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HomeMy WebLinkAbout20070424 KVDC Minutes MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING DATE: April 24, 2007 TIME: 5:02 p.m. PLACE: The Mayor’s Office Conference Room, Suite 103, Hanama Place Office Building in Kailua Village ROLL CALL 1. Members Present: Theresa L. Andreae, Fanny Collins Au Hoy, Stephen H. Herbert and David M. Ross 2. Land Owner: Aaron Eberhardt 3. Applicant’s Representatives: Owen Chrisman, Clifford Mukai, Keith Niiya, Russell Gushi, Craig Ashihara, Nancy Burns, Britt Craven, Wayne Daimaru, Fritz Harris-Glade, Neal Kadooka, Warren Miura, Ivan Sakamoto and Alan Unemori 4. Staff Present: Bennett Mark, Deanne Bugado, Rosalind Newlon and Noriko Sauer UNFINISHED BUSINESS None. NEW BUSINESS 1. Design review of Lanihau Marketplace Phase II. Applicant: Colleen Miyasato of Maryl Group. Land owner: Aaron Eberhardt, member of PR II Westwood Lanihau Expansion LLC. TMK: 7-5-004:007, portion of 010, 029 and 052. Located at 75-5592 Palani Road (Existing Lanihau Marketplace Center), Kailua-Kona, HI, off of Henry Street. Staff Presentation Ms. Newlon oriented the Commissioners of the subject and surrounding properties on a location map and site plan, and presented some background information on the proposed Phase II of Lanihau Marketplace. The combined lots are zoned General Commercial Districts (CG-20) – 20,000 square feet per building site. The proposed uses include retail, restaurants and office buildings. Ms. Newlon said that the proposed structures will be south of the existing Lanihau Center. The vehicular access includes the existing entrances off of Henry Street and Palani Road, and a new entrance off of Henry Street will provide access to the office buildings located on the mauka portion of the subject property. She added that there is a pedestrian pathway through the landscape strip along Henry Street that leads to the shops, and there is also a pedestrian bridge that connects the office space building on the mauka side to the shops and restaurants on the makai side. Ms. Newlon stated that the parking requirement calculates out to 572 stalls based on the proposed total building area of 161,293 square feet, and the applicant is proposing 704 stalls. The parking includes 16 ADA stalls including 4 van-accessible stalls, which meets the ADA parking requirements. She also stated that 8 off-street loading stalls are 1 required according to their total building square footage, and the applicant is proposing 9 loading stalls, one of which appears to block parking stalls and will need to be reconfigured. Ms. Newlon said that the building height for the proposed marketplace is 43 feet to the top of the roofline, which is within the allowable height of 45 feet for the General Commercial District. She pointed out that the side elevation of Building H shows a flat roof that is visible from Henry Street, and perhaps with additional plantings of trees that this view would be more visually pleasing and more consistent with the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona which seeks pitched or sloping roofs and no flat roofs. Ms. Newlon also talked about the landscaping requirements that include a 10-foot wide front yard strip to be planted with a minimum of one tree and 10 shrubs per 35 lineal feet of frontage excluding driveway openings, as well as parking lot screening along the right- of-way, and interior parking area to be planted evenly with at least 1 canopy tree for every 12 parking stalls. She mentioned that a curb or wheel stop is required for parking spaces adjacent to planting or pedestrian areas. She also stated that screening of the loading and disposal areas from parking areas and entrance drives are required, and pointed out that the site plan shows some landscaping, but more may be needed along with more details on the type of screening chosen to comply with this requirement. She added that the applicant provided a planting palate to be used in the landscape plan, and that the photographs were emailed to the Commissioners. Ms. Newlon also mentioned that the lighting consists of horizontal down shielded lamps on posts and wall mounted lights, and that the colors chosen for the exterior of the buildings are earth tones that appear to be consistent with the color palate recommended for use within the Kailua Village Special District. Applicant Presentation The applicant, Colleen Miyasato, was not present. Mr. Owen Chrisman introduced himself and the rest of the owner’s representatives present to the Commissioners, and made the following presentation: The site location being on the mauka side of the Kailua village represents a strong connection with the community rather than tourism, and the owner intends to create a “Life Style Center” for the community with retail shops and restaurants that are community oriented. Adding to 90,000 square feet of the existing Lanihau Center are 74,000 square feet of two 2-story office buildings, which will house banks, medical offices and general offices, and 120,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and a cinema. Due to the topography of the property, the project will have two levels; the upper portion with the office buildings is 10 feet lower than Queen Kaahumanu Highway and the portion where shops and restaurants are located is 40 feet below the upper portion. And because of the elevation difference and the structure design, the ocean views from Queen Kaahumanu Highway will be preserved. There will be a pedestrian bridge that connects the upper office building portion with the second floor of a restaurant structure below, 2 and walkways that connect buildings are also incorporated in the project design. Where the 40-foot drop is will be a service corridor with retaining walls and landscaping. The service corridor will also serve as a fire lane. There is a floodway along Henry Street, and a proposed building within the zone is elevated, so that water can go through beneath the platform in case of flood. To create continuity, the dead-end roadway within the existing Lanihau Center will be extended to the new phase, and also the same green tin roofing material has been selected for the new buildings. Although typical lava rocks will be used for planter areas and retaining walls, coral stones that have a softer look will be used throughout the project. Trash enclosures or compactors, as well as loading areas will be provided. Mr. Clifford Mukai of Unemori Engineering from Maui confirmed that the newly defined FEMA floodplain runs along Henry Street and there is only one building proposed within the floodplain, which will be elevated. Mr. Mukai described the floodway’s watercourse as extending from the area above Queen Kaahumanu Highway through the Highway culvert onto Henry Street and also into an underground 42-inch pipe. He stated that the sewer system will be connected to the existing 18-inch main, and water will be serviced from the existing 8-inch and 12-inch pipes nearby. Mr. Keith Niiya of Austin Tsutsumi & Associates from Oahu stated that there will be two entry roads off Henry street; the makai entry road is to keep the continuous connection between Henry Street and Palani Road, which will be the major access way to both existing and new shopping areas, and the mauka entry road is primarily to service the office/medical offices in the upper portion due to the elevation difference. He also said their plan is to keep the traffic between the two levels from going back onto Henry Street by providing a vehicular road from the upper section to the back of the existing Lanihau Center, as well as the pedestrian bridge and walkways. He said that they are proposing a signalized intersection for both entry roads as part of the development, and currently working with the Department of Public Works on the plan. He further said that the mauka intersection already has signals in place but not in use, and that the makai intersection is presently a stop sign-controlled intersection with one-lane-in and one-lane- out arrangement, and they are recommending two lanes for both directions. Mr. Russell Gushi, landscape architect from Maui, went over the landscape concept, with a reminder that the landscape plan provided to the Commissioners is only preliminary and does not include details. He said that Monkeypod trees are currently proposed for the Queen Kaahumanu Highway frontage and, with respect to the Henry Street frontage, they will try to address the concern about adding more denseness to screen the parking, as well as meeting the guidelines in the Master Plan for Kailua-Kona. He stated that they are proposing 188 trees, which exceeds the minimum required number. He said that they are aware of the hot and dry condition of the project location, and are therefore trying to use canopy trees to create shade and native Hawaiian plants and other drought tolerant plants to conserve water. He added that they want to avoid trees that produce lots of nuts and seeds because it is a safety issue in public areas. He pointed out that the plants listed on the landscape plan are only under consideration and are not the exact types they are going 3 to use; they will try to follow the list in the Master Plan, and also introduce some other drought tolerant plants to the Commission to see if they are acceptable. Public Testimony There was no testimony from the general public. Commission Discussion The Commissioners expressed their concern about having the two additional traffic signal lights in such a short distance, and Mr. Niiya stated that they are recommending the signals along Henry Street be interconnected and synchronized, and that they have advised the developer to improve the sight distance from Henry Street by cutting back the hill side, even though that takes away a lot of developable area. In response to the Commissioners’ inquiries about floodwater, Mr. Mukai explained that the 42-inch culvert and drywells will take care of their share and the excess will flow over the designated floodway along Henry Street, and the depth of water will vary due to the variation of elevation. The Commissioners asked the representatives whether they have any thoughts about utilizing a triangular area on the makai side of the parcel, behind the existing Long’s Drug store. Mr. Gushi said the area is currently labeled just as “Open Space” because there is a steep slope. Mr. Chrisman added that they have even thought of an option to sell it to neighbors for residential use. The Commissioners expressed their desire to see a gathering space within the project. In response to the Commissioners’ inquiry, Mr. Gushi said that their estimate of water consumption for irrigation is about 18,000 gallons per day for 3 acres of landscaped area based on the conceptual plan, and added that the establishment period of 90 to 120 days requires about 50% more. With respect to the landscape plan, the Commissioners suggested that (1) the triangular “Open Space” area should be landscaped, (2) plenty of foliage should be planted at the base of single trunk palms to soften the stand-alone look, (3) more canopy trees should be used instead of palms that don’t provide much shade, and (4) more indigenous plants, as well as more colors and scent, such as Hong Kong Orchid, Singapore Plumeria and Tahitian Gardenia, should be considered. Mr. Gushi responded cooperatively to the Commissioners’ comments, adding that they are considering vertical flowering trees like Pink Tecoma to create an alley of trees for the crosswalks and walkways to make them stand out as pedestrian paths, and that they will try to work with local nurseries and see what’s available there. The Commissioners commended the plant photos the applicant provided as part of the information packet. The Commissioners pointed out that the traffic arrangement at the existing Lanihau Center entrance on Palani Road is problematic, and if the proposed development is another phase of the Lanihau Center by the same owner, this should be looked at as an opportunity to improve traffic flow for the entire shopping center. Mr. Eberhardt, who 4 identified himself as one of the owners, confirmed that the subject property is owned by the same owner as the existing Lanihau Center. Mr. Niiya stated that they identified the problem when they first started looking into the project, but it involves First Hawaiian Bank and the post office that are on separate parcels with access rights, which makes the matter complicated. He also said the current tenants are promised so many parking stalls near the store spaces under their lease agreements, so the developer can’t simply remove parking stalls to widen the driveway area, and added that they will further look at the matter. To answer the Commissioners’ inquiries, Mr. Chrisman said that there will be a sidewalk along Henry Street, and Mr. Niiya pointed out that the sidewalk will link the Lanihau Center and the Crossroads/Wal-Mart shopping center across the highway. The Commissioners pointed out that the rooflines of the proposed buildings look inconsistent in the appearance. Mr. Chrisman stated that will be addressed according to the comments they have received from the Planning Department, adding that they try to maintain the continuity by using the same color and materials, but also try to create character with some latticework and gables. He further stated that their plan also includes medallion – or theme design – to be placed on the face of the buildings, and a pineapple design is being proposed. The Commissioners suggested a petroglyph design, which the area is famous for, rather than a pineapple design. The Commissioners commended the use of pedestrian walkways within the project, as well as the applicant’s efforts to prepare a comprehensive presentation. Action It was moved by Commissioner Andreae and seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy to defer action until the applicant can address the following points raised by the Commissioners: (1) Consider the triangular area below the existing Long’s Drug store for a landscaped gathering space, or if the topography doesn’t allow, consider another area that is more centrally located for a gathering space. (2) Have a traffic engineer consider opportunities to improve the driveway circulation pattern in the existing Palani Road entry area, and submit a written summary report to the KVDC. (3) Consider a petroglyph design for the proposed accent medallion that would be placed on the face of buildings. (4) Soften the appearance of single trunk palms by applying multi-level landscaping to avoid a barren look around the bottom. (5) Consider using indigenous vegetation and adding more canopy trees and shrubs that have colors and fragrance, including Hong Kong orchid and Singapore plumeria. 5 (6) Review the continuity of roofline. A roll call vote was taken and motion carried with three ayes. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS 1. Minutes of the Meeting of April 10, 2007 It was moved by Commissioner Herbert and seconded by Commissioner Au Hoy that the minutes be approved as circulated. The motion was unanimously carried by a voice vote of all Commissioners in attendance. 2. Correspondence & Reports None. ANNOUNCEMENT th Mr. Mark announced that the next scheduled meeting on May 15 has been cancelled since no applications were submitted by the due date, and that the Lanihau Marketplace th Phase II application is tentatively agendized for the May 29 meeting. Mr. Mark handed written information to the Commissioners about upcoming public workshops regarding planning strategies for sea level rise, coastal land use policy and ndth coastal hazards, which are scheduled for May 22 and May 24 in Kailua-Kona and May th 4 in Hilo. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m. Respectfully submitted, ____________________________________________ DAVID ROSS, VICE CHAIRPERSON 6