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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-05-19 Leeward Exh C (Amend SPP 780) LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I HEARING TRANSCRIPT MAY 19, 2016 KONA VETERINARY SERVICE A regularly advertised hearing on the application of (Amend SPP 780) was called to order at 10:26 a.m. in the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Community Center, Building G, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, with Chairman Keith F. Unger presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Keith F. Unger, Nancy Carr Smith, Collin Kaholo, Scott Church, Barbara Nobriga and Sonny Shimaoka ALSO PRESENT: Danny Patel (Counsel for the Commission), Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager), Jeff Darrow (Planner), Maija Jackson (Planner), Christian Kay (Planner) and Noriko Sauer (Commission Secretary) And approximately 70 people from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: KONA VETERINARY SERVICE (Amend SPP 780) Request to amend Special Permit No. 780, which allowed the establishment of a veterinary office and clinic on 1.64 acres of land within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The amendment request seeks to increase the number of staff from 8 to 12 and increase the square footage of the clinic from 1,700 square feet to approximately 3,100 square feet. The property is located adjacent to and north of the Māmalahoa Highway-Onaona Drive-North Kona Belt Road intersection, Kaloko, North Kona, Hawai‘i, TMK: 7-3-008:001. UNGER: Agenda Item No. 3, Applicant Kona Veterinary Service, Amendment SPP 780, request to amend Special Permit No. 780, which allowed the establishment of a veterinary office and clinic on 1.64 acres of land within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The amendment request seeks to increase the number of staff from eight to twelve and increase the square footage of the clinic from 1,700 square feet to approximately 3,100 square feet. The property is located \[adjacent\] to and north of Māmalahoa Highway–Onaona Drive–North Kona Belt Road intersection, Kaloko, North Kona, Hawai‘i, TMK: 7-3-8: Parcel 1. Staff? KAY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. If I can direct your attention to the screen. As you stated, this is an amendment to Special Permit No. 780. The subject parcel is located in the North Kona District of Hawai‘i Island, and it’s here outlined in red. For reference we’ve got Hawai‘i Belt Road running makai of the parcel, Onaona Road running generally east-west of the slide, and parallel to Hawai‘i Belt Road we’ve got Old Māmalahoa Highway running, again, generally north-south. Here is the location map with the surrounding zoning. Again, the subject parcel is outlined in red, with Hawai‘i Belt Road running makai of the parcel, Old Māmalahoa running mauka of the parcel. The subject parcel and much of the surrounding area is zoned Agricultural-1 acre as 1 EXHIBIT C indicated in the green color. Other surrounding zonings are Agricultural-3 acres indicated in blue and Agricultural-20 acres here to the south indicated in the darker green. The State Land Use designated, the State Land Use Boundary Map designates the parcel as Agricultural. And the County’s General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map designates the parcel as Medium Density Urban as indicated in the mustard color. There are some Important Agricultural Lands to the east and to the south section of Urban Expansion Lands as indicated with the black hatching. The Kona CDP designates the subject parcel within the Kona CDP Urban Area as indicated by this red outline. Here is an aerial photograph of the subject parcel. Again, for reference we’ve got Hawai‘i Belt Road running makai of the parcel, Onaona Road running here generally east-west, and Old Māmalahoa Highway running north-south. The clinic and the extension to the clinic through the original Special Permit and the first amendment are generally in this area here. There is an existing, the main structure is an existing single-family dwelling where the owners are currently residing. Access is off of Old Māmalahoa Highway through a driveway here. There is a paved parking area right here in front of the clinic; it’s got six paved parking stalls. There is an unpaved parking area here to the south of the parcel and this is where most of the employees park; the paved parking area is designated for clinic clients. So, this is, again, an amendment to Special Permit No. 780, which was approved on July 2, 1991. It was to establish an office and outpatient clinic in support of a mobile veterinary service on 1.64 acres of land. In July of 1991, they were granted Final Plan Approval for the establishment of the clinic and office. On September 17, 1991, Building Permit No. 916201 was issued for the construction of a dwelling and attached veterinary clinic. And the first amendment to this permit was August 14, 2009, and that was to expand the number of permitted clinic staff from three, which was originally approved in the Special Permit, to eight staff, and to increase the permitted size of the clinic from 900 square feet to 1,700 square feet of gross floor area, and that was done by converting a portion of the single-family dwelling into office space and additional clinic space. The applicants for the second amendment are requesting an amendment to Condition 4 to increase the staff size from eight to a total of twelve full and part time staff members. They are also asking to amend Condition No. 5 to increase the office and clinic size from 1,700 square feet to 3,177 square feet by converting an existing three-bedroom dwelling for increased office space, a break room for staff, storage and a consultation room. The applicants are requesting these changes to keep up with the growing demand for veterinary services in the Kona region. Here is the applicant’s submitted site plan. Again, for reference we’ve got Hawai‘i Belt Road running east-west of the slide at the bottom, Onaona Road running north-south, and Old Māmalahoa Highway running parallel. The access again is off of Old Māmalahoa Highway. The site plan is showing the paved parking area here with six paved stalls. The existing clinic space is roughly this area, and this is the existing remainder of single-family dwelling area. Not shown apparently on here but showing to the south of the parcel here is where the unpaved employee parking area is. 2 EXHIBIT C Here are some photographs of the clinic from Māmalahoa, Old Māmalahoa Highway, again showing the paved parking area with the six parking stalls, the entrance to the clinic, and the essentially the extent of what is currently the clinic now; the remainder is what they are proposing to convert. So the unpaved parking area is off to the left here as you are entering, and it’s showing again where the employees park currently. The applicant has stated it can comfortably handle about eleven vehicles. And there are some areas on the parcel that, there will be a requirement for an increase in paved parking stalls, so just showing some other areas on the parcel; this is behind the existing single-family dwelling where there are some concreted areas that may be accommodate in addition to the possibility of paving the employee area to accommodate those additional parking stalls. Here is just a view of Old Māmalahoa Highway looking south with the subject parcel on the right hand side; this is the entryway here. The Planning Director is recommending approval of the Special Permit amendment, with conditions. With that, I’m happy to answer any questions that the Commission may have. SHIMAOKA: Just one. You said up to eight employees; it looks like they are stating that they want to go up to twelve employees. KAY: That’s correct. Yeah, so the original permit initially approved three employees. The first amendment to the permit added another five to bring it up to eight. Now they are requesting an additional four employees to go up to twelve. So that’s what this second amendment will address. UNGER: Any other questions, Commissioners? Thank you — CARR SMITH: Chairman — UNGER: Oh. CARR SMITH: — Chairman? Were you going to explain the conditions or? KAY: The conditions are part of the background and recommendation in there. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about specific conditions. CARR SMITH: That’s fine. Thank you. KAY: Thank you. UNGER: Any other questions? At this time, if the applicant or representative could come forward. Oh, you are here. HEIMGARTNER: Yes, good morning. UNGER: Please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth before the Planning Commission? 3 EXHIBIT C HEIMGARTNER: Yes, sir. UNGER: Thank you. Please state your name and where you reside. HEIMGARTNER: Good morning. My name is Hermann Heimgartner. I’m an attorney in Kona, and I live in Pualani Estates. I’m the representative for Dr. Jordan and Dr. Chartier in this application. UNGER: Okay. HEIMGARTNER: I think the Planning Department did a fairly comprehensive job in outlining the application. Currently, Dr. Jordan and Dr. Chartier are living at their residence, and their plan is to basically expand their practice and use the entire building for their clinic. UNGER: Okay. Thank you. Commissioners, do you have any questions of the applicants? CARR SMITH: Yes, Chairman. UNGER: Go ahead. CARR SMITH: Does that mean that they won’t be living in the residence, if they are expanding the business into the residence? HEIMGARTNER: Yes. Currently, approximately half of the building is being used for their residence; they live there with their child. And their plan is to obviously when the clinic expands in that portion, they are going to move somewhere else. So basically they are going to use the entire building for their clinic and they are going to move. CARR SMITH: Thank you. UNGER: Any other questions? Thank you. You may be seated. I don’t have anybody signed up to testify. If there is anybody in the audience that would like to come forward and testify at this time, this is your opportunity. As such, Commissioners, I need a motion to close the public portion of this agenda item. SHIMAOKA: I so move. NOBRIGA: I second. UNGER: We have a motion by Commissioner Shimaoka, second by Nobriga. All in favor? COMMISSIONERS: Aye. UNGER: Oppose? \[None.\] Motion carries. Public hearing is closed. To the applicants, one more question, have you read the Planning Department’s recommendations and do you agree with them? 4 EXHIBIT C HEIMGARTNER: Yes, we have reviewed the Planning Department’s recommendations and we agree with them. UNGER: And the conditions? HEIMGARTNER: And the conditions. UNGER: Very good. Thank you. As such, I would like to entertain a motion in regard to this agenda item. SHIMAOKA: I move, Mr. Chair, that the application to amend Special Permit SPP 780 be approved based on the Planning Director’s recommendation, findings, and proposed conditions, which shall be adopted. UNGER: Is there a second? KAHOLO: Second. UNGER: Motion by Commissioner Shimaoka, second by Commissioner Kaholo. Discussion? No discussion. Roll call, please, staff. KAY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Commissioner Shimaoka? SHIMAOKA: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Kaholo? KAHOLO: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Carr Smith? CAR SMITH: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Church? CHURCH: Aye. KAY: Commissioner Nobriga? NOBRIGA: Aye. KAY: And Chair Unger? UNGER: Aye. 5 EXHIBIT C KAY: Okay, thank you. Mr. Chair, motion carries, six-nothing. UNGER: Thank you. Applicants, the Planning Department will notify you of the decision in writing shortly. Thank you. The discussion ended at 10:39 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Noriko Sauer, Secretary Leeward Planning Commission 6 EXHIBIT C