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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-05 Hearing Transcript - COH Mass Transit Agency SPP 15-182 WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT NOVEMBER 5, 2015 COUNTY OF HAWAIʽI MASS A regularly advertised hearing on the application of TRANSIT AGENCY (SPP 15-182) was called to order at 11:25 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), Christian Kay (Staff Planner), and Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary). And approximately 6 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MASS TRANSIT AGENCY (SPP 15-182) Application for a Special Permit to establish and operate a baseyard and maintenance facility on an approximately 5.34 acre portion of a 40-acre parcel of land situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The project site is located to the south of the Hilo Sanitary Landfill and adjacent to the southeast of existing quarries within the district of Waiākea, South Hilo, Hawai'i, TMK: 2-1-013:Por. 148. MIYASATO: The last item on the agenda, number 8, County of Hawaiʽi Mass Transit Agency. KAY: Okay, thank you, Mr. Chair, and we’re almost there. Knock on wood. The next and final application is for the Hawaiʽi County Mass Transit agency and they’re requesting a Special Permit. See here location map with zoning of the area. This subject 40-acre property is located in the South Hilo District of Hawaiʽi Island; more specifically, in the Panaʽewa area. It’s outlined here in yellow. For reference, this gray area here is the Hilo Airport. This lighter gray area here is the, the South Hilo Sanitary Landfill. Can’t see, and you’ll see it a little bit better when we zoom in, but there are three quarry operations directly adjacent to the subject property. And then back over here, roughly in this general area, is the Panaʽewa Drag Strip. Difficult to see on this map, but Hoʽolaulima Road accesses this property. It’s also known as the Panaʽewa Drag Strip Road. Zooming in a little bit closer, again, you see the subject property outlined in yellow, and sorry, a little bit difficult to see, but outlined in blue is the roughly five-acre project area which is a portion of the larger 40-acre parcel. Zoning for the subject parcel is Agricultural – 20 acres. The 1 EXHIBIT H blue area here is the Panaʽewa Homestead area, and this is Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and then up here again is just the back end of the, of the sanitary landfill in Industrial zoning. The Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map from the General Plan shows the subject parcel and most the surrounding area in Important Agricultural Lands. Also, there’s a portion of the 40-acre parcel that’s Extensive Agriculture, and in this mustard color, Low Density Urban. To the south of the subject parcel, you can again see the outline a little bit better on this slide showing the project area. State Land Use for the subject parcel and surrounding area is Agricultural with a little bit of Urban up in the top center here. Here’s an aerial photograph of the area. Again, you’ll see Hoʽolaulima Road or, or Panaʽewa Drag Strip Road that accesses the parcel. Again, outlined in yellow is the proposed project area. The applicant is requesting a Special Permit to establish and operate a base yard and maintenance facility on approximately 5.34 acres of a larger 40-acre subject property. The proposed development will include the construction of a 26,500-square foot building with 19,500 square feet of warehouse space for transit vehicle maintenance, washing, and repair for a fleet of 55 buses. And, also, there will be office space in this structure as well for a mass transit administration. Normal business hours are proposed from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. However, according to the applicant, mechanics may begin their work as early as 5 a.m. and stay as late as 11 p.m., depending on need. There will be approximately 11 employees shifted from where the current maintenance base yard area is at Schultz Siding to this area as well as office and administrative staff. Here is the applicant’s site plan. Again, Hoʽolaulima Road here. As you can see, there are going, proposing two driveway entrances. The building will be here, and parking and base yard area for the buses. Here are some site photos—just views of the project site. Again, this is Hoʽolaulima Road. In this case, the project is on, the project area is on the left hand side. It’s currently vacant and overgrown with vegetation. Here’s a view looking east on Hoʽolaulima Road with the project site on the right hand side, and then again looking left, pardon me, west on Hoʽolaulima Road with the project site being on the left hand side. I just wanted to give you an idea of the condition of Hoʽolaulima Road as well. The Director is recommending approval with conditions on this application. There are a few things I wanted to point out. We got this morning, it’s this a—this blue letter here from the Moku o Keawe Homestead Alliance, and just wanted to address the project as well as Condition 2 EXHIBIT H No. 4. There’s just a typographical error. The last sentence says any substantial expansion of the meeting house facility. That should say maintenance facility, so we’ll go ahead and change that with the final recommendation. With that, I am happy to answer any questions the Commission may have on the application. MIYASATO: Any questions, Commissioners? Thank you. KAY: Thank you. MIYASATO: Will the applicant or representative please come forward? Good morning. HAWK: Good morning. MIYASATO: 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? HAWK: I do. MIYASATO: State your name and residence. HAWK: I’m Christina Hawk. I’m a consultant working with MTA. My office address is 747 Amana Street, Honolulu. MIYASATO: Okay, do you have anything to add or any comments? HAWK: We just wanted to add that the recommendation was very thorough, and that we don’t have any issues or concerns with any of the conditions presented. MIYASATO: Okay, Commissioners, any questions? If not, okay, thank you. HAWK: Thank you. MIYASATO: We have one testifier, Sue Lee Loy. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Hawaiʽi County Planning Commission? LEE LOY: Yes. MIYASATO: Please state your name and residence. LEE LOY: Aloha Chairman and members of the Windward Planning Commission. My name is Sue Lee Loy. I got asked to present this testimony on behalf of Moku o Keawe Homestead Alliance. A number of them are either travelling to Waimea to participate in the Naʽi Aupuni delegate conversation so they’re on their way and others have just started in and out to get back to work. 3 EXHIBIT H So, on behalf of the Moku o Keawe Homestad Alliance, they are a group of homestead associations, both here in Hilo, Waimea, Kona, and Kaʽu. And, basically, they want to support one another on different issues that may impact different homestead associations across the island. This particular application with the County, they’re supporting. The County did a wonderful job at engaging the community and listening to their concerns as specifically related to noise. And, so when they read the conditions of approval, two conditions popped out for them. One was Condition 4 and the other was Condition 12. And they just wanted to go on record that they wanted to give it the greatest amount of flexibility so that if there were concerns from adjacent residents, that the applicants wouldn’t have to come back and amend the permit. That they would have, you know, an open dialogue for them to call the County or Tiffany folks over at Mass Transit to say hey, it’s getting loud, or some issues, or there’s something going on. I think they just wanted to be good neighbors, but also allow the County to be good neighbors back. So, in summarizing really, it is a testimony in support, but to just go on record to give the County the greatest flexibility to have their concerns addressed. MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions? Thank you. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on this application? If not, Commissioners, 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, can I have a motion on this application? MOSES: I’d like to make a motion, Chair. I move that the application for Special Permit No. 15-182 be approved based on the Planning Director’s recommendation, findings, and proposed conditions which shall be adopted. IKEDA: Second. MIYASATO: That is with the amendment to Condition 4? MOSES: It is. MIYASATO: Okay, I have a motion by Commissioner Moses and a second by Commissioner Ikeda. Any discussion? If not, you can call the roll. 4 EXHIBIT H KAY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Commissioner Moses? MOSES: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Ikeda? IKEDA: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Dela Cruz? DELA CRUZ: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Heaukulani? HEAUKULANI: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Henkel? HENKEL: Aye. KAY: And Chair Miyasato. MIYASATO: Aye. KAY: Okay, thank you, the motion passes six, nothing. MIYASATO: You’ll be notified in writing. KAY: Thank you. MIYASATO: Thank you. The discussion ended at 11:36 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 5 EXHIBIT H