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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-10-07 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES Meeting Date: October 7, 2014 Time: 5:20 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, Peter Dahlberg, John Hetherington and Zon Sullenberger Absent and Excused: Adam Broderson and Sammie Stanbro Planning Department: Bennett Mark, Keola Childs and Noriko Sauer Applicant/Representative: Michael Riehm, Jim Perry and Sean Asmos Public: None 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 September 16, 2014. It was moved by Commissioner Hetherington and seconded by Commissioner Dahlberg 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 one-story commercial building on Henry Street. Applicant: Riehm Owensby Planners Architects. Landowner: RELO KONA, LLC. TMK: 7-5- 004:031. Address: 75-934 Henry Street. Fronting Henry Street between Starbucks Coffee and Jack-in-the-Box. Mr. Childs familiarized the commissioners with the project site on the parcel map and plan drawings. He described the proposed building, and noted that the design was neither traditional nor conventional for the Kailua Village. He pointed out that the reflective impact from the large area of metal siding and glass panels on the storefront, which would face Henry Street, should be given careful consideration. He said in conclusion that the proposed design featuring expansive metal 1 roofing, glass and metal siding on the most visible building face, and windowless walls and concrete retaining walls on the other three sides, was not consistent with the design guidelines of the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona. The applicant’s representative, Michael Riehm, provided additional information, which included the following:  There is a Hawai‘i Electric Light Company (HELCO) easement with two pieces of electrical equipment between the proposed outdoor dining area and Henry Street. HELCO restricts landscaping around the easement area.  There is a pocket of ocean view from the outdoor dining area, which the applicant would like to keep unobstructed.  Due to the topography of the site, only the roof would be visible to motorists traveling down Henry Street, which is designed to conceal rooftop mechanical equipment.  The roof is also designed to accommodate potential photovoltaic panels in the future.  As Ali‘i Drive has a diversity of architecture, the applicant believes that a clean modern appearance of the proposed building would be acceptable in this part of the Kailua Village.  The applicant is researching storefronts in old towns, such as Hilo and Honoka‘a. For instance the metal canopy trusses can be designed to add a traditional feel to the modern architecture. The commissioners expressed their disapproval of the windowless walls, concrete retaining walls, reflective surface of the storefront, roof design, inadequate landscaping and lack of traditional Kailua-Kona character in general. Commissioner Stanbro, who was absent, had also sent in her unfavorable comment earlier by email, which was distributed to those in attendance. Mr. Riehm emphasized that this proposal was submitted to solicit suggestions from the commissioners, and that the applicant was willing to make design changes, including the color scheme and landscaping, according to the Commission’s recommendations. Mr. Childs clarified that the applicant had not applied for Plan Approval for this proposal; therefore, the Commission did not have to approve, deny or defer this particular application. He suggested, however, that the Commission make specific design recommendations for the applicant’s consideration, as the applicant would be revising the design for Plan Approval. He added that the Commission would have an opportunity to review the revised design prior to the Plan Approval process. Commissioner Hetherington moved, and Commissioner Au Hoy seconded, to recommend to the applicant that the following design changes to the proposed building and related improvements be considered prior to resubmitting the project design for the Commission review in conjunction with an application to the Planning Department for Plan Approval: 1.Use rock walls, or rock veneer facades, instead of poured-in-place concrete building walls, privacy walls and retaining walls; 2.Add design features to the north (Henry Street) and south (driveway) sides of the building, such as windows, to provide more articulation in the building form visible from those sides; 3.Provide a landscaping strip fronting the east (mauka) side of the building, in lieu of a sidewalk if necessary, to screen the privacy wall proposed along that boundary, and to provide a lava-rock type of facing on such wall if possible; 4.Provide as much landscaping around the building mass as possible, even if such exceeds the minimum requirements of the Zoning Code and the Planning Department Rule for landscaping; 2 5.Re-design the storefront design to incorporate more horizontal and vertical articulation such as a wainscot and more prominent window and door trim elements; 6.Provide a proposed color palette having historical colors in keeping with the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona, including non-glare colors and surface textures; 7.If metal siding is used above the storefront panels and eyebrow roof, consider use of non-metal materials, such as cement board, that have a non-glare surface; 8.If possible, provide support brackets for the eyebrow roof that have a curved, decorative design; and 9.If HELCO agrees, provide more landscaping around the existing streetfront easements for electrical transformers and related facilities wherever possible, or provide natural boulder or other rockscaping features to soften appearance of these facilities. The commissioners thanked the applicant’s representatives for the opportunity to comment on their preliminary design and for their willingness to work with the Commission. A roll call vote was taken, and the motion carried with six ayes (Hetherington, Au Hoy, Akina, Andreae, Dahlberg and Sullenberger) and two absent and excused (Broderson and Stanbro). ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Mr. Child informed the commissioners that there were tentatively two items on the agenda for the next meeting scheduled for October 21, 2014. He added that one of them was a revised design for a three-story commercial-residential building, of which the Commission had reviewed and denied the initial design on July 22, 2014. 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 Dahlberg 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 3