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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-17 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES Meeting Date: November 17, 2015 Time: 5:18 p.m. Place: West Hawai‘i Civic Center nd Planning Department Conference Room – Building E, 2 Floor 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, 96740 CALL TO ORDER Commissioners Present: Paul Bleck, Alvin Akina, Jr., Theresa Andreae, Fanny Au Hoy, Adam Broderson, Ann Kern and Zon Sullenberger Absent and Excused: Peter Dahlberg and Shaun Roth Planning Department: Bennett Mark, Keola Childs, Terry Dunlap and Noriko Sauer Applicant/Representative: Fritz Harris-Glade Public: None A quorum was present. Chair Bleck called the meeting to order and the Commissioners introduced themselves. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of the Meeting of September 1, 2015 It was moved by Commissioner Au Hoy and seconded by Commissioner Andreae that the minutes be approved as circulated. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS – None. NEW BUSINESS 1. Design review of a sign variance application for two wall signs and ground sign for Holiday Inn Express and Suites. The proposed signage is revised from that reviewed by the Kailua Village Design Commission on May 6, 2014. Applicant: FHG Architects AIA, LLC. Landowner: Kona Hospitality LLC. TMK: 7-5-007:009. Located at 75-146 Sarona Road, between Kuakini Highway and Ali‘i Drive. Mr. Childs distributed copies of a letter dated May 13, 2014 (Exhibit 1) from the Commission to the Public Works Director regarding its action on this hotel establishment’s previous variance application reviewed at the meeting of May 6, 2014, recommending size and design modifications. The requested variance was subsequently denied by the County Council; therefore, this revised proposal was submitted. Mr. Childs also distributed copies of a memorandum in opposition dated November 1 16, 2015 (Exhibit 2) from Commissioner Roth to the Commission, who was unable to attend this meeting. Mr. Childs displayed some photographs of the subject property, and noted the disadvantage of the property location being off the main thoroughfare, which makes visibility and access-finding a challenge. He also showed some photographs of the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel and its signage, which in contrast has the benefit of wide frontage along Ali‘i Drive. Mr. Childs summarized the proposed signs and the design revisions from the previous application. He pointed out a discrepancy in the size of the new wall sign within the applicant’s submittal where the Sign Permit Application form indicated 18 square feet whereas the specifications indicated 24 square feet. Mr. Childs suggested that the Commissioners keep in mind the following as discussion points during their deliberation: Signage locations, shiny materials and illumination impact. The applicant, Fritz Harris-Glade, introduced himself as the representative for the brand franchise operator. He said that they had to meet very specific standards in order to carry the Holiday Inn Express brand, and that those standards conflicted with the signage guidelines for the Kailua Village. He said that having served on the Commission he was conversant with the guidelines and community concerns, and that his challenge was to find the middle ground between those and the franchisor’s corporate policy. He also said that his client’s chief objective was to provide wayfinding, rather than to sell the hotel rooms. The Commissioners asked about the possibility of installing directional signage in a location, even if it were to be off site, where the signage would be more visible. Mr. Harris-Glade responded that his client had already made the attempt, but that they could not get the neighboring landowners’ cooperation. Commissioner Au Hoy pointed out that glary or brightly lit signs were not welcomed in the Kailua Village Core area. Commissioner Andreae agreed, but at the same time expressed her concern about the safety of motorists, especially at night, having difficulty in finding their destination, and said that she would agree to one illuminated sign. Commissioner Broderson passed around his cellphone with a display of an evening photograph of illuminated signs of another Holiday Inn Express and Suites establishment. The Commissioners’ consensus was to allow dimmed-down illumination that is visible within a block or from the intersection of Kuakini Highway and Henry Street, but not beyond. Commissioner Broderson also mentioned that his research showed that the franchisor seemed to have agreed to changes from its corporate policy in other locations. Sign Number 1. New wall sign above the main entrance facing Sarona Road: Mr. Harris-Glade presented an alternate design for this sign, with the franchise name in a single line following the green and white “H” logo square, making the length longer and the height lower. After a brief discussion Mr. Harris-Glade and the Commissioners agreed that the “H” logo should be centered above the name line for design symmetry with the building’s architecture (Exhibit “A”). 2 It was moved by Commissioner Kern and seconded by Commissioner Sullenberger that the Commission forward a favorable recommendation to the Public Works Director for the proposed new wall sign as approximately shown on Exhibit “A,” with the following recommendations: a.The “H” logo should have a maximum dimension of 16 inches by 16 inches to keep scaling appropriate to this narrow, light and slow traffic street frontage location; b.The text lettering should be raised, and painted with a non-reflective blue or green; and c.Indirect lighting, rather than interior illumination, is preferred to illuminate the sign, particularly due to its being situated within and oriented toward the Kailua Village Core area. In either case, the Commission requests that a sign permit include a limitation on the light intensity to be no more lumens than necessary for this sign to be visible from a distance equivalent to the distance between the sign and the Kuakini Highway-Henry Street intersection, approximately 700 feet. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with six ayes (Kern, Sullenberger, Akina, Andreae, Au Hoy and Broderson) and two absent and excused (Dahlberg and Roth). Sign Numbers 2 and 3. New ground signs along Sarona Road: Mr. Harris-Glade proposed to change the signage locations from the sides of the electrical equipment enclosure to the mauka and makai driveway entrances, and also to simplify the design by eliminating the franchise name and instead using an arrow with the “H” logo to guide the traffic into the respective driveways. Mr. Dunlap suggested that the applicant and the Commissioners also consider further simplifying the design by using only the logo, with no arrow, in the same size as that of Sign Number 1 above. It was moved by Commissioner Broderson and seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy that the Commission forward a favorable recommendation to the Public Works Director for the proposed ground signs, subject to the following revisions: a.No signage should be placed on the sides of the electrical equipment enclosure, due to (1) limited visibility and distance from the principal, or mauka, entrance, and (2) drawing undesirable attention to this utility feature; b.Instead, two separate ground signs of reduced size are recommended, each having a single face and to be placed at or very close to the respective mauka and makai driveway entrances, orienting either toward Sarona Road, or only mauka or only makai as appropriate to the principal direction of approach to each driveway; and c.The two ground signs should be redesigned to comprise only the green and white “H” logo, thus serving primarily as directional signs at driveway entrances, with the size of the logo limited to the same as the size recommended for the main entrance wall sign, specifically 3 16 inches by 16 inches. These signs may be internally illuminated, due to their positioning close to ground level, but with a limitation on allowable illumination intensity to a one-block distance. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with six ayes (Broderson, Au Hoy, Akina, Andreae, Kern and Sullenberger) and two absent and excused (Dahlberg and Roth). Sign Number 4. Relocation of existing temporary wall sign from Sarona Road frontage to Kuakini Highway frontage: The Commissioners were supportive of the proposed new location for this sign, namely at the third floor elevation at the southeast corner of the building wall facing Kuakini Highway. In response to the Commissioners’ discussion about the possibility of eliminating the franchise name from this sign as well, Mr. Harris-Glade said that in this case the franchisor would not allow use of the logo without the name. The Commissioners again expressed their concern in general about inappropriately bright lighting emanating from the Kailua Village Core area, which can create an undesirable effect on the future mix of residential and business use of this area, as envisioned in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona. The consensus among the Commissioners was that the light intensity in the Kailua Village Core area should be limited to a one-block distance, and that the limitation should be included in conditions of any sign variance approval in the Kailua Village Core area. The Commissioners asked the staff to forward this request to the Public Works Director as a general recommendation rather than as a recommendation on this particular sign variance application. It was moved by Commissioner Andreae and seconded by Commissioner Kern that the Commission forward a favorable recommendation to the Public Works Director for the proposed relocation of the existing temporary wall sign, with the following recommendations: a.The sign should maintain the maximum dimensions proposed in the variance application; b.Instead of simply relocating the existing temporary sign to the proposed location, the sign should be redesigned to comprise raised, non-reflective letters aside the “H” logo square; and c.Indirect lighting is preferred, but in any case the intensity of emitted light from the sign should be limited by an approved sign permit to only the amount of lumens necessary to be visible at a one-block distance, to respect both the existing and potential residential character of this mixed-use neighborhood. A roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with six ayes (Andreae, Kern, Akina, Au Hoy, Broderson and Sullenberger) and two absent and excused (Dahlberg and Roth). ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS A memorandum regarding the Commission’s tentative meeting schedule for next year was distributed. 4 Mr. Mark said that Commissioners Andreae, Kern and Sullenberger’s terms would expire on December 31, 2015, and requested them to remain on board until their successors are found. ANNOUNCEMENTS Mr. Mark suggested, and the Commissioners agreed, that the Commission’s annual recognition dinner be held in January again, rather than in December. Mr. Mark announced that the next regularly scheduled meeting of December 1, 2015, was cancelled due to a lack of applications. Mr. Childs added that a design review application was expected to come in for the December 15, 2015, meeting. At this time Chair Bleck, in regard to the Commission’s action on Agenda Item No. 1, requested the staff to send to the County Council member representing the Kailua Village district a copy of the Commission’s recommendation letter to the Public Works Director. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, at 7:40 p.m., it was moved by Commissioner Sullenberger and seconded by Commissioner Kern that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners in attendance. Respectfully submitted, Noriko Sauer, Secretary A T T E S T: Paul Bleck, Chairman Kailua Village Design Commission 5