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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-05 Hearing Transcript - HI Vision Specialists USE 15-054 WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT NOVEMBER 5, 2015 HAWAIʽI VISION SPECIALISTS (USE A regularly advertised hearing on the application of 15-054) was called to order at 9:40 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, Gregory Henkel, Donald Ikeda, and Raylene Moses. ABSENT & EXCUSED: Charles Heaukulani. ALSO PRESENT: Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), Danny Patel (Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), Amy Self (Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Planning Director), Kelly Gomes (representing the Department of Public Works), 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 17 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: HAWAI‘I VISION SPECIALISTS (USE 15-054) Application for a Use Permit to establish and operate a medical office, clinic and related facilities on approximately 1.5 acres of land situated within the County’s Single-Family Residential-7,500 square feet (RS-7.5) and Multiple Family Residential–1,000 square feet (RM-1) zoning districts. The project site is located at the intersection of Kapi‘olani Street and Hualālai Street to st the west (mauka) of the Hilo Police Station, Kukua‘u 1, South Hilo, Hawai‘i, TMK: 2-4- 025:049. MIYASATO: I’d like to call the meeting back to order. Okay, before the next application, Commissioner Heaukulani has been excused, and we have Director Kanuha sitting back in. Okay, we move to Agenda Item No. 4, Hawaiʽi Vision Specialists. KAY: Thank you, Mr. Chair, and good morning members of the Commission. MIYASATO/MOSES: Good morning. KAY: Yeah, so the next application is for a Use Permit. The location of the subject parcel is in the District of South Hilo. Here—and sorry it’s a little difficult to see—outlined in blue is the subject parcel. Running generally north-south through the slide is Kapiolani Street, and running 1 EXHIBIT D generally again north-south way is Hualālai Street. We are located right about here where we’re sitting today, so it’s not too far from where we’re at right now. Zooming in a little bit closer, you’ll see again outlined in blue the subject parcel. Across Kapiolani Street from the subject parcel is the South Hilo Police Station as well as Civil Defense. Kind of kitty corner to the parcel is St. Joseph School. Gymnasium’s located here and the school is located on the parcel further toward where we’re at. The associated zoning as you can see for the subject parcel is split with Multi-Family Residential and Single-Family Residential. Multi-Family is in brown; Single-Family is in yellow. And, the surrounding zoning is, again, Multi-Family, Single-Family and Double-Family Residential zoning. The General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map for the area is Medium Density Urban for the subject parcel, and then in red, High Density Urban across Kapiolani. And for the entire subject parcel and surrounding area, the State Land Use designation is Urban as indicated by the pink color. Here’s an aerial photograph of the subject parcel. Again, you see the Police Station here; the gymnasium for St. Joseph School. Kapiolani Street running along here north to south, and also Hualālai Street running here. You can see the subject parcel has frontages along both Kapiolani and Hualālai Street. Currently, the parcel is vacant and just overgrown with vegetation. On the corner here is a single-family dwelling, and also to the west of the subject parcel is a single- family dwelling. So, the applicant is requesting a Use Permit to establish and operate a medical office, clinic, and related facilities on approximately 1.5 acres of land situated within the County Single-Family Residential – 7,500 square foot zoning and Multiple-Family Residential – 1,000 square foot zoning districts. The applicant is proposing to develop this project in two phases with Phase 1 being a single- story, free-standing ambulatory surgical center building consisting of approximately 3,500 square feet and approximately 26 parking stalls. And, Phase 2 is a 7,000-square foot expansion for an ophthalmic physician’s office space and additional 38 parking spaces. The new facility will offer routine eye care and examinations as well as out-patient surgery. Hours of operation are being proposed as a Monday thru Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, the applicant stated there may be occasions that the office will be open as early as seven and as late as 6 p.m., depending on the needs of the patient. There are two proposed driveway accesses, one each from Kapiolani Street and one from Hualālai. And traffic to the site will be staggered based on scheduled appointments with patients. 2 EXHIBIT D Here is the applicant’s proposed site plan. Here, again, is Kapiolani Street with Hualālai Street here. The main entrance here would be off of Kapiolani Street and all of the parking and structure that is in solid lines would be that Phase 1 with Phase 2 being indicated in kind of more dashed lines. So, that gives you an idea of kind of the phasing of the project. Here is some photographs of the site. This is Hualālai Street with the subject parcel on the right- hand side. This is the carport of that single-family dwelling right on the corner looking more toward Kapiolani Street with the subject parcel on the left. Here is looking down again Kapiolani Street with the Police Station on the right. The subject parcel on the left, and again looking in the other direction, Police Station being on the left and subject parcel on the right. The Director is recommending approval of the Use Permit application with conditions. With that, I am happy to answer any questions the Commission may have. MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions for staff? IKEDA: Yes, I do. MIYASATO: Commissioner Ikeda. IKEDA: You know, when I read this thing, it says that it’s out of the flood zone, but I did see water in that property. I think isn’t there a drainage that goes into the property or one of the properties close by? KAY: Yeah, we were speaking with Public Works on that. Our understanding is there is a, a culvert that runs underneath Kapiolani Street that takes water from the subject parcel across to the Police Station property. According to the FIRM Map, it is in Flood Zone “X” and we, in our conditions, required a drainage study be, be conducted. IKEDA: Okay, no I just didn’t want to, the doctor to get in trouble later on. KAY: Understood, thank you. MIYASATO: Commissioners, any further questions for staff? Thank you. KAY: Thank you. MIYASATO: Can we have the applicant or representative please come forward? Could you please both raise your right hands? Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Hawaiʽi County Planning Commission? FUKE/DRISCOLL: I do. 3 EXHIBIT D MIYASATO: Okay, state your name and residence. DRISCOLL: Jana Driscoll, 598 Kaanini Street, Hilo, Hawaii 96720. FUKE: And, again, for the record, Sidney Fuke, Planning Consultant. I’m here representing the applicant, Hawaiʽi Vision Specialists. MIYASATO: Go ahead. FUKE: Yeah, seated to my left is the applicant, and her husband is the ophthalmologist so you know, he’s the one that does all of the surgery. She happens to also be my, my—my vision specialist, a very good one at that. I’d like to, you know, just more like sidebar kind of information, she just gave birth to a cute little baby girl. She’s over there. Her name is Mia, yeah? DRISCOLL: Yeah, Mia. FUKE: Yeah, so, just ten days old so after a little while, if you want to squeeze or touch her cheeks, feel free to do so. Anyway, like a, they’ve had a chance to review the staff’s proposed conditions and found them to be acceptable. They were very appreciative of, you know, the support that the staff had given. They currently, their current operations at the former Bay, Bay Light Clinic, you know like on Kalanianaole Avenue, just directly across of the Hukilau Hotel, and they’re currently renting that place right now, and as you probably all know, if you travel back and forth that area, it’s very difficult to get in and out of that property. And, especially, if you’re gonna go there for some vision issues, it becomes to some extent a little bit nervous for their patients so over the last year and a half, they’ve been kind of searching for properties and finally they settled on this one because it’s not only convenient you know for the residents of this side of the island, but more than that, it provides good sight distance on Kapiolani Street, and then again, you also have the Police Station directly across of it to provide some measure of I guess security conscious, you know, comfort for them. But, aside from that, I think that your staff’s Background Report was fairly comprehensive, and so if there are any questions that the Commissioners may have, we’d be more than happy to answer. MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions for the applicant? If not, thank you. FUKE: Thank you. MIYASATO: Is there anyone wishing to testify on this application? If not, can I have a motion to close public testimony? MOSES: I make a motion to close public testimony. IKEDA: Second. 4 EXHIBIT D MIYASATO: All in favor? COMMISSIONERS: Aye. MIYASATO: Any opposed? Okay, I call a close to public testimony on this application. Commissioners, I’ll accept a motion on this application. MOSES: I move that the application for a Use Permit, Docket No. Use 15-054 be approved based on the Planning Director’s findings, recommendation, and proposed conditions which shall be adopted. IKEDA: Second. MIYASATO: I have a motion by Commissioner Moses and a second by Commissioner Ikeda. Any discussion on this motion? If not, you can call the roll. KAY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Commissioner Moses? MOSES: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Ikeda? IKEDA: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Dela Cruz? DELA CRUZ: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Henkel? HENKEL: Aye. KAY: And Chair Miyasato. MIYASATO: Aye. KAY: Okay, motion passes five-zero. MIYASATO: You’ll be notified in writing. DRISCOLL: Thank you. 5 EXHIBIT D MIYASATO: You’re welcome. The discussion ended at 9:51 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 6 EXHIBIT D