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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-11-21 Leeward Planning Commission Minutes LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES NOVEMBER 21, 2013 The Leeward Planning Commission met in regular session at 9:33 a.m. in the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Community Center, Building G, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, with Chair Geraldine Giffin presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Geraldine Giffin, Brandi Beaudet, Thomas Hickcox, Richard Nelson, III, Barbara Nobriga and Thomas Whittemore ALSO PRESENT: Bobby Command (Deputy Planning Director), Margaret Masunaga (Deputy Corporation Counsel), Jeff Darrow (Planner), Maija Cottle (Planner) and Noriko Sauer (Commission Secretary) And nine people from the public in attendance. A quorum was present. Chair Giffin called the meeting to order and introduced the Commissioners and staff to members of the public, and described the procedure for public testimony. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC – No statements were presented under this section of the agenda. NEW BUSINESS APPLICANT: COUNTY, PARKS & RECREATION (SMA 13-054) Application for a Special Management Area (SMA) Use Permit to allow the establishment of a new neighborhood park and related improvements on approximately 1.63 acres of land in the Special Management Area. The property is the site of a vacant lot located between Lehua Road and Pakalana Road in the Ali‘i Kai Subdivision, Hōlualoa, North Kona, Hawai‘i, TMK: 7-6-019:034. The Commission took up this item at 9:35 a.m. with seven people from the public in attendance. Ms. Cottle oriented the Commission and public of the subject and surrounding properties on the location map, aerial photo and site plan, and summarized the request. She said that the Planning Director recommended approval of this request, subject to conditions. In response to the Chair’s request, she expanded on a comment letter from the United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, expressing their concern about the federally endangered Hawaiian hoary bat, and she also noted that the Planning Director included their recommendation in his proposed conditions of approval. The applicant’s representatives, Aubrey Summers and James Komata, were present. Mr. Komata said that the applicant was looking forward to constructing this long-awaited park, and added that the Mayor and the district’s Councilman Kanuha were supportive of the project. He also stated that 1 the applicant believed that their proposal was representative of the community’s desire, which had been communicated to them by way of comment letters and public meetings. In response to the Chair’s question regarding the Department of Public Works’ recommendation for roadway frontage improvements, Ms. Cottle said that the recommendation for improvements, such as curb, gutter and sidewalk, was not included in the Planning Director’s proposed conditions because the applicant had stated that no roadside parking was intended, which would have been the trigger for this condition, and also because there were no other streets with such improvements within this subdivision. An adjoining property owner, Roy Swaven, provided the following statement: “My name is Roy Swaven, and we have property adjoining the park. We’ve been looking forward to this for years and years and years, long time. The man that I guess set up the park, named Ralph, that sold us the lot to build on kind of indicated to us that we could push down a little bit into the park area, which we knew, didn’t know exactly where it was, but it was somewhere right below us. We have the house that, if she could bring that back up, with the blue roof on. So everybody could see kind of what I’m talking about. So we put quite a few trees in there, and they are nice trees, good-looking trees with flowers on them. But our – that’s a pretty good shot there, the blue house, and our daughter has the green house – so we’ve got a bunch of trees along, and we hope nobody messes with them, you know, or just hope they stay. And then I have a little parking area that intrudes part of the way into the park, and that was kind of a problematic thing. I just wondered if we should do something about that, and I’ve never heard back. Just verbally asking.” In response, Mr. Komata said that the applicant had been made aware of the issue a couple of days ago. He said that the proposed plan included a six-foot high chain-link fence along the entire perimeter of the park to establish the park boundary, which was the applicant’s standard practice with neighborhood parks, and that in this case the applicant was considering physically closing the park during the night out of respect for the long-established neighborhood. He said that the proposed fence was overlapping Mr. Swaven’s parking area, and that the applicant would work with Mr. Swaven to resolve the issue separately from this hearing. He also said that there were other trees, besides Mr. Swaven’s, that had been planted within the park property, and that the applicant would not take extreme measures without first giving those property owners an opportunity to relocate them or else work towards a solution. It was moved by Commissioner Hickcox and seconded by Commissioner Whittemore that the Commission approve the request, with conditions as recommended by the Planning Director. A roll call vote was taken and motion carried unanimously. INITIATOR: PLANNING DIRECTOR Revocation of Special Management Area (SMA) Use Permit No. 321 originally issued to Azabu U.S.A. (Kona) Co., Ltd by the Planning Commission on October 10, 1991, to allow the upgrade of facilities and construction of related improvements at the former Keauhou Beach and Kona Lagoon Hotels and the former botanical garden site located across and along the mauka side of Ali‘i Drive in Keauhou, North Kona, Hawai‘i, TMK: 7-8-013:002, 013, 043 & 7-8-010: portion of 35. The Commission took up this item at 9:55 a.m. with four people from the public in attendance. 2 Mr. Darrow stated that this revocation was initiated by the Planning Director at the request of the current property owners, the Trustees of the Estate of Bernice Pauahi Bishop and Kamehameha Investment Corporation (“Applicants”). He oriented the Commission of the subject and surrounding properties on various maps and aerial photographs. He said that the part of master plan covered by SMA Use Permit No. 321 was no longer pursued, and that the Applicants were working on an alternative plan for the properties, focusing on increasing educational opportunities and Native Hawaiian cultural practices and awareness. He noted that the Planning Director recommended that the Commission approve this revocation. The Applicants’ representatives, Steven Lim and Allen Salavea, were present. Mr. Lim gave additional background information, and said that there was another SMA Use Permit, No. 61, for cultural activities, which were currently underway on the property mauka of Ali‘i Drive. He noted that the Applicants intended to keep that permit in effect. Mr. Salavea spoke of the Applicants’ alternative plan, and said that their goal was to restore the area to its former cultural significance. In response to Commissioner Hickcox’s questions, Mr. Salavea said that the property, which would include a heritage center and parking, would be open to public, as well as educational programs and activities available to local residents and tourists alike. He also said that there would be an overnight camping facility primarily to accommodate groups of students from the eastside of the island or off-island. At Mr. Command’s request, Mr. Lim clarified that the Applicants had secured SMA exemptions for the subject properties more recently to allow renovations of various preservation sites, which were already finished, that the cultural activities permitted under SMA Use Permit No. 61 were in progress, and that the revocation of SMA Use Permit No. 321 would allow the Applicants to start their alternative project with a clean slate. There was no one from the public wishing to testify in regard to this agenda item. It was moved by Commissioner Beaudet and seconded by Commissioner Nelson that the Commission approve the revocation of SMA Use Permit No. 321. A roll call vote was taken and motion carried unanimously. MINUTES – The Commission took up the following minutes at 10:09 a.m.: October 17, 2013 – It was moved by Commissioner Hickcox and seconded by Commissioner Whittemore that the minutes be approved as submitted. Motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Status of applications heard by Leeward Planning Commission that are pending before County Council – Staff had nothing to report regarding this matter. ANNOUNCEMENTS – Mr. Darrow announced that Palamanui Global Holdings, whose application was the only item tentatively scheduled for the Commission’s meeting on December 19, 2013, had requested a postponement in order to conduct further community meetings prior to a Commission hearing. 3 ADJOURNMENT – There being no further business, at 10:11 a.m., it was moved by Commissioner Hickcox and seconded by Commissioner Beaudet 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: Geraldine Giffin, Chair Leeward Planning Commission 4