HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-09-04 Hearing Transcript-David & Brenda Camacho REZ 14-177
WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I
HEARING TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 4, 2014
David and Brenda Camacho
A regularly advertised hearing on the application of
(REZ 14-177)
was called to order at 12:44 p.m. in the County of Hawai‘i Aupuni Center
Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i with Chairman Myles Miyasato presiding.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Myles Miyasato, Charles Heaukulani, Gregory Henkel, and
Raylene Moses.
ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Stephen Ono.
ALSO PRESENT: Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), Margaret Masunaga (Deputy
Corporation Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), William Brilhante (Deputy
Corporation Counsel for the Planning Director) from 1:02 p.m., Daryn Arai (Planning Program
Manager), Jeff Darrow (Staff Planner), Maija Jackson (Staff Planner), to 6:30 p.m., Christian
Kay (Staff Planner), Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary), Kim Tanaka (Secretary), to
4:30 p.m., and Melissa Dacayanan (Planning Commission Support Technician), to 4:30 p.m.
And approximately 39 people from the public in attendance.
APPLICANT: DAVID AND BRENDA CAMACHO (REZ 14-177)
Application for a Change of Zone from Agricultural 1-acre (A-1a) to Neighborhood
Commercial-20,000 square feet (CN-20) for approximately 1.02 acres of land. The property is
located along the south side of Ponahawai Street approximately 780 feet east (makai) of the
Komohana Street and Ponahawai Street intersection, Ponahawai, South Hilo, Hawai’i, TMK: 2-
3-037:012.
MIYASATO: The second item on the agenda is David and Brenda Camacho.
JACKSON: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, Commissioners.
MOSES: Good afternoon.
MIYASATO: Good afternoon.
JACKSON: The next item on the agenda is also a Change of Zone request. The Applicants are
David and Brenda Camacho. The subject property is located in the South Hilo District in the
Ponahawai area of Hilo.
The property is shown on the slide, in the middle of the slide, with a red outline. You see
Ponohawai Street running in a general east-west direction through the middle of the slide, and
then you have Komohana Street running in a north-south direction on the left side of the slide.
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EXHIBIT B
The subject property has about eighty feet of frontage along Ponohawai Street, and it’s currently
zoned Agricultural - 1 acre which is shown in the green. This area has been transitioning,
however, over to Commercial zoning as well as Multi-Family Residential zoning. The
Commercial zoning is shown on the map in pink, and the Multiple-Family Residential is shown
in the dark brown and light brown just to the east of the subject property.
This is a General Plan Map for the area. You can see that this whole area of Ponahawai
extending from Waiānuenue Street all the way over to Kūkūau and beyond is in the Medium
Density Urban area, which is designated for Multiple-Family dwelling as well as commercial
uses.
And this is the State Land Use District Map for the property. I just showed that to show that this
entire area is in the Urban district, rather than Agricultural, even though the zoning is currently
Agricultural.
This is an aerial view of the property. You have Ponahawai Street in the left corner of the
property. The subject property is outlined in red. This structure here, that’s two lots to the east
is a physical therapy office that was recently constructed. And the structure just to the east is a
single-family dwelling. This structure to the west is a multiple-family dwelling. I believe
there’s four units in it. And then it’s off of the map, but you have the Pu‘uhonu Street medical
offices in this general area, and then there’s a large church just off of the map to the north on the
other side of Ponahawai Street.
The Applicants are requesting a Change of Zone from Agricultural - 1 acre to Neighborhood
Commercial - 20,000 square feet for just over an acre of land. They are proposing to develop
three medical office buildings on the property totaling approximately 9,300 square feet in size.
And this is a site plan of the proposed development. You have Ponahawai Street on the left side
of the slide. There is a shared access easement with the adjoining lot to the east. Each of these
lots has a 15-foot wide access easement and they have reciprocal rights over each other’s
easements for access. So combined there’s a 30-foot wide right-of-way here for access and the
Applicants’ proposing to construct a 20-foot wide paved roadway into the site which you can see
along the top of the property. The two main structures that the Applicants’ proposing are in the
middle of the slide, and you can see they’re connected by a breezeway and, and that is kind of
the first phase development that they’re envisioning. And then in the future there is space for a
future--future medical building near the road.
This is a view of the property and Ponahawai Street looking east towards Hilo Bay. You can see
the property is on the right hand side where the sign is posted. This is a view of the location of
the future access. So this is the neighbor’s current driveway. The 20-foot wide paved driveway
would be in this general location where the mailbox is now. And then this is a view of the
property. The property is on the left side looking west towards Komohana Street. And this is
just an example of the curb, gutter, and sidewalk improvements that the Applicant would need to
install fronting Ponahawai Street. These are the improvements along the physical therapy office
located just to the east. And then you can see the church, the existing church, off in the distance.
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EXHIBIT B
So the Planning Director’s recommending a favorable recommendation to the County Council
for this Change of Zone request. And since you received your Background and
Recommendation reports, we did have one other submittal to you which was a revised condition
on the yellow paper. This is just to add--add in timing for the Applicant to install the roadway
improvements and we put that, that timing would be prior to the Certificate of Occupancy for
any commercial uses on the property. Are there any questions?
MIYASATO: Thank you, Maija. Would the Applicant or representative please come forward?
FUKE: Hi, good afternoon again.
MIYASATO: Okay, raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this
matter now before the Hawai‘i County Planning Commission?
FUKE: Yes, I do.
MIYASATO: Okay, state your name.
FUKE: And, for the record, my name is Sidney Fuke. I’m here assisting the applicant, Dr.
Brenda Camacho and Dr., and her husband, Dr. Camacho. Essentially what it is, is like the
Camachos are, are neighbors, neighbors to me and they approached me for some assistance in,
with this rezoning process so I gladly decided to help them. As some of you may know, Dr.
Camacho, Brenda Camacho, who’s here in the audience is a pediatrician. She currently has an
office. Her building is on Mohouli Street. Basically she’s kinda like outgrown that area, that
building, so she and her husband both decided to proceed with this particular project. Basically
as you, as the staff had pointed out, it’s essentially like two modules, and one of the modules
would be operated by her and her staff, and the other one is like by an unknown physician that
they have tentative arrangements to, to occupy. They have space in the front to eventually
construct an additional 3,000 square foot office building for another physician, but that’s kinda
like down the road. Their immediate plan right now is to just proceed with the two modular
approach that the staff had described earlier. The, I think that the staff covered pretty much like
all of the different, you know, nuances relating to the project relative to infrastructure. The only
point is that the proposed, added condition, you know relative to the timing of when the curb,
gutter, and sidewalk section would be constructed is totally acceptable. The balance of the
staff’s proposed conditions, as well as the Background Report, we found to be acceptable as
well. So if there are any questions, I’d be more than happy to answer.
MIYASATO: No questions? Thank you.
FUKE: Thank you.
MIYASATO: We have no public testimony for this application. We have any discussion,
Commissioners?
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EXHIBIT B
MOSES: Can I make a motion? I move that a favorable recommendation be forwarded to the
County Council on the application for Change of Zone, REZ 14-000177, based on the Planning
Director’s Recommendation and proposed conditions.
HENKEL: Second.
MIYASATO: Motion by Commissioner Moses and seconded by Commissioner Henkel.
JACKSON: Okay, I will take the roll. Commissioner Moses?
MOSES: Aye.
JACKSON: Commissioner Henkel?
HENKEL: Aye.
JACKSON: Commissioner Heaukulani?
HEAUKULANI: Aye.
JACKSON: And Mr. Chair?
MIYASATO: Aye.
JACKSON: Okay, the motion passes four, zero.
MIYASATO: You’ll be notified in writing.
The discussion ended at 12:54 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary
Windward Planning Commission
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EXHIBIT B