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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-06-17 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES Meeting Date: June 17, 2014 Time: 5:16 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 and John Hetherington (from 5:25 p.m.) Absent and Excused: Shane Kitchens and Sammie Stanbro Planning Department: Bennett Mark, Keola Childs and Noriko Sauer Applicant/Representative: Chuck Porter, Josh Porter, Matthew Kilgore and Lance McQuirk 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 May 20, 2014. It was moved by Commissioner Burns and seconded by Commissioner Andreae that the minutes be approved as circulated. 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 proposed automated carwash facility. Applicant: Hilo Tire Co., LLC. Landowner: Palani Ranch Company, Inc. TMK: 7-5-005:085. Fronting Kuakini Highway, located near the southwest (makai-Kohala) corner of Kaiwi Street and Kuakini Highway, between Lex Brodie’s Hawaii Tire Center and Kekuaokalani Gymnasium. Mr. Childs began his presentation by correcting the applicant’s name as indicated on the application form and the agenda; the applicant had advised him that their correct name is Hawai‘i Tire Co., LLC. He oriented the Commissioners of the subject and surrounding properties on an aerial photograph, and showed some site photographs of the current condition of the property, including the Lex Brodie’s Hawai‘i Tire Center and Quicklube buildings constructed recently by the applicant on the 1 same parcel, as well as the display of various types of advertisement material and the landscaping. He described the proposed carwash facility, and noted that the architectural design with angled fabric panels attached to the open roof, which somewhat resembled sails, was different from the traditional architecture styles envisioned in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona, but that the design was creative, and the overall coloration and the use of textured dark concrete masonry unit around the base of the siding appeared to be consistent with and respectful of the guidelines. He pointed out to the Commissioners’ attention, however, the bright red color of the vacuum stalls, which is not consistent with the Kailua Village design guidelines. He also raised questions for the Commissioners’ consideration as to how the fabric sails on the roof would be maintained and how the interior lighting through the open roof might affect the neighborhood after dark. Additionally, he mentioned that the drawing was not clear as to whether or not the proposed vacuum stall canopies were encroaching into the front yard setback area, and that if so, the structures would have to be moved back further from the road frontage. In response to the Chair’s question, Mr. Childs clarified that the architectural guidelines in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona does not differentiate the industrial area from the village core area; there is therefore no guidelines specific to the industrial area. He mentioned a few previous applications in the vicinity that had tried to meet the guidelines to the extent reasonable for the industrial area, and added that this applicant had also done so with their previous buildings. The applicant, Chuck Porter and Josh Porter from Hawai‘i Tire Co., LLC, and their architect, Matthew Kilgore, presented additional information and addressed the Commissioners’ questions. Their statements included the following:  Advertisement on the parked van was done by the store manager without the applicant’s authorization for only temporary purposes. It is the applicant’s understanding that their flags, pennants and such are legal, as those are not regulated by the Sign Code, according to their consultation with Mr. David Lyman of the Department of Public Works, Building Division. The display is mostly in response to the extensive array of signs and advertisements at the nearby Honda dealer, who is their competitor for tire sales and services.  All proposed structures are planned within the buildable area and clear of the required 15-foot setback.  The water used for carwash would be filtered and recycled several times, and rain water would be guttered off at the bottom edge of each sail panel. The applicant would comply with applicable regulations.  The residents in the makai area would not be impacted by noise since new carwash machinery is not as loud as it used to be, and the air blower, which is the noisiest part of the process, lasts only 20 seconds and would be located away on the mauka end of the building.  All the lights would be downcast lights, and the applicant plans to close the carwash operations before excess lighting becomes an issue to the neighborhood, as business is anticipated to slow down by 7:00 p.m.  Access would only be from and to Kona Bay Drive for all three businesses since there is very little traffic on that street compared to Kuakini Highway. The traffic flow within the property is designed so as to prevent customers from driving through the work area.  For the wainscot feature the applicant would be amenable to using a lava rock veneer to match the two existing buildings, instead of the proposed split face concrete masonry unit. 2  The applicant would be flexible about painting the exposed steel pieces, for example, to match the roof color.  The sails on the roof would be made of a durable low-maintenance cloth material, similar to actual boat sails. This open design would let the natural light and air in, which would be more pleasant to customers than the closed-in tunnel type carwash.  The proposed vacuum stall was selected for its functionality and safety. The canopy material is UV resistant Sunbrella brand fabric. The red stalls shown in the application are just a typical example, and there are different color options. There would be no “Vacuum” signs mounted on the stalls. Additionally, there was a detailed discussion as to how the landscaping plan along Kuakini Highway could be improved so that there would be variation in foliage height and it would camouflage the vacuum stalls, without totally blocking the building view. It was moved by Commissioner Andreae, and seconded by Commissioner Hetherington, to recommend the Planning Director’s approval of the proposed project, subject to the following modifications: 1.The color of the Sunbrella fabric covers at the vacuum stations should be a dark or medium shade of green; 2.Use of a lava rock veneer as the wainscot feature around the base of the proposed carwash building to match the existing buildings, in lieu of the split face concrete masonry unit shown; 3.All exterior-presenting metal structural elements should be finished with the same “charcoal” color as proposed for the lattice system, which would include all posts, columns and sail supports, in addition to any other exposed metal elements; and, 4.Landscaping placed in the front yard landscaping strip should be designed to camouflage the vacuum stalls, with addition of red or green ti to give height variation between the hau trees and the lower hedge. In addition to the above recommendations, the Commissioners requested that all the signage and banners not permitted as mounted signs be removed from the premises due to the extent that such material detract from the beautiful building and landscaping created by the applicant for its existing buildings. After further discussion, Commissioner Hetherington moved to amend the motion to include: 5.Special care should be given that the interior light of the carwash building does not extensively spill out in the evening, adhering to the general principle of the lighting code, such as the use of downcast lighting. The motion to amend was seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy and unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners in attendance. A roll call vote was then taken for the main motion as amended, and it carried with six ayes (Andreae, Hetherington, Akina, Au Hoy, Broderson and Burns) and two absent and excused (Kitchens and Stanbro). 3 ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Mr. Mark informed the Commissioners that the Mayor was currently considering a few candidates for nomination to the Commission. Mr. Childs advised that the next meeting scheduled for July 8, 2014, was cancelled for lack of applications. ANNOUNCEMENTS – There were no announcements. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, at 6:53 p.m., it was moved by Commissioner Hetherington and seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy 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