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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-08 Hearing Transcript-LDS SPP 14-170 WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT JANUARY 8, 2015 CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDING A regularly advertised hearing on the application of BISHOP, THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS (SPP 14-170) was called to order at 10:19 a.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 Donald Ikeda. ABSENT & EXCUSED: Raylene Moses and Stephen Ono. ALSO PRESENT: Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), Danny Patel (Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Jeff Darrow (Staff Planner), Maija Cottle (Staff Planner), Christian Kay (Staff Planner), Lucas Mead (Staff Planner), Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary), and Melissa Dacayanan (Planning Commission Support Technician). And approximately 20 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: CORPORATION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOP, THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS (SPP 14-170) Application for a Special Permit to develop and operate a one-story meetinghouse (church) and related improvements on approximately 9.508 acres of land situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The project site is located adjacent to the east of the Hilo Coffee Mill near Mile Marker 13 on Volcano Road (State Highway 11), ‛Ōla‘a Reservation Lots, Puna, TMK: 1- 7-010: 015. MIYASATO: Next item on the agenda, Corporation of the Presiding Bishop, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. KAY: All right, thank you Mr. Chair. Happy New Year. MIYASATO: Thank you. KAY: The next application on the agenda is a request for a Special Permit. The Applicant again is the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The subject property is located in the Puna District of this island between Kurtistown to the east and Mountain View to the west. Sorry, this may be difficult see, but the subject property is here, outlined in red. And it’s directly adjacent to the Hilo Coffee Mill here with the Hawaiian Acres Subdivision highlighted here in blue. For reference, we have Volcano Road running generally 1 EXHIBIT B east to west diagonally through the, through the slide, and the access to the subject parcel is going to be this private road lot here directly adjacent to the west. So, the closer view of the property, you can see that the property does have some frontage here along Volcano Road, again, kind of generally going east to west and as you can see, in this darker green, the subject property is zoned Ag-20 acres, and there’s a mix of Agricultural and Residential zoning surrounding the property. This is the State Land Use Map indicating State Land Use designations. Subject property is Agricultural and in, this is in green. In red, you’ll see an Urban designation which generally corresponds to the Residential zoning in the previous slide. This is the General Plan designation for the property, and some of the surrounding area is Important Agricultural Lands with some Extensive Agricultural here in white and then the mustard color is Low Density Urban. This aerial photograph shows the subject property outlined in white. The property is currently vacant and is largely overgrown with Albizia trees. Outlined in red is the approximately 9.508 acre portion of the property that’s being considered for this Special Permit. So, that’s the delineation there. Again, Volcano Road is here toward the top of the image, and you can see again adjacent to the permit area here is that 50-foot wide road lot that will be the access to the permit area. The Applicant is requesting a Special Permit to develop and operate a meetinghouse or church and related improvements on an approximately 9.508 acres of land. The proposed meetinghouse is 17,274 square feet. It’s a single-story facility and also related improvements include an accessory storage building, a partially lighted 220 stall paved parking lot, and they also propose to pave and maintain a portion of that private access road and also add some landscaping. Church services generally will be held on Sundays. The facility is designed to accommodate three 270-member wards or congregations. And, they’re planning to either overlap their services, roughly 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., or hold back-to-back services between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Other activities will include church related classes on Sunday evenings and activities on some weekdays and evenings, including youth dances, ward fellowship functions, wedding receptions, birthday and graduation celebrations, cub and boyscout activities and programs, and they’ll be held primarily indoors during weekdays and evenings and not typically past 11 p.m. If you can see here, we have the Applicant’s proposed site plan. We’re looking at again the property, the larger piece of property outlined in black with the smaller permit area outlined here in red. Volcano Road in this case, we turned it on its side, so Volcano Road here is running top to bottom on the, on the slide. And, again, here’s a closer view of the 50-foot road lot that will be accessing the facility. There will be partial paving up to, looks like two entry ways into the parking lot area. Got the church building here. Up here in the corner of the green area is the storage shed, and the landscaping is also shown on the site plan. 2 EXHIBIT B And, also, what you see is kind of about 4+ developed acres but with additional acreage for future expansion, if necessary, then the remainder of the parcel in this area will remain undeveloped. This is a view of Volcano Road looking toward Volcano with access to the property, and I’m sorry about the darkness of the photograph, but roughly here, you’ll see the Hilo Coffee Mill structure, here. Beyond that and the next view we’re looking at is the other direction looking toward Hilo. Again, kind of the, the entry area will be roughly here. Here’s the subject parcel, and again Hilo Coffee Mill here in the foreground. So, this is a view of the access to the site from Volcano Road, and looks like it’s been overgrown actually. It used to be mowed, but in, since it hasn’t been used by the neighbors, it’s been overgrown here. So, this is the intersection we’ll be looking at. I had another image, and I’m not sure why it didn’t come in here, but it used to be mowed and you could see that the 50-foot wide access, and again, here the parcel that we’re looking at is to, to the left of the image. So, the Planning Director’s recommendation is to approve this permit with the recommended conditions, and we have not received any public testimony to this point. So, with that, I stand ready to answer any questions you may have. MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions for staff? If not, thank you. KAY: Thank you. MIYASATO: Okay, will the Applicant or representative please come forward? Good morning, could you please raise your right hands? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Hawai‛i County Planning Commission? TAKEMOTO: I do. BOND: Yes. MIYASATO: Please state your name and residence. TAKEMOTO: Roy Takemoto, I’m with PBR Hawai‛i representing the Applicant, 1719 Haleloke Street, Hilo, Hawai‛i. BOND: And I’m Roger Bond, the Applicant, representing the Applicant anyway, and with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I’m the project manager and landowner manager for the State of Hawai‛i, and my address is 511 Hahaione Street, Apartment 11C, in Honolulu, Hawai‛i. MIYASATO: Go ahead, do you have a presentation? 3 EXHIBIT B TAKEMOTO: The only thing that we’d like to present is that we have reviewed the Background Report and Recommendations and we are totally in agreement and accept the, accepting of the conditions. MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions for the Applicant? Okay, thank you. We have no one signed up for public testimony. Is there anyone wishing to testify on this application? You may come forward. Could you please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Hawai‛i County Planning Commission? BAYSA: Yes. MIYASATO: Please state your name and residence. BAYSA: Jeanette Baysa, I’m the owner, one of the owners of the property next door to the Applicant, also being leased by Hilo Coffee Mill. Address is P.O. Box 228, Mountain View, Hawai‛i 96771. Very short. I am in favor of approval of this project. MIYASATO: Thank you. Commissioners, any questions? HEAUKULANI: That was pretty short. MIYASATO: Okay, thank you. Anyone else wishing to testify on this application? If not, we’ll call a close to the public testimony portion. Commissioners, any discussion on this matter? If not, I will accept a motion. IKEDA: Mr. Miyasato, I move that the application for a Special Permit Docket No. SPP 14-170 be approved based on the Planning Director’s Recommendation, findings, and proposed conditions. HEAUKULANI: I’ll second. MIYASATO: Motion by Commissioner Ikeda, seconded by Commissioner Heaukulani. Any discussion? If not, call the roll. KAY: Okay, Commissioner Ikeda? IKEDA: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Heaukulani? HEAUKULANI: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Henkel? HENKEL: Aye. 4 EXHIBIT B KAY: And Chair Miyasato. MIYASATO: Aye. KAY: Okay, the motion passes four, nothing. MIYASATO: You’ll be notified in writing. Thank you. The discussion ended at 10:30 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 5 EXHIBIT B