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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-02-19 Leeward Exh B (SPP 14-171) LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT FEBRUARY 19, 2015 KING OF KINGS CHURCH A regularly advertised hearing on the application of (SPP-14-000171) was called to order at 10:07 a.m. in the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Community Center, Building G, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, with Chairman Brandi Beaudet presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Brandi Beaudet, Thomas Hickcox, Collin Kaholo, Barbara Nobriga and Thomas Whittemore ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Keith Unger ALSO PRESENT: Danny Patel (Deputy Corporation Counsel), Bobby Command (Deputy Planning Director), Maija Jackson (Planner), Christian Kay (Planner) and Noriko Sauer (Commission Secretary) And approximately ten people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: KING OF KINGS CHURCH (SPP-14-000171) Application for a Special Permit to establish King of Kings Church (Congregational) and related uses and improvements, including the establishment of a new private cemetery, on approximately 3.048 acres of land situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The project site is located adjacent to the north of Harold H. Higashihara Park on East Honalo Road which parallels nd Kuakini Highway, Keauhou 2, North Kona, Hawai‘i, TMK: 7-8-005:026. BEAUDET: The third agenda item for today is King of Kings Church, application for a Special Permit to establish King of Kings Church and related uses and improvements, including the establishment of a new private cemetery, on approximately 3.048 acres. KAY: Thank you. Good morning, Commissioners. The next application is for a Special Permit. The subject parcel for the Special Permit application is in the district of North Kona outlined here in red. For reference, here is Kuakini Highway running north-south through the slide. The subject parcel lies between the County’s Higashihara Park to the south and the private Kona Chinese Cemetery to the north. A little bit closer view, we see again the subject parcel outlined in red, and if I can call you attention to this dashed line here, although we don’t see it located within the State’s right-of-way, this is actually East Honalo Road, which is the road that is used to access both the park and the subject parcel. Taking look at the surrounding zoning, the subject parcel is zoned Agricultural-5 acres; across the highway there is a focus of Agriculgural-1 acre and some Residential and Agricultural-0.5 acre zoning. This is the State’s Land Use Map; the subject parcel is in the Agricultural District, with the, in this yellow color Rural District that kind of corresponds with the Residential and Agricultural zoning. The General Plan LUPAG Map shows again that the parcel is in Important Agricultural Lands designation, with again Rural designation across the way coordinating with the State Land Use Rural designation. And then very quickly, this is the Kona CDP Land Use Map showing that the subject parcel is outside of the Kona Urban Area, as well as outside of a Rural Town TOD according to the map. 1 EXHIBIT B This is an aerial photograph of the subject parcel; again, Kuakini Highway running north-south, and the turnoff to East Honalo Road, the road is here, kind of shown in a white line. Here is Higashihara Park, the Kona Chinese Cemetery, and then the subject parcel kind of between the two. The applicant is requesting a Special Permit to develop an approximately 1,701-square foot, single-story church and an approximately 612-square foot meeting room and administrative office, which will be connected by a six-foot wide breezeway. The applicant also plans to develop an interior 24-foot wide asphalt paved driveway with vehicular turnaround leading to a paved, on-site asphalt parking area to accommodate up to 29 vehicles and ADA accessible stalls. Finally, the applicant plans to develop a new private cemetery pursuant to Chapter 6, Article 1 of Hawai‘i County Code, which requires County Council approval. There are approximately a dozen current congregants, with expected to increase to approximately 30 by the end of the year and within ten years to grow to about 200 congregants. According to the application, church services will be held on Sundays between 9:00 and 1:00 p.m. Administrative operations and functions will be conducted on Monday, Wednesday and/or Friday between 8:00 and 4:30 p.m., with occasional church related social or spiritual gatherings, fellowship functions, meetings and special events, not to exceed 10:00 p.m. may be held throughout the week. Taking a quick look at the applicant’s site plan, again for orientation this is East Honalo Road, this is the driveway that will go down to the parking area, the church showing here and the administrative office showing behind it. Here are some elevations for the chapel and the administrative building, and also kind of a floor plan showing the chapel here with entryway, pews and the seating area in the back, and then the administrative office building behind. And you’ll see outside front and rear elevations again showing the chapel and the administrative office. Here is a photograph we took of the access from Kuakini Highway, turning onto East Honalo Road, with the subject parcel toward the back here. In fact, East Honalo Road dead-ends in front of the subject parcel. A little closer view here showing the entrance, the park is here on the left and the subject parcel is here toward the back. Difficult to see because of the scrub, but this is the approximate location of the driveway off of East Honalo Road. And this photograph was taken from the parking area of, one of the parking areas of the park, which shows kind of an approximate location of the church. The parcel actually slopes down from East Honalo Road coming down and kind of flattens out toward the back of the parcel. And if we look back at the site map, that’s showing where the church is set to be built. The Planning Director’s recommendation is approval of the Special Permit with conditions. With that, I’m happy to answer any questions the Commission may have. BEAUDET: Commissioners, any questions or comments for staff? COMMAND: Mr. Chairman? BEAUDET: Yes, sir. COMMAND: I’d like to ask a question of the staff. The property next door, Chinese Cemetery, it’s just a name only, right? The Chinese Cemetery is up on the top there. There is no real cemetery there, right? I’m just curious because it says Chinese Cemetery. 2 EXHIBIT B KAY: The application refers to that as the Kona Chinese Cemetery. And it’s difficult to tell from the aerial photography whether or not there are any grave sites there. BEAUDET: Okay. Maybe the applicant can clarify that. I’m just, I’m just interested because it says Chinese Cemetery on it and I don’t recall there being a cemetery there. NOBRIGA: Bobby, there is a church facility up there, and I believe there is a small cemetery, but somehow I believe it’s affiliated with Moku‘aikaua Church. Off of that East Honalo Road that you speak of, up on the hill there, it is a church property. COMMAND: Because if you follow that property up, you’ll come out to where Keauhou Store is, and there is a Chinese Cemetery there, right? NOBRIGA: In Keauhou Mauka the Chinese Cemetery is next to Keauhou Store, yes. But that is a good mile away from this. COMMAND: Right. I’m just curious because it does say Chinese Cemetery on it. NOBRIGA: I don’t know about that being a Chinese Cemetery, but I do know that there is one in there that I do believe is associated with Moku‘aikaua. BEAUDET: Any other comments or questions? Thank you. With that, will the applicant please come forward? Will you all please raise your right hands? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Leeward Planning Commission? APPLICANTS: I do. BEAUDET: If you could start with an introduction of yourself. And please speak into the mike when you do that. TRIANTOS: Mr. Chairman, Members of the Commission, my name is Robert Triantos. I’m the attorney for the King of Kings Congregational Church. To my left is Dr. Henry Boshard who, as Commissioner Nobriga says, will probably be able to answer the question that she had. And to my right is Jack Parazette; he is the architect for the project. BEAUDET: Thank you. Did you receive the Planning Director’s background report and recommendation report? TRIANTOS: We did. Thank you. BEAUDET: Do you agree with the recommendations and the conditions? TRIANTOS: We do as stated, no amendments or anything like that. BEAUDET: If you could please proceed with your presentation. TRIANTOS: I, as staff said, the Church is looking to a place to church in the area next to the existing, what would you want to call it, park area. Just to answer maybe some of the questions Commissioners brought up earlier, we do not know of any burials in the Chinese Cemetery; we 3 EXHIBIT B think that’s a name only. But Commissioner Nobriga is correct – and I don’t know if we have the map up there we can show you – this parcel was carved off of, we did a consolidation and resubdivision of another parcel, and the other parcel was owned by Moku‘aikaua Church, and that does have on the – that’s correct – where he is pointing there is Moku‘aikaua Church property, which has a few burials on it to my understanding, but not on our property at this time, and none of we know of in what is denominated, as Mr. Command says, as the Chinese Cemetery. And we agree with the recommendations of the Commission and the Planning Director and Planning Department and staff, and we want to thank them for the work on this. Contrary to what’s believed, I’m an attorney but I’m going to shut up now. And if you have any questions, we will be happy to address those. BEAUDET: Thank you. Commissioners, any questions or comments for the applicant? Okay, with that, oh, okay. HICKCOX: There was mention in the initial presentation that there were plans to have a burial location also on the property. Is it in this particular parcel? TRIANTOS: Yes. That would be contained within this particular parcel, not affiliated with Moku‘aikaua Church, but we would have our own. And we are asking, and that would be a future, it’s the use being permitted, then we would have to go through procedures in the future to get a final approval for the burial site, cemetery. HICKCOX: Right. KAY: Commissioner Hickcox, if I may. I’m sorry to interrupt. I failed to point it out, this is roughly the area they’re thinking about having the private cemetery on the parcel. HICKCOX: Thank you. TRIANTOS: Thank you, Commissioner. BEAUDET: For the record, I’d just like to – thank you, thank you for the presentation, and if there is no further comments, then, thank you, you may take your seats – for the record, I’d just like to note that there has been no testifiers, or request for testifiers. We will proceed with no further discussion. So with no further discussion, Commissioners, I’d like to ask for a motion of action. NOBRIGA: I move on SPP 14-000171, I recommend a favorable recommendation for this project. PATEL: Just to be clear, that’s based on the Planning Director’s findings and recommendation and proposed condition? NOBRIGA: Correct. For the King of King’s Church. Correct. WHITTEMORE: Second. BEAUDET: It has been moved for a favorable recommendation by Commissioner Nobriga and seconded by Commissioner Hickcox, oh, Whittemore, seconded by Commissioner Whittemore. Any discussion or comments, Commissioners? With that, staff, could you take a roll call vote? 4 EXHIBIT B KAY: Yes, sir. Commissioner Nobriga? NOBRIGA: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Whittemore? WHITTEMORE: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Hickcox? HICKCOX: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Kaholo? KAHOLO: Aye. KAY: And Chair Beaudet? BEAUDET: Aye. KAY: Okay, motion passes, five to zero. I’m sorry, just to clarify, did we say “approve” or “favorable recommendation?” BEAUDET: We did say “favorable recommendation,” but the motion should be for approval. KAY: Okay, so shall we --. BEAUDET: -- Do you want to restate that? KAY: Is that up to Corporation Counsel? PATEL: Commissioner Nobriga, if you just would want to confirm. NOBRIGA: Confirm approval. PATEL: And you can --. WHITTEMORE: -- Confirm my second. PATEL: Yeah, we are good. KAY: Okay, thank you. The discussion ended at 10:21 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Noriko Sauer, Secretary Leeward Planning Commission 5 EXHIBIT B