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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-10-01 Hearing Transcript - Joycare, LLC WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 1, 2015 JOYCARE, LLC (USE 15-053) A regularly advertised hearing on the application of was called to order at 9:22 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, Donald Ikeda, and Raylene Moses. ABSENT & EXCUSED: Donn Dela Cruz. 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), Christian Kay (Staff Planner), and Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary). And approximately 10 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: JOYCARE, LLC (USE 15-053) Application for a Use Permit to allow the construction and establishment of an adult residential care home (group living facility) for up to 16 unrelated adults within the Multiple-Family Residential (RM-1) zoning district. The property is located on the east side of Kapiʻolani Street, approximately 620 feet south from the intersection with Kapiʻolani Street and Ponahawai Street, South Hilo, Hawai‘i, TMK: 2-3-018:072. MIYASATO: The third item on today’s agenda is Joycare, LLC. DARROW: Thank you. If I can direct your attention to our last presentation this morning. This is for Joycare, LLC. They are requesting a Use Permit. The area of the subject application and property are within the South Hilo District of Hawaiʽi. More specifically, we’re looking pretty close to Downtown Hilo, which is the cross-hatched area. You’ll see again the different colors on the map representing the different types of zoning. The subject property is identified with a black outline, and this is located along Kapiolani Street between Ponohawai Street and Hualālai. This is the County zoning map, again representing the different types of zoning in the area for the County. The yellow, again, represents Single-Family Residential. The darker color brown is representing Multiple Family Residential type zoning, and then we also have the higher density commercial zoning identified in a darker red. 1 EXHIBIT C This is our General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map for the area. This happens to be right on the edge of the High Density Urban uses as well as Medium Density Urban uses. And, this is an aerial photo. Just for reference running through the middle of the screen is Kapiolani Street. This is the Alenaio Stream that runs just on the south border of the property. You’ll notice there are different uses in the area--a lot of commercial uses on the east side of the map as well as apartments on the west side of the map. And there are some single-family residential type uses, but this area is in transition. The applicant is requesting a Use Permit to allow the construction and establishment of an adult residential care home which we define in our Zoning Code as a group living facility for up to 16 unrelated adults within the Multiple Family Residential, RM-1, zoning district. The new facility will be a two-story, 8,000-square foot, State licensed adult residential care home which they define as an ARCH. It will consist of 12 rooms and 16 beds which will be nine private rooms and three shared rooms. The objective of the request is that the facility is planned as an ARCH Type 2 facility which will provide 24-hour living accommodations to no more than 16 unrelated adults who require minimal assistance in their daily living activities and personal and health care services, but who do not need the professional health services provided in an intermediate skilled nursing or acute care facility. This is the submitted site plan that was part of the application. For reference, on the lower portion of the map, we have Kapiolani Street, and you can see on the left side, or the right side of the map, we have the Alenaio Stream. The facility is identified in this area on the property. You’re going to have an access point here that will bring to a parking area as well as another access point in this general area. We have some site photos of the subject property. This is on Kapiolani Street looking towards Ponahawai Street, so looking towards the west. The subject property is on the right. On this one, we’re looking towards Hualālai on Kapiolani. The subject property is on the left. This is looking at the subject property. Currently, there’s just some temporary tents for parking on the property. There has been some minor construction activities, getting ready for grading and some rock wall construction. This is a particular small rock wall in place. This location on the property will serve as the driveway access to the parking area which comes around to the lower portion of the property. This is a picture of the improvements to the Alenaio streambed with the subject property on the left. 2 EXHIBIT C The Planning Director is recommending that the Planning Commission approve this Use Permit request with the added conditions. Just for your information, we have received a response letter from the Offices of Yeh & Moore after the subject Background and Recommendation was rd submitted to the Planning Commission. This is dated September 23, and it is mainly speaking about the sewer line hookup that there was some issues that arose with the comment letter that came up, but subsequent to that, we were able to resolve those stringent requirements of having to do the major improvements. So, currently, the Condition 9 in our Use Permit application says that they have to do the improvements within their property and then meet with the requirements of the Department of Environmental Management in hooking up with the sewer main. Additionally, they’ve submitted a new consolidation resubdivision map that’s different than the one that’s in our, our proposed, the proposed map that was submitted previously. So, this one looks like the change will be instead of actual change on the property as far as property lines, there will be an easement created, and so that’s part of that letter. The reason why they’re here is because in our Zoning Code, if you go beyond eight unrelated individuals, then you need to come in for a Use Permit, so they’re proposing 16. With that, that concludes our presentation. Thank you. MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions for staff? Thank you. Will the applicant or its representatives please come forward? Good morning, could you please raise your right hand? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Hawaiʽi County Planning Commission? RAZNOV: Yes, I do. MIYASATO: Could you please state your name and residence? RAZNOV: My name is Jill Raznov, and my residence is in Orchidland. MIYASATO: Do you have a presentation or anything to add? RAZNOV: I would just like to thank the Commissioners, Chairman, Planning Director, Corporation Counsel, for their time today. I’d like to thank staff—Mr. Darrow for his assistance on this project, for his excellent Background Report. We have no objections to the recommended conditions. We would just like to say that this project would fill a great need in this community. There’s no similar ARCH Type 2 facility in this area, in Hilo. The proximity to the hospital, the medical facilities above to Hilo, proper—is an excellent thing, and we’d just like to point out that some of the amenities that this type of project has that no other ARCH facility has in the area would be a therapeutic pool with a handicap ramp, water seating. It would have three kitchens on site with a chef to control the dietary requirements for the people who live in the facility. It would have recreation areas indoors and outdoors. 3 EXHIBIT C As I pointed out, it would be, have close proximity to town, medical facilities—also, the police station. It would have an on-site van to assist its residents to get to where they need to go. It would have on-site security. There’s a staff apartment for 24/7 care. And, I just wanted to point out that this is not like the Life Care facility. It’s sort of a, more like a, a recovery facility or an interim facility to provide assisted living for those residents who cannot provide for themselves. And, I’d like to point out that the operator of the facility, Joyce Oli, who’s a nurse, currently, she works at the Life Care facility, is in the audience behind me in the purple. And, if there’s any questions from the Commissioners, I’d be happy to answer them. Thank you. MIYASATO: Thank you. Commissioners, any questions? If not, thank you. Is there anyone wishing to testify on this application? Can I have a motion to close public testimony? IKEDA: Move to close public testimony. MOSES: Second. MIYASATO: All in favor? COMMISSIONERS: Aye. MIYASATO: Any opposed? I call a close to public testimony on this application. Commissioners, any discussion on this application? If not, I’ll accept a motion. IKEDA: Mr. Chairman, I move that the application for the Use Permit, Docket No. USE 15-053 be approved based on the Planning Director’s findings, recommendation, and proposed conditions which shall be adopted. MOSES: Second. MIYASATO: Okay, I have a motion by Commissioner Ikeda and a second by Commissioner Moses. Any discussion on this motion? If not, you can call the roll. DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With that, we’ll take the roll. Commissioner Ikeda? IKEDA: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Moses? MOSES: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Heaukulani? HEAUKULANI: Aye. 4 EXHIBIT C DARROW: Commissioner Henkel? HENKEL: Aye. DARROW: And Mr. Chairman. MIYASATO: Aye. DARROW: The motion passes five to zero. MIYASATO: You’ll be notified in writing. RAZNOV (from audience): Thank you very much, Commissioners. MIYASATO: You’re welcome. The discussion ended at 9:35 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 5 EXHIBIT C