2015-11-05 Hearing Transcript - Milo Street Ventures REZ 671

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WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT NOVEMBER 5, 2015 MILO STREET A regularly advertised hearing on the revocation of Special Permit No. 671 for VENTURES, INC. was called to order at 9:11 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, Donn Dela Cruz, Charles Heaukulani, Gregory Henkel, Donald Ikeda, and Raylene Moses. 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), Lucas Mead (Staff Planner), Maija Jackson (Staff Planner), Christian Kay (Staff Planner), and Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary). And approximately 22 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: MILO STREET VENTURES, INC. (REVOKE SPP 671) Request for the revocation of Special Permit No. 671, originally approved by the Planning Commission on August 15, 1988 and issued to Hawai‘i Anthurium Growers Cooperative to allow for the establishment of a processing and packing facility for anthuriums and other flowers and foliage on 2.082 acres of land situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The property is located on the south side of Milo Street, approximately 500 feet east of the Milo Street–Kea‘au Bypass intersection, Kea‘au, Puna, Hawai‘i, TMK: 1-6-152:020 (formerly TMK: 1-6-003:021). MIYASATO: Second item on today’s agenda, Milo Street Ventures, Inc. JACKSON: Staff didn’t prepare a presentation for this next item because it’s fairly straightforward. The applicant sent in a letter to the Planning Department requesting that their Special Permit 671 be revoked. The permit was issued in 1988 to Hawaiʽi Anthurium Growers Cooperative, and the purpose of the permit was to establish a processing and packing facility for growing anthu—for packing anthuriums and other flowers. They established the facility back in the 1990’s, and they’ve been operating in there since then. What--what’s happened is the State law recently changed in 2012, and it made it less restrictive for a lot of uses to occur in the Ag District. So, a packing facility for flowers and anthuriums is currently permitted in the State Land Use Agricultural District. So, the applicant is requesting to be released from their permit so that they can pursue either other Ag opportunities or continue to do the packing plant as it is occurring now. And, the Planning Director supports their request to revoke the permit. 1 EXHIBIT B