HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-17 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes Exhibit 2 C (rvernber- 1ti, 2015
To: KVDC Commissioners
RE: Kinhia Village Design Commission November, 17, 2015 Agenda Item No,1.
Please accept the loHowing comments regarding the agenda items under
considerationand my regrets for being unable to atterid the meet` n&
I am strongly opposed to the presented signs and requested sign variance for the
project at TMK7-5-007--OK
In t1reft,variance application to the County Council in 2014 the Owner gave six
reasons,why zi variance should be granted. None of these are coinIvIling arguments
for as variance orthe sip
ns a,s presented in this application, (Reference Resolution
N(�). 553 14,, as rioted 41 the applicaticii i)
1) The voriance is necessitated by the peculiarity ofthe Applicont's outside sign,
requireinents, 'I'liehotel's corporate rules seerri to reqUire that every Holiday hur
Express have the!i;ame sign, T'heir rules do riot and cannot supersecte flee flawaij
C'orinty Code. OUr colde says that Kaittra Village is aunique pilace with its own
character that does ervesspeciai consideration.
2) The adjacent teniants willnot,be adversely alfected inamuch as they have opprcwed
tire Applicarits request, T'he adjacent,teriants rricist likely don't realize that therewill
be art adverse impact, This application rnay be just one or two signs on one
property but it will create precedent and cause art incremental degradation of the
character orf Kaflua Village.
3), he, ranting o 'the variance will not unreasonabi violate tim',interest,so/eq,1
convervence, orgeneral well'bre ofthe public,inasniuch as the proposed slgn hPill
identil"v the location ofthe A,pplkvnts busintis preinisesf6t,tire public and no other
identification exists„fot the Applicants business along only streetfiront(,ye, The
public's interest and general welfare, are violated by signs which are, larger- tharr
permitted and riot in character with Kailua Village. Safety and convenience can both
be satisfied with signs ofallowable size which are designed to work with the
ctiaracter,of Kailua Village,
4) Sti,wictopplicatio),) qf'thet(�)-i,o� o, the Cotinty("ode to tl)eAppli(,,or)twot,ilo'nicer kat'i
unneccezory hardship and far octicial dif
,j"iculty on the Applicant inasmuch (is another
lorger sign hos,already obtained a variance f4r placeinent on the sarne wall alor(q the
some streetfirontage. In #3 they say there is no sigiv, °l leis is confusbig,
S) Grantin,(j the variance ivill riot constitute a grant ofpersonal i.,)r special privilege
inconsisterit with limitations upan other properties under ,, This reason is exactly
why the Kailua Village Design Cornmission needs to oppose these signs. If everyone
JEXHIBIT 21
is given as variance the law becomes awairingless, If'thee se were unique signs
conent with the character ofailua Village that enhance the architecture oaf the
area and not just lar ge corporate logois there may be reason to consider a variance
but as eters sig ned they shou Id not be p(,.Armitted.
6) The litnited voriance ollowhipj the increase of the 71'syrnbol sholl be,no more than
21 inches toiler,thon the (,"odie hinitation ond will coropl)i with all other rieqtfirelnents
of the sign code. The increase Rseffseenis to rnore than twice the allowed letter
height. If this is the case I would not call it as limited variance,
The printed sign peer nit application in my information packet has the "illuminated"
colunin checked for all of the translucent panel signs, This means they are
proposing to place big glowing plastic signs into the heart of Kailua Village, If these,
it had some connection to local cultore,and design theri, l)erhaps they Would be
worth considering, But they are they sarne signs found in strip development
throughout the rnainland, Placing one ofthe signs on a, rock wall is not enough.
Kailua Village deserves better,
I don't know if this project is officially in or out of"thew Kai]Wl, VillagO CM'e'. flowever,
I think tfJ at niost, Kona residents would con sides dais area to isle part of the villLage
core,, In the core, signs are limited to twelve square fea All and the proposed signs
exceed twiellve square feet,
I ur"ge lily l�erilow comalissionetogive this application a negative recommendation.
Respectfully submitte&
Shai n IWth, A[A
Commissioner, K,",flIua Village Design Commission
cc: Planning Director Duane Kanuha
Council Member Drug Kanuha
C.ouncil Mernber Karon Eoff