Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-06-02 Hearing Transcript - Mile Marker 12 SPP 16-189WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAII HEARING TRANSCRIPT JUNE 2, 2016 A regularly advertised hearing on the application of MILE MARKER 12, LLC (SPP 16-189) was called to order at 9:07 a.m. in the County of Hawaii Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii with Chairman Charles Heaukulani presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Charles Heaukulani, Joseph Clarkson, Donn Dela Cruz, Gregory Henkel, Donald Ikeda, and Raylene Moses. ABSENT & EXCUSED: Myles Miyasato. ALSO PRESENT: Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), J Yoshimoto (Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Jeff Darrow (Staff Planner), Christian Kay (Staff Planner), and Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary). And 32 members from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: MILE MARKER 12, LLC (SPP 16-189) Application for a Special Permit to allow the establishment and operation of a retreat center for health and well-being identified as a "Hawaiian Sanctuary," to be located on an 11.33 -acre portion of a larger 43.57 -acre property situated within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The proposed project components include the conversion of an existing dwelling into a health and wellness center; construction of 4 bungalows for overnight accommodations, group educational activities and social events on a property located along the mauka (west) side of the Pahoa-Kalapana Road (Highway 130) at the 12 -mile marker, Puna, Hawaii, TMK: 1-3-009: Portion of 018. HEAUKULANL The first item on our agenda today is Applicant Mile Marker 12, LLC. It's SPP 16-189, and Jeff, could you bring us up to speed on it, please? DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, Members of the Planning Commission, and, again, we'd like to welcome our new Commissioner. Thank you for your service to our community as well as to our County. Thank you, Commissioner Clarkson. If I can direct your attention to our first presentation this morning, our Applicant is Mile Marker 12, and they're requesting a Special Permit. The location of the subject property is just south of Pahoa Town, which is identified in this general area. For reference, coming through the middle of the map, we have Pahoa-Kalapana Road or Highway 130; south, it's heading towards Kaimu and Kalapana; north, it's heading towards Kea`au Town. EXHIBIT A As we zoom in a little closer, this is our County Zoning Map. The different colors represent the different zonings for the County. The light green, which involves the subject property as well as immediately surrounding properties, is zoned Agricultural – 5 acres. The little darker green is Agricultural – 1 acre. The yellow is Single Family Residential. There are some pink on the map, and there's more as we go north. That represents Commercial zoning. This is our State Land Use Boundary Map. The subject property and surrounding areas are zoned Agricultural under the State Land Use Boundary designations. The pink represents Urban zoning, and the yellow represents Rural. This is our General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map, which identifies the land use designations for the area. The subject property is identified as Important Agricultural Lands with the Light Green, and Extensive Agricultural for the white. For reference, the other colors represent Low Density Urban for the yellow, and the orange represents Medium Density Urban, which is mainly the core of Pahoa Town. This is an aerial photo. Again, for reference, we have Pahoa-Kalapana Road, Highway 130, on the right side of the map. We also have the Kaohe Homestead Road on the left side of the map, and the subject property is identified with a red outline. The Applicant is requesting a Special Permit to allow the establishment and operation of a retreat center for health and well-being identified as the Hawaiian Sanctuary to be located on an 11.33 - acre portion of a larger 43.57 -acre property. This is situated in the State Land Use Agricultural District and includes the conversion of an existing dwelling into a health and wellness center. The center would include four bedrooms, an office, bathroom and bathing facilities, a colonic treatment room, and a sauna and spa room. Also proposed is four bungalows for overnight accommodations. They also have agricultural and educational workshops, classes for individuals and groups, and social events. All parking will be provided on-site. This isoh, I'm sorry—according to the Applicant, the objectives of the proposed request were expressed as follows. The Hawaiian Sanctuary is committed to community enrichment through education of our keiki, makua, and kapuna. Additionally, they are to provide education and experiences in organic gardening, healthy food preparation, wellness techniques, and interaction between individuals and organized groups. The Applicant believes the Hawaiian Sanctuary will be a perfect example of agricultural and eco -tourism and will be an important addition to Pahoa and the Hawaii Island community. This is the Applicant's site plan. For reference, we have Highway 130 on the right side of the map. They have a driveway entrance from the highway to the 11.33 -acre area that the facility will be located on. The remainder of the property will stay in its natural, natural form. These are site photos. This is a site photo fronting the subject property on Highway 130 looking north towards Pahoa Town with the entrance on the left. This is looking towards Leilani Estates 2 EXHIBIT A and Kaimu with the subject property on the right. And, this is the driveway entrance from Highway 130. This is the parking area for the facility. This is the proposed wellness, health, and wellness center. These are some photos of that center. These are some of the rooms that are part of it, and this is the area that the certified kitchen will be located within. This is more of a close- up of that area where they prepare their, their different health drinks and meals. This is one of the proposed overnight accommodations within the health and wellness center, and this is the spa and sauna room. Here are some photos of some of the farming that is going on on-site. These are the organic vegetables being grown. These are—taro patch that's being raised. Also, as well as, cacao. And, they also have numerous types of fruit trees that are being grown on the property. The Planning Director is recommending that the Planning Commission approve this request with the conditions within the recommendation. Before we conclude our presentation, I just want to bring to your attention some last minute items that came our way. This was submitted to the Planning Department this morning. This is a petition or petition signed [by] people in support of the proposed request. Additionally, we've received approximately 20 letters of support through email which has been sent to the Commission and also part of your packet. And, lastly, we'd like to make a change on the record. This is a simple change. Just for background, this actual application came before the Planning Commission inor, not before the Planning Commission—it was submitted to the Planning Department in 2012. When we sent out the comments for, to the different governmental agencies, Department of Transportation requested that the Applicant conduct a Traffic Impact Analysis Report. So, it's been a process, but they have concluded that. That is Exhibit 2 within the Background. And, they have resubmitted, and so, we're going forward with that. So, when the original application was submitted, the Applicant was proposing to drill a well, and at this time, looking at the cost of that where they're located, it's pretty exorbitant, so they'd like to ask if we can change on the record just to add the word "possibly" drill a well. So, that way, if they do, or if they are able to come up with the funds to do that, that they would be able to do that, but that the 30,000 -gallon tank and the 2,500 -gallon tank would be sufficient even without the well for the proposed facility. So, this would be a simple addition of the word "possibly" on page 4 under number 22, and we'll put it, "water would be provided possibly by drilled well and supplemented by two catchment systems." And, the same change would happen on page 5 of the Recommendation, and this would be on the second paragraph. I believe that concludes our presentation. Are there any questions? HEAUKULANL Commissioners, any questions for Jeff? Hearing none, thank you, sir. CLARKSON: Yes, I have aexcuse me Chairman. 3 EXHIBIT A HEAUKULANL Oh, I'm sorry. CLARKSON: I doI do have a question regarding the water. In one of the conditions, they are required to comply with Chapter 50, which requires water on-site that meets the State drinking water quality standards, and I think a submittal from the Applicant said they were going to do that by trucking in potable water from a County system. DARROW: Correct. CLARKSON: In that case, Condition No. 8, "applicant shall provide bottled water for guests of the retreat operation" is redundant and could easily be removed. DARROW: Great, if that's the request of the Commission, we can, at the—it can be added as part of a motion. ARAI: Mr. Chairman, if I may elaborate? HEAUKULANL Please, Daryn. ARAI: Just a few moments ago, which explains why I was on the phone, I did, I was able to make contact with a representative of the State Department of Health, and he did confirm that Chapter 50 not only covers improvements associated with the certified kitchen but does extend to potable water that is served to the guests. So, that can be accomplished in two basic ways. One via a public water system whether County or privately maintained but designed to County standards and approved by the Department of Health or by bringing in water in approved containment vessels. Everything would be done under the auspices of the Department of Health. So, we do have a condition that requires it. Therefore, the Applicant will be compelled to satisfy those requirements, so we do concur that the bottled water condition would be redundant. HEAUKULANL Commissioners, any other questions of staff DARROW: Thank you. HEAUKULANL Thank you, Jeff Will the Applicant or the Applicant's representative please come forward? Good morning, if you would both remain standing for just a second. Raise your right hand, and do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before now before the Planning Commission? MIKKELSON: Yes. LUND: I do. 4 EXHIBIT A HEAUKULANL Please be seated. Good morning. It helps us a great deal if whoever's speaking speaks directly into the microphone so we get a good transcript. You're giving the baton to him to go forward, okay. And, just let us know what's on your mind. Appreciate it. LUND: Well, I am Steve Lund, and the founder of Hawaiian Sanctuary as it is, and I'm very pleased to be here in front of the esteemed Commission and all the people here and supporters of Hawaiian Sanctuary. And, it's been a long road, and I'm here to answer any questions that you may have. HEAUKULANL Very good. Ma'am, did you have anything you wanted to add or? MIKKELSON: Not at this time. HEAUKULANL Not at this time? Commissioners, anyone have any questions for the Applicant? Yes, Commissioner Henkel. HENKEL: Mr. Lund, you're okay with the changes that were announced by the presenter? LUND: Yes, I am. HENKEL: Okay, thank you. HEAUKULANL And, he asked about the changes, but you've received the Planning Director's Background Report and the Recommendation Reports? Are you in agreement with the Recommendation from the Director? LUND: I am. HEAUKULANL Do you have any other comments other than your response to Mr. Henkel? LUND: No, not at this time. HEAUKULANL Very well. Commissioners, any other questions? Thank you. We have—you folks can be seated again. We are going to start with all your supporters. We've got, I've got ten people that have signed up to testify on this matter, and I think I'm going to call you up at least four at a time. So, I would like, and excuse me if I get some of these names wrong—Terra Pracht, Lorn Douglas, Susan Bambard [Bambara], and Jerry Deutsch, I think. If you four, could you please come up to the table, and, again, if you would remain standing. Let me see, I had four of you. Good morning. If all four of you could please raise your right hand, and do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: I do/yes. HEAUKULANL You do. Thank you. Good morning. Thank you for being here. You can be seated. Start wherever you want. Use the microphone. Speak directly into it. If you would, 5 EXHIBIT A right before you give your presentation, if you would tell us your full legal name, where you reside, and then try to limit your testimony to three minutes. You're on. PRACHT: Aloha. HEAUKULANL Aloha. PRACHT: My name is Terra Ann Pracht, and I have been a resident of Puna since 2009. I am in deep service to this project and feel honored to be here, and I feel so grateful for all the energy, effort, and safety that you provide with this process, so thank you, and I'm full in support of this, of this project. Thank you. DOUGLAS: Good morning. My name is Lorn Douglas. I've lived on the Island 33 years. I'm a retired businessman. Been a volunteer mediator with Kuikahi Mediation Center since it opened in the late eighties. I have been actively involved in several community associations and also been involved with several of the communities that have sprung up in Puna since I moved here in 1989. I'm about sustainability and when Captain Cook supposedly discovered the Island, there was upwards of 500,000 people living here sustainably. Now, we have less than a third of that number of people and we're importing 90 percent of our food. Personally, I'm on a mission to be an example like Hawaiian Sanctuary. This morning, I picked a papaya, non-GMO, corn, jicama, it doesn't come from Mexico, sweet potatoes, this little cucumber that I picked this morning, and at the end of this building, my electric car that has 33,000 gas free miles is charging thanks to the County. I have a very low carbon footprint. I want to say that what I've learned at Hawaiian Sanctuary. I have doubled the output of my food using principles of permaculture, biochar, creating all of my own fertilizer inexpensively from, from debris laying on my lands, and that I tout myself as an inspiration of others, and Hawaiian Sanctuary is doing that on a much broader scale. The things that they're doing just in the terms of agriculture and education is, has been an inspiration to hundreds of people and it's kind of ironic that we have to go through hoops to be able to do this. That it's not part of the ability on ag land to teach ag principles. So, I'm very much in favor of what they're doing. I spent quite a bit of time up there, and your, hopefully, approval of this application will be greatly appreciated by me. HEAUKULANL Thank you, sir. DEUTSCH: My name is Jerry Deutsch, and when I first met Steve five years ago, I was president of the National Health Association. Since then, my position has changed, and I'm the senior advisor to the Nutritional Research Foundation. Both those organizations take a look and see the power that food has to heal and also used incorrectly to promote disease. In my experience, what Steve and the entire Sanctuary is doing is proposing something that will have a huge impact, not only to our local community but to all of Hawaii, `cause as my good 6 EXHIBIT A friend, Lorn, said, growing our own food here is really essential, and providing that education is very, very important. I live in Hawaiian Paradise Park on Kaloli Point, about five, well, ten minutes from the Sanctuary, and I look forward to the future development of that and having it be a real star in the, in the map of Puna. Thank you. HEAUKULANL Thank you. BAMBARA: I'm nervous, and I'm not as articulate as the previous speakers, but my name is Susan Bambara. I'm a resident in Puna in the Hawaiian Acres area. I also have benefitted from the sustainability workshops that they've taught. I am a clinical hypnotist, and it is my dream personally to be able to offer an outreach through Hawaiian Sanctuary to the community locally the mind -body connection to food and healing. And, so, when I was at Cooper Center in Pahoa before we were run out by the lava, I was offering outreach there, free weight control workshops to local community that needs to learn more not only about sustainability and growing their own food but what to eat and how to eat property [sic], properly and portion control and self-esteem and a lot of the emotional components to wellness and health. So, it's my dream on a personal level as well as a community level that Hawaiian Sanctuary is able to blossom as an educational offering hub, and also a place for the community to, to meet and learn through classes, workshops, and retreats. And some of those retreats do require some overnight accommodations for them to learn two days in a row or follow a food or drink program. And, so, it's my hope that this jewel, this potential jewel, will become a hub for not only sustainability but for health and wellness. Thank you. HEAUKULANL Thank you. Commissioners, any questions for any of these four testifiers? Thank you all. The next fourMahealani Kuamo `o Henry, Graham Ellis, Ehulani Stephany, Connie Cappos. If you four—same routine. If you could remain standing for just a moment. Raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: I do/yes. HEAUKULANL All right. Same rules. If you would, you can be seated. Welcome. Thank you for being here. Same rules please speak directly into the microphone so we get a good transcript. Start out with giving us your full name and where you reside, and you have three minutes to tell us what's on your mind. HENRY: Aloha. HEAUKULANI/MOSES: Aloha. HENRY: My name is Mahealani Kaiwikuamo`okekuaokalani Henry, and I am a Kumu `Elele o Na Kapuna and that means I am a teacher, messenger for the ancestors so we're talking about pre -Christian. We're talking about ancient. We're talking about my home that this `Hina, our 7 EXHIBIT A land, is still home to many of us Hawaiians. We have no other home. We cannot go back anywhere else. This is it for us. So, for me, as a teacher of Ho`opono Pono Ke Ala, as a teacher of ho`oponopono, some of you may know, that our healing methods is about helping in the community as well as one-on-one, as well as sharing the Aloha Spirit, as well as promoting the oneness of aloha 16kahi, the love and unity. All that, which everyone in the world, wants to know more about, they come to our Islands. Yes, for the food. Yes, for the climate. Yes, for the beauty. Yes, for the music. Yes, for everything. But, there are also searching for our cultural roots. They want to know more about us and every one of us who come here from different lands, including different lands. And, you, who are here from generations before also, your alohas, our alohas, your mixture upon our land, becomes you also and your land, too. So, with that in mind, I, as a teacher, pass on these messages that we are all in the same canoe. All of us. And because of that, it is as well, your concern as well as it is mine, as well as it is that Hawaiian Sanctuary, to bring back as much as they can also with the help of some of us Hawaiians who are still here. We can still help to promote the kiakahi, the purpose; the aloha, the love. It is all about the healing, and I am so, so maika`i, so pono in excellence, that we have a place here, in Pahoa. In Pahoa, home of the Daggers, if you will! And, I say that lovingly. Okay? But, these are the things that not only teaches all of us who are residents of Moku [o] Keawe, of this beautiful Island, but that others who come here, too, can be supported. Can be supported. Can know about us. Can know about the food, the growing, the teachings. All of it. And, this is happening through our Hawaiian Sanctuary. And, yes, yes, I approve of it. And, yes, I am so grateful to each one of you here, sitting here, who I'm sure see the same light as I do, and I'm so thankful that you're taking a position that few of us would want to do—but you are serving the community in such an aloha way. Mahalo. Thank you so much. STEPHANY: Aloha kakahiaka. Good morning, everyone. My name is Ehulani Stephany, and I am a kumu hula, and I've been teaching about 26 years now, and I've been at the Hawaiian Sanctuary about maybe six years or so, and I'm so grateful because I go there, and I teach hula which is hula kahiko, the traditional hula. And, Terra Ann met me, and she didn't want to charge me for using the facilities, you know, her large building. I go there once a week, and we stay there from 4 o'clock to 8 o'clock at night. We start with the children and then with the adults. And, she said she wants to give back to the `aina, to our land, and to our culture, to help it to grow, to continue to grow. And, in exchange, all she asked is whenever she has guests, if they are able to come to my classes and join the classes so they can learn about our culture and about our hula and about our love and aloha, and I'm so, so grateful to the Hawaiian Santuary, Terra Ann and Steve. And, I totally support them and the Hawaiian Sanctuary and all the goodness that they're doing for our land and our people. Mahalo. HEAUKULANL Mahalo. ELLIS: Thank you. Good morning, Commissioners. EXHIBIT A HEAUKULANL Good morning. ELLIS: My name's Graham Ellis. I've been a residence of the Big Island for 35 years, and 31 of those years have been in Puna. And, I ask that you give approval to the Special Permit application for 12 Mile Marker. It means a lot to the people of Puna. And, the people of Puna need 12 Mile Marker. In fact, they need a lot more organizations and groups like this that come here, not to make money actually, but to give to the community because just as Ehulani explained, for them and for many other organizations in Puna, this isn't about making money. This is about serving the community, improving the quality of life. And, they are challenged. And, they are challenged because under the present laws, they're treated as commercial organizations and have to come before you to get a Special Permit because as you may be aware, Puna is very deficient in terms of commercially -zoned properties. In fact, in lower Puna, once you get outside of Pahoa, there are hardly any commercially -zoned properties at all, which consequently means that any group like 12 Mile Marker has to come before you and get a Special Permit to operate legally. The consequence of that is that there are, in fact, have been and presently are, a multitude of organizations serving their community, working to improve the quality of life, but doing it illegally. They haven't been here yet. And, one of the reasons is demonstrated really by this applicant in that it took him five years with all of his resources, which are considerable, to actually get here today. What happens in the interim for him and for others is that they are serving the community but doing it outside of the law. This isn't something that people wish to do. It's a consequence of the tremendous burden that's put upon groups to complete the Special Permit process. It's expensive, it's laborious, and even with the help of the staff of Planning, it's a huge challenge. And, I think that is easily demonstrated through the fact that we have two of the long-standing organizations down in Puna. Kalani Honua have been seven years now in the process of amending their Special Permit, and I know SPACE has been over five years in the process. And, I ask for you to give consideration to this because Puna has changed a lot over the last 30 years. We've got the buildout of the subdivisions nowhere near complete yet, and we're already subjected to huge social, economic challenges there that are only going to increase in the future. And we've really haven't seen the State or the County come in and provide facilities and services for people there. So, it's really left to organizations like 12 Mile Marker to do that. And, they will be coming, hopefully, before you, and I ask that you and the Planning Department make it as easy as possible for them. Facilitate this process because we don't have the benefit of commercially zoned property where you can just go ahead and provide services without going through this Special Permit process. So, thank you for your support, and I hope you'll give that some consideration going forward. Aloha. 9 EXHIBIT A CAPPOS: Aloha. My name is Connie Cappos. I've been living on the Big Island for the last 15 years. I run community yoga programs in Puna. We have a lot of people that need and want yoga, but we don't have is a space to do it that doesn't require me to be shelling out a lot of money. There's not a lot of money in wellness, if you're not a doctor, but just as a yoga teacher or anything like that, there's not a lot of money there, and we are not a very rich community. So; I'd like to make yoga available to everybody regardless of their ability to pay, just so people can show up for their own wellness. As Graham was saying, we don't have spaces like that. The one space we did have, we had, we lost because the lava was coming, so I have a community of people that are waiting to do yoga. We meet when we can so a space like this is really needed in the Puna area. Thank you. I completely support Mile Marker 12. Thank you. HEAUKULANL Thank you all. Commissioners, anyone with questions for any of these four testifiers? Thank you. We've got two more that have signed up, and if there's anyone else that wants to be heard on this matter, we'd ask that you please sign up. You can see Sarah. The last two that we do have signed up is Dana Keawe and Le`a Leslie Colter, I believe. Good morning. If you could remain standing just for a second. Raise your right hand, and do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: I do/yes. HEAUKULANL Good morning. Thank you for being here. You heard the ground rules. Please speak into the microphone if you would. When you start your presentation, if you could give us your name and the area you reside you, and please try to limit your testimony to three minutes each. Good morning. COLTER: Aloha. HEAUKULANL Aloha. COLTER: I go by Le`a. My name is Leslie Colter. I have lived in Kalapana for 19 years. I'm a marriage and family therapist licensed here and in California and until about four years ago, I worked for TIFFE, The Institute for Family Enrichment as a therapist and then as their clinical director and now I'm in private practice all over East Hawaii. So, I've been in the wellness field, and now I'm private practice in the wellness field. I generally see families and individuals, but I do like to do groups, lead groups, create workshops and happenings in the wellness vein. I like to do them professionally. I have taken part in all of these Puna centers and done activities there for all of these years—at SPACE, at Kalani, at Coco's, at all of `em, Uncle Robert's, everywhere. All these community centers, and everybody has issues with getting their permits, keeping their permits. 10 EXHIBIT A My feeling about Hawaiian Sanctuary, Mile Marker 12, is that from the beginning, they have actually been trying to do it the right way, which I don't see everywhere. They've really been trying to do it by Code, been trying to do it the way you all want it. Been trying to make it right. And, you can feel that when you're up there. It's, it's a really classy joint. It's lovely to be there. It feels healthy. The environment is productive, educational. It's a great spot. So, I just want to say that I completely support them, and I hope that you do, too. And, we need more of this, and we need it to start out right and fly right and be available to the whole community, people of all ages, people from everywhere from here, letting it happen in Puna. So, thank you for letting it happen in Puna. HEAUKULANL Thank you. KEAWE: Aloha mai kakou. `O Dana Melina Keawe-Pe`a ko`u inoa. No Puna mai au ma Kaimu, ma Kalapana. Aloha, my name is Dana Keawe. I'm from Puna. I'm born and raised from Kaimu, Kalapana. Related to all the families out there. This year, I turned 50, and I've lived there my whole life. I went to Pahoa Elementary and High School, and I've watched our community grow from about 2,000 to well over 40. I grew up without electricity or running water, and our families, we lived with the land, and we were what people called sustenance gatherers. We hunted. We fished. We hardly—we didn't go to stores. We helped each other. And people would have said that we were poor, but when I look at my life now, and how things have changed, we were rich. We were rich in culture. We knew how to survive. And, I feel like now that is where I'm striving to get back to. I only have three minutes so I'm going to try to be brief, but I just want to speak to each of you through my heart in support of 12—of Mile Marker 12, LLC/Hawaiian Sanctuary as we all know it in our community for the last ten years. Like many things that come into our community, we're always weary, yeah? But, this place always had a good reputation, you know. And, about three years ago, Steve came to me and asked me if I would come. I'm a Korean natural farmer. I'm certified in that. I went there to meet with him to talk about sharing some of the `ike that I learned from my kupuna down in Kaimu, Uncle Jerry Konainui, fifth generation kalo farmer passed his `ike on to me and some of my cousins. And, so I got the blessing of my family to go there and teach. They said go. Because I'm hapa, my mom was English and my dad was Hawaiian, I'm able to walk in these different places, yeah? And, I have the full support of my family to be there. I've been going there and just volunteering my time, teaching our community how to grow food, how to make their own inputs, which are also medicine. I'm also a La`au Lapa`au practitioner with Po`okela Ikaika Dombrigues, and I know about La`au, and as I teach natural farming, I also teach La`au Lapa`au. And, I just volunteer my time there. It is a Hawaiian Sanctuary for it is Kanaka. I always feel welcome when I go there. It is like a center of well-being for me personally. When Hurricane Iselle came and then Tutu Pele came to Pahoa, our community formed a group called Modern Ahupua`a, some of you may know, because we were concerned of how we were going to survive out there. One out of three families in Puna do not have food security. And, so, in this group, we brought experts in all different types of agriculture and we offered free to our 11 EXHIBIT A community to come and learn, and then there, we helped our community to create sustainable, sustainability—what we call sustainability. And, so, there's so much I can say, but there's this little time, but I just want to humbly just ask all of you to please support this Special Permit. It's just, it's such an important asset to our community. And, our Kanaka community fully supports this, and so, mahalo no for listening to me today. HEAUKULANL Mahalo. Commissioners, any questions for either of these— KEAWE: —And the last thing I wanted to say HEAUKULANL Oh! E kala mai KEAWE: —Thank you, Steve and Terra for bringing this beautiful thing to our community. It's so important, and I've lived here all my life, and I've never seen people like you two, and I so aloha you for, like all these people said, opening the space for all of us, yeah? Like Aunty Mahealani said, yeah? It is a place of healing for our people and well-being. And, it's so important, and so mahalo, Steve and Terra. HEAUKULANL Mahalo. Commissioners, any questions? We had one additional sign up. Mr. Petricci, you're on, sir. And, again, if there's anyone else that would like to be heard on this matter, now's the time. Good morning, sir. Could you please raise your right hand, and do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Planning Commission? PETRICCL Yes. HEAUKULANL Good morning. You know the drill better than most in the room. Please speak into the microphone. We appreciate that. Give us your name, where you reside, and limit your testimony to three minutes if you could. PETRICCL Thank you. HEAUKULANL Mahalo. PETRICCL Good morning, Commissioners. My name is Robert Petricci. I lived in Pohoiki in Puna since 1981, and I'm gonna support Hawaiian Sanctuary. It's a, it's an awesome place, and Puna is a model right now already for sustainability. The County and the State talk about sustainability goals and food security, energy, and if you go out to Puna now, we have huge communities that live off grid. We have permaculture everywhere, and it's a different model than you see in Kona, Maui, Kauai, Oahu, where we have Walmarts and 7-11's and McDonald's and gas stations, shopping centers popping up everywhere. And, I think, yeah, I hope you'll support this because these are the kind of things that offer alternatives to that, to saving Hawaii in some ways. I mean, I left Oahu, Kauai, and Maui because of those types of developments, and I moved to Puna because that's how I want to live. I don't want to live with Walmart and 12 EXHIBIT A that kind of stuff, so please support this. It's a great thing. There's a lot of those going on out there. Thank you. HEAUKULANL Thank you, sir. Commissioners well, let me check one more timeanyone else would like to be heard on this matter? All right. Commissioners, can I get a motion to close public testimony? HENKEL: I move to close public testimony. HEAUKULANL Thank you, Commissioner Henkel. IKEDA: Second. HEAUKULANL Second from Commissioner Ikeda. DARROW: Mr. Chairman? HEAUKULANL Oh, excuse me. DARROW: Sorry to interrupt. Could I propose a change to our conditions? HEAUKULANL Sure. DARROW: Thank you. In response to Commissioner's, Commissioner Clarkson's concerns, we'd like to make a change to Condition 6, and the change would be as follows. It, the new condition will state, "The applicant shall comply with the requirements of the State Department of Health for compliance with [the] wastewater system(s)" and we are adding, ", the proposed potable water, and the certified kitchen." And then further on, "The applicant shall have an engineer submit revised wastewater plans for the new wastewater system and comply with Chapter 50 (Food Safety Code) for the certified kitchen" and then we would add "and adequate water requirements within one year from the effective date of the permit." We would also like to request that Condition 8 be deleted, and then the remainder be renumbered. Thank you. HEAUKULANL Okay, Commissioners, did everyone follow Jeff on the proposed revision to the conditions? Any questions? Any discussion? If the Applicant or the Applicants' representative—are they still? She's nodding her head. Sir—sir, did you hear what Jeff just said so it's a, we discussed it early on, and it's a revision to paragraph six of the conditions and deleting paragraph 8. LUND: Yes, I agree. HEAUKULANL It's acceptable to you? 13 EXHIBIT A LUND: Thank you, yes. HEAUKULANL Thank you very much. Thank you, Jeff Do you have anything else you needed us to cover before we did that? DARROW: No, thank you. HEAUKULANL All right. Now, I, let me see, I guess I do have a motion by Commissioner Henkel to close public testimony with a second by Commissioner Ikeda. Any discussion on that, Commissioners? All those in favor signify by saying aye. COMMISSIONERS: Aye. HEAUKULANL Any opposition? All right. Public testimony is closed. Commissioners, I would now entertain a motion for action. HENKEL: Mr. Chairman? HEAUKULANL Commissioner Henkel. HENKEL: This, this is my neighborhood. I live right down the road in Kalapana, and, you know, this is just the type of development that we need in that area, you know, with, it's, our area is underserved, you know, in police protection, in parks, infrastructure, and the key word that, you know, all the testifiers have brought is sustainability. And, I mean, I drive the road to Hilo five days a week, and I understand there's one road, and it's crowded, and—and, you know, we need more services, and I applaud people that, you know, on their own, without a lot of resources, try to provide these services. You know, it's ironic to me that, you know, large industries can come in and, and aren't necessarily as clean and wholesome and don't have as much, have to, you know—don't have as much trouble establishing themselves, as—as what they want to do here. So, having said that, I'd like to move that the application for a Special Permit, Docket No. SPP 16-189, be approved with the amended conditions as based on the Planning Director's recommendation, findings, and proposed conditions that shall be adopted. HEAUKULANL Thank you. IKEDA: Second. HEAUKULANL Okay, I've got a motion by Commissioner Henkel; a second by Commissioner Ikeda. Commissioners, any discussion? Anybody else want to weigh in on this? Very well. Jeff, if you would. DARROW: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With that, we'll take the roll. Commissioner Henkel? 14 EXHIBIT A HENKEL: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Ikeda? IKEDA: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Clarkson? CLARKSON: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Dela Cruz? DELA CRUZ: Aye. DARROW: Commissioner Moses? MOSES: Aye. DARROW: And, Mr. Chairman. HEAUKULANL Aye. DARROW: The motion passes six to zero. HEAUKULANL Thank you. You'll get formal notification by mail in writing, okay? Good luck to you. Aloha. The discussion ended at 9:55 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary Windward Planning Commission 15 EXHIBIT A