbro that approval of the minutes of the October 8, 2013, meeting be moved to the end of the agenda. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners present. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS – No statements were presented under this section of the agenda. NEW BUSINESS 1. Design review of a sign permit application for a proposed marquee sign for O’Reilly Auto Parts. Applicant: Automotive Stores, Inc. (dba O’Reilly Auto Parts). Land Owner: PRES-KONA COAST LP. TMK: 7-4-015:001. Located in the Kona Coast Shopping Center, at 74-5586 Palani Road, Kailua-Kona. Mr. Childs described the proposed marquee sign. He noted that a sign variance had been granted to the entire shopping center in 1999, which increased the allowable letter height and overall sign area to compensate for the wide setback from the street. In addressing a bright red color used on the proposed sign, he said that the Commission had been supportive of most signs with bright colors for this particular shopping center in the past. He concluded his presentation by saying that although the sign size, lettering height and type of material did not follow the Sign Code or the Signage Criteria, Guidelines for Review in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona, the proposed sign was in compliance with the 1999 blanket sign variance. 1 In response to Commissioner Andreae’s questions, Mr. Childs clarified the exact site within the shopping center, and said that the construction work that was being performed there did not trigger the requirement for a plan approval and hence no review by the Commission. Neither the applicant nor his representative was present. There was no one from the public wishing to testify in regard to this agenda item. It was moved by Commissioner Kitchens, and seconded by Commissioner Stanbro, to send to the Public Works Director a recommendation for approval of the sign permit application as submitted. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with five ayes (Kitchens, Stanbro, Andreae, Au Hoy and Burns) and three absent and excused (Akina, Bleck and Broderson). 2. Design review of a sign permit application for one proposed wall sign, one proposed marquee sign, one ground sign and one directory sign for Hawaii Radiologic Associates, Ltd. and The Queens Health Care Center Specialty Clinic. Applicant: Hawaii Radiologic Associates LTD Corporation. Land Owner: Hawaii Radiologic Associates LTD Corporation. TMK: 7-5-004:012. Located at the southeast corner of Kuakini Highway and Ololi Road (former Kona Ranch House Restaurant). Mr. Childs informed the Commission that the applicant had since eliminated the ground sign on Ololi Road from their application, and revised the content and lettering of the directory sign for the corner of Kuakini Highway and Ololi Road. He described the three proposed signs, and said that they all complied with the size limitations of the Sign Code, and that the materials also complied with the design guidelines of the Sign Code and the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona. He urged the Commission, however, that consideration be given to the fact that the directory sign would likely be unreadable to motorists due to the small lettering size. Commissioner Burns opined that the sign area limitation in the Sign Code was not fair for businesses with a long name, such as this applicant, who were forced to reduce the letter size in order to comply with the code. She noted that the Commission could make an effectual recommendation to the Public Works Director to allow a larger sign through a variance to accommodate a legible lettering size, had such variances been issued administratively as opposed to the current procedure where the County Council renders its decision at public hearings. She also pointed out that an unidentifiable sign could actually become a traffic hazard. The Commissioners discussed how to improve the legibility of the directory sign. Their suggestions included abbreviating the name on the sign and/or applying for a variance to enlarge the sign area so that the lettering could be at least nine-inch high, which is the maximum allowable height for the Kailua Village special design district. The applicant’s representatives, Matthew Kilgore and Clem Kanhai, spoke of the timing issue, as the applicant was wishing to go forward with the business operations, and requested that the Commission grant a favorable recommendation for the signs as proposed at this time since they met all the code and guideline requirements. It was moved by Commissioner Andreae to send to the Public Works Director a recommendation for approval of the sign permit application as submitted. Commissioner Burns reiterated her concern about traffic safety, and suggested that a recommendation for a larger font be included. 2 Commissioner Kitchens seconded the motion; he agreed about the traffic safety issue, but opined that such a recommendation should be made in general rather than just for this particular case. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion carried with five ayes (Andreae, Kitchens, Au Hoy, Burns and Stanbro) and three absent and excused (Akina, Bleck and Broderson). 3.Design review of a sign permit application for a proposed ground directory sign for Hawaii Electric Light Company. Applicant: Hawaii Electric Light Company. Land Owner: Hawaii Electric Light Company. TMK: 7-4-010:022. Located at 74-5519 Kaiwi Street, Kailua-Kona. Mr. Childs oriented the Commission of the subject property on recent photographs, and described the proposed ground directory sign. He also described how the applicant was proposing to prepare the area for the installation by relocating an existing chain-link fence and landscaping. He noted that the proposed sign complied with the design guidelines of the Sign Code and the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona. In response to Commissioner Stanbro’s inquiry, Mr. Childs gave a report on the status of the applicant’s landscaping project, which the Commission had previously reviewed and supported, with some suggestions. He displayed photographs showing the progress, which he had taken earlier in the day. The applicant’s representative, Scott Fleming, provided additional information on the proposal. He said that the groundcover to be planted in the signage area would be irrigated, and that the rock material to be used for the sign would perfectly match that of the building behind since they were from the same source. The Commissioners expressed their approval of the signage design, and also thanked the applicant for following through the landscaping project according to the suggestions made by the Commission. It was moved by Commissioner Kitchens, and seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy, to send to the Public Works Director a recommendation for approval of the sign permit application as submitted. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with five ayes (Kitchens, Au Hoy, Andreae, Burns and Stanbro) and three absent and excused (Akina, Bleck and Broderson). 4. Review and discussion of the Commission’s mission and priorities relating to the Kailua Village Special District, including consideration of establishing committees or sub-committees to address particular interests of the Commission. The Chair opened the discussion by referring back to the subject of variance procedure that Commissioner Burns had brought up during Agenda Item No. 2. Commissioner Burns reiterated her recommendation that variances from the signage area restriction code, which currently forced businesses with a long name to reduce the size of lettering, and therefore created traffic safety concerns, should be issued by the Public Works Director as administrative permits, rather than legislatively by the County Council. She further said that while there had been an ongoing effort to amend the Sign Code for the past few years, this section of the Code should be addressed separately and immediately since it involved the safety of the public. She added that she as an engineer often found herself in conflict with her expert knowledge of safety requirements for signage, when she had 3 to base her vote on the design aspect alone just because that was the purview of this Commission. The Commissioners were all in agreement that the nine-inch maximum letter height was appropriate in the area of the Kailua Village special design district where the limitation already applied, and that certain criteria for hardship and public safety would have to be met, even if such variances were to be issued administratively, so as not to allow unwarranted oversize signs. It was moved by Commissioner Burns and seconded by Commissioner Andreae that the Commission request the Public Works Director to initiate a Sign Code amendment that would authorize the Public Works Director to grant administrative variances for the area of signs in the Kailua Village special design district, which would allow businesses to have a sign area large enough to have nine-inch high letters stating the complete name of their business, if the Public Works Director finds, after review and recommendation of the Commission has been obtained, that the variance (i) accommodates a hardship for the business due to the length of its business name; and (ii) identifies and meets concerns for public health, safety and welfare, particularly as to visibility and ease of business identification in the interest of safe movements of pedestrian and vehicular traffic of all types. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with five ayes (Burns, Andreae, Au Hoy, Kitchens and Stanbro) and three absent and excused (Akina, Bleck and Broderson). The Chair directed the Commissioners’ attention to his email submittal regarding his suggested discussion points, which was distributed to each member by staff. The discussion among the Commissioners and staff included the following areas:  How the Kona Community Development Plan and the new planning concept of “Smart Growth” might affect the Kailua Village Special District and the Commission’s role.  According to the County Code, the Kailua Village Special District boundaries are due for the County Council’s review for possible amendment next year. It is the right time for the Commission to look into the matter and make recommendation to the County Council.  What projects should actually be subject to the Commission’s review and recommendation. For instance, re-painting of exterior walls, which might significantly affect the Kailua Village, is not required to go through the review process, while sign permit applications that are already deemed compliant are routinely reviewed by the Commission. Also, none of the projects done by the Kailua Village Business Improvement District are submitted to the Commission. The Chair, noting that his term as a commissioner would officially expire at the end of the year, expressed his willingness to be involved in the work of a committee until his successor was appointed. He encouraged the Commissioners to consider participating in committee work based on their interest and expertise. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of the Meeting of October 8, 2013. It was moved by Commissioner Kitchens and seconded by Commissioner Burns that the minutes be approved as submitted. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners present. 4 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Staff handed out a memorandum regarding the Commission’s 2014 meeting schedule. Mr. Mark stated that the next scheduled meeting of December 3, 2013, was cancelled since there were no applications to be agendized. Mr. Mark reminded the Commissioners that their assistance in recruiting community-minded volunteers to serve on the Commission would greatly be appreciated. The annual recognition dinner was tentatively set for Tuesday, January 14, 2014. ANNOUNCEMENTS There were no announcements. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, at 7:20 p.m., it was moved by Commissioner Kitchens and seconded by Commissioner Burns that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners in attendance. Respectfully submitted, Noriko Sauer, Secretary A T T E S T: John Hetherington, Chair Kailua Village Design Commission 5