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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-03-18 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES Meeting Date: March 18, 2014 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: Paul Bleck, Alvin Akina, Jr., Theresa Andreae, Fanny Au Hoy, Adam Broderson, Nancy Burns, John Hetherington, Shane Kitchens and Sammie Stanbro Applicant/Representative: Malia Bolton, James Brown and Laura Dierenfield Planning Department: Bennett Mark, Keola Childs and Noriko Sauer Public: Eddy Cho A quorum was present. Chair Bleck called the meeting to order and the Commissioners introduced themselves. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of the Meeting of January 21, 2014. It was moved by Commissioner Hetherington and seconded by Commissioner Burns that the minutes be approved as circulated. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote. 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 one marquee sign and one wall sign for Kona Coffee and Tea Company. Applicant: Kona Coffee and Tea Company. Land Owners: Pres-Kona Coast LP and Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust. TMK: 7-4-015:001. Located in the Kona Coast Shopping Center at 74-5586 Palani Road, Kailua-Kona, on the northwest corner of Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway and Palani Road. Mr. Childs described the two proposed signs, and clarified that while the applicant’s submittal described both signs as wall signs, the Department of Public Works (DPW) had determined that the larger of the two, facing Palani Road, was a marquee sign. He said 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 of the building complex from the street, and that even though the subject building was right on Palani Road, it was not excluded from the variance. He 1 noted that the DPW in its review concluded that both signs met the requirements of the Sign Code and the 1999 variance, and that the proposed materials and colors appeared to be compatible with the Signage Criteria, Guidelines for Review in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona. In response to Commissioner Hetherington’s question, Mr. Childs confirmed that the applicant was allowed to have two signs, one facing Palani Road and another facing Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, due to the two-street corner location of the subject parcel. He also pointed out in a photograph that there was actually another sign already mounted on the wall on the parking lot side, away from the public street view; he said that according to the DPW, because of its orientation, this sign was not recognized as a sign for the purposes of the Sign Code and therefore not regulated. Ms. Malia Bolton, the applicant’s representative, provided additional information on the proposed signs. In response to Commissioner Andreae’s question, she said that the signs would have a white background with raised lettering in a dark green to match the color of the trellises and trim of the building. Commissioner Stanbro expressed her appreciation for the improvements the applicant had made to the building, and moved to send to the Public Works Director a recommendation for approval of the sign permit application as submitted. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy, and unanimously carried by a roll call vote. 2. Design review of a proposed exterior renovation of Kuakini Center, including landscaping and parking layout modifications. Applicant: MGA Architecture. Landowner: Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust. TMK: 7-4-010:005. Located at the southeast (mauka-Ka’u) corner of Kuakini Hwy. and Kaiwi St. in the Kailua Industrial Subdivision, across from the West Hawai‘i Today building. Mr. Childs oriented the Commission of the subject property on a location map, Google aerial and street photos, and site photographs that he had just taken. He distributed copies of the applicant’s additional submittal dated February 24, 2014, and said that since Mr. James Brown, the author of this material, was present, he would defer to Mr. Brown on detailed information. He noted that the landowner, Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust (QLT), was the operator of the subject property as well and also owned a large area of properties in the immediate neighborhood, and that this renovation was part of the overall area improvement that QLT was envisioning. Mr. Brown gave a presentation on the proposal, with color and material samples, and said that the applicant recognized the site location as a transitional point between the industrial district and the retail district, and that they wished to make this upgrade suitable for the village entryway. His statements included the following:  This project does not propose expansion of any square footage, including the number of parking stalls.  No modifications are proposed to the existing 50-foot landscape strip along Kuakini Highway, which was voluntarily set aside by QLT for beautification purposes. Other areas of the grounds impacted by this renovation work will be modified with new landscape materials to match the existing scheme. 2  Re-roofing includes an improvement to the roof drain system where roof water will be collected and directed through a common pipe to the drywells on site, thereby no longer allowing roof water to pour onto the walkways.  Improvements to the building, while maintaining the existing design, include new cladding on the columns, modifications to the awnings, a new parapet design symbolizing the slopes of the volcano, and wood and metal siding that characterizes the transitional location between the industrial zoning and the village neighborhood.  The parking ground will be re-graded to provide level access to the shops in the Kuakini Highway wing.  The 42-inch height difference between the finish floors of the two wings will be put to use to create a patio elevated to the entry level of the Kaiwi Street wing. This elevated patio will provide more functionality and be used as a platform for outdoor dining, events, activities, and seasonal decorations. There will be an ADA ramp besides two staircases to access the patio and the shops in the Kaiwi Street wing.  There are 62 parking stalls, exceeding the required 52 stalls, and the proposed configuration includes ten tandem stalls to accommodate large trucks that take up two stalls, as well as employee vehicles so as to minimize an impact on customer parking.  The existing building-mounted flood lights will be removed, and pole-mounted site lights will be installed in the parking lot to improve the quality of site lighting.  The existing walking path along the eastern property line will be upgraded with paver stones. The rest of the walkway around the building, which currently has slick tile finish, will be redone with patterned concrete.  The applicant’s objective, besides providing needed maintenance, is to attract customers for the tenants to be successful and also to have a mix of tenants; for instance, if it were to become a food court, the parking, restrooms, electrical and plumbing would be inadequate. The scope of the work to achieve the objective is determined by QLT’s budget for this particular phase of its overall improvement plan.  As for signage, QLT intends to establish a master plan to guide the tenants, which will be submitted for the Commission’s review. The Commissioners expressed their appreciation and support for the proposal. It was moved by Commissioner Hetherington and seconded by Commissioner Kitchens that a recommendation for approval of the proposed project be sent to the Planning Director, as submitted. The Chair at this time allowed a statement from Mr. Eddy Cho out of order. Mr. Cho commented that there seemed to be a great opportunity for this project to introduce bioluminescent facility lighting to the community, which emits more light than regular lighting fixture and is more controllable and self-sustainable, and that if Kailua-Kona became one of the first towns in the world to implement this lighting system, it could become an attraction for tourists as well. The Commissioners discussed the following concerns and recommendations:  There used to be a row of palms within the 50-foot wide landscape strip. Planting palms or trees back in the area would produce a cooling effect and give a softer look to the building.  Install bicycle racks to accommodate cyclists.  The parking area gets particularly hot because the building blocks breezes. Additional trees would provide more shade and lower the temperature. 3  The possibility of unsightly pop-up tents and umbrellas by tenants, especially restaurants, is a concern.  The existing restrooms could use improvements.  Create a pathway connecting Kuakini Highway and the parking area through the middle of the elongated Kuakini Highway wing for pedestrians’ convenience.  Provide benches or the like for people to sit down in the shade. Commissioner Hetherington then moved to amend his motion to include that the Commission encourage the applicant to (1) incorporate canopy trees in the landscaping reserve fronting Kuakini Highway to provide shade and additional aesthetic value along the extensive building frontage, and (2) install bike racks in the parking area to serve and encourage use by cyclists. The motion to amend was seconded by Commissioner Kitchens and unanimously passed by a voice vote. Subsequently, a roll call vote was taken for the main motion, and it was unanimously carried. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Mr. Mark formally introduced Mr. Cho to the Commissioners, who currently works as an intern in the Office of the Mayor. Mr. Mark said that there were no updates on the recruitment effort for the Commission’s four expired seats, except that he had contacted an individual recommended by Commissioner Burns. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Childs said that no applications had been brought to his attention for the next scheduled meeting. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, at 6:55 p.m., it was moved by Commissioner Au Hoy and seconded by Commissioner Broderson 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: Paul Bleck, Chairman Kailua Village Design Commission 4