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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-27-2012 SKCDPAC Minutes SOUTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES OF MEETING Held August 27, 2012 A regular meeting of the South Kohala Community Development Plan Action Commitee was held on August 27, 2012. The meeting was called to order at 5:15 p.m. at the Lilly Yoshimatsu Senior Center (Waimea Senior Center), 67-1199 Mamalahoa Highway Waimea, Hawai’i 96743, pursuant to notice. The following members of the Committee were present when the meeting was called to order: Mike Fischer Margaret Horwatt Chris Roehrig Achahn Schulze Jojo Tanimoto Committee members John Hoover and Robin Inaba were not in attendance. Also present were Bennett Mark and Project Manager Terry Dunlap from the Office of the Hawai’i County Planning Department and members of the public. The Chairman called the meeting to order and noted that a quorum of the Committee was present. Members of the public were asked to submit a form if they wished to address the meeting. Margaret Wille spoke about the role of the Action Committee as adviser to the County Council as well as to the executive branch of the County government. She also suggested that more community members who are not on the Committee be added to the subcommittees. Ms. Wille also commented on the fact that the revisions to the Waimea Community Association Design Review Plan are not completely consistent with the provisions of the South Kohala Community Development Plan, citing for example that the Design Review Plan does not call for complete streets (with provision for multiple forms of transport including pedestrian and bicycle transit). George Robertson discussed the plans to install a gate on Old Puako Road in Puako in connection with the effort to collect access fees from non-residents for use of Hapuna Beach 1 State Park near Puako. He stated that the consensus of the residents in Puako is to support the plan because it should result in better care of the park, and he discussed public access to and gathering rights at the park. The Committee then tabled consideration of the minutes of the meeting held on July 23, 2012, because the draft of the minutes of the meeting had not been distributed to all of the Committee members. The Committee members next considered the Land Use Permit Activity Report that had been made available by Mr. Dunlap in advance of the meeting, which summarized recent land use permit activity, and Mr. Dunlap responded to inquiries from the members. The next item on the agenda was subcommittee reports. Mr. Roehrig began the Waimea Subcommittee report by distributing a copy of a report from Ms. Inaba discussing activities of the Waimea Community Association Design Review Committee. Mr. Dunlap then offered an update regarding the Magoon project, the Speedy Motors project and the Waimea Community Association Design Plan revisions. Ms. Tanimoto then reported for the Kawaihae Subcommittee. She began by asking Mr. Dunlap why the tsunami evacuation planning for Kawaihae was taking so long. Mr. Dunlap indicated that the planning is underway and that he is urging County Civil Defense officials to move the planning as quickly as possible. Ms. Tanimoto noted that the makai lots in Kawaihae do not appear on the tsunami maps published in the telephone books. Mr. Dunlap promised to send a letter to the Civil Defense officials to get a commitment on a date for completion of the planning. Ms. Tanimoto next addressed the Kawaihae Harbor log storage project. She stated that the fishing area near Kawaihae is impacted by the shipping that carries the logs and sugggested that the ships should be anchored south of the harbor entry to the Kawaihae harbor near where the military ships are anchored. Ms. Tanimoto also advised the Committee members that she had sought information concerning use of the pavilion at Samuel M. Spencer Park but such information was not available. She also said she had spoken with personnel at the State Department of Interior concerning historic sites in the Kawaihae area and had discussed possible locations for an emergency road in Kawaihae with the Hawaiian Homes Commissioners. Mr. Schulze then reported for the District-Wide Subcommittee. He advised the members that he had spoken with a representative of the Hawai’i State Parks system concerning the proposed Hapuna Beach State Park improvements and the gating of Old Puako 2 Road. The stated purpose of the gate is to prevent the dumping of yard waste in and around park land and to provide better care of the park, but Mr. Schulze questioned whether there might be alternative means of achieving that end without the use of the gate, which prevents access to the park for legitimate traditional purposes and gathering rights. He noted that the contemplated approach appears to be in conflict with provisions of the South Kohala Community Developement Plan which calls for preservation of a sense of place and culture. In the ensuing discussion, several members agreed that the parks along the western coast of the Big Island need better protection against extensive littering and polluting of shores. Mr. Schulze called for a delay in the transfer of Old Puako Road to the state, which is necesary for the gating to proceed, and felt that additional time should be used to explore other alternatives that might provide better protection against the spoiling of the park while still allowing traditional access for surfing and fishing. It was noted that programs with these goals in mind have been initiated at other beaches and parks along the coast without the use of gates that prevent access. Mr. Schulze agreed to pursue the matter to gather more information and see if alternative solutions could be discussed with state officials. Ms. Tanimoto then discussed the “Ten-Year Moratorium” which she said would eliminate fishing from an area beginning at the Four Seasons Resort and continuing north of Dr. Earl Bakken's residence just south of the Waikoloa Resort development. She stated that the fishing community feels that this plan is proceeding at the expense of the fishing community and that inadequate consideration has been given to the effects of the proposal and to what will be done when the moratorium expires. Ms. Horwatt then reported to the members about the Kawaihae Bypass Road and discussions concerning this subject at the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee. She provided a handout for members with information on resources that discuss this project. She reported that an environmental impact study is being prepared at this time and is to be completed before the end of 2013. Ms. Horwatt discussed the proposed alternative routes for the bypass and indicated that construction is planned for the period between 2016 and 2019 if funding is available, with costs having been estimated in 2006 at approximately $130,000,000. There were no other subcommittee reports. The Committee then turned to New Business. Mr. Schulze discussed the turnover in membership, noting that there will be four vacancies on the Committee early next year. Upon motion made by Mr. Schulze and seconded by Ms. Horwatt and following discussion, the Committee unanimously adopted a resolution requesting that the County use its best efforts beginning prior to the next Committee meeting to advertise in an effort to recruit new members for the Committee. 3 The Committee next discussed the possibility of having members be given the opportunity to provide comments concerning land use applications submitted to the Planning Department. Mr. Dunlap indicated that the problem is that there might not be a timetable on which this could be accomplished. Mr. Roehrig suggested that the Committee be notified of all applications. Mr. Fischer noted that various government agencies and other groups such as the South Kohala Taffic Safety Committee are given the opportunity to submit comments and urged that the Committee be allowed to participate utilizing the same time table. Mr. Roehrig then made a motion that the Planning Department notify the Committee of applications to the Planning Department and that two members of the Committee, to be determined by the Committee, would then review the applications and submit commentary to the Planning Department (prior to any determination by the Planning Department regarding the application) concerning whether the granting of the application would be consistent with the South Kohala CDP, such comments to be submitted within the same time frame as that used for the solicitation by the Planning Department of comments from other government departments and agencies and other private groups such as the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee, it being understood that the two Committee members would be required to report to the full Committee at the next Committee meeting regarding any commentary so provided. The motion was seconded and after discussion was approved unanimously. Mr. Dunlap then reported that a meeting of two representatives of the North Kohala CDP AC and two represerntatives of the South Kohala CDP AC and representatives of the Planning Department is scheduled for September 25, 2012, to discuss ways to make the action committees more effective. He anticipates that meetings of representatives of all CDP action committees within the County of Hawai’i will begin thereafter. Ms. Tanimoto then asked the Chair to identify the person who made a presentation about geothermal energy to the North Kohala CDP Action Committee so that a similar presentation might be made to the South Kohala CDP Action Committee. Mr. Fischer agreed to do so. Mr. Roehrig than reported on the status of the response to the letter sent to Corporation Counsel requesting an opinion regarding the powers of the Action Committee. He indicated that an attorney in the office of the Corporation Counsel had been assigned to the task. The consensus of the Committee was to invite the attorney preparing the opinion to attend a Committee meeting to discuss the opinion, and that he or she be requested to finalize the opinion before the September meeting of the Committee. The next item on the Agenda was statements from the public. George Robertson urged the Committee members to speak with local community 4 associations about the Old Puako Road gating question. He stressed the need to keep the parks clean and discussed gathering rights at the park. Margaret Wille then spoke about the impact of SK CDP page 148, and stated that the provisions of page 148 clearly are a part of the SK CDP. She also supported the Committee’s request that it be given the opportunity by the Planning Department to comment on applications of every nature that are submitted to the Planning Department and felt this can be done on a timely basis. Ms. Wille also expressed the belief that gating Old Puako Road is not the best solution to the problem relating to campers and others who allegedly abuse the park facilities. She also urged the Committee to hold public hearings to discuss changes to the Waimea Community Association Design Review Plan. Finally, she stated that the Speedy Motors application referenced in the Waimea Subcommittee report as discussed by Mr. Dunlap provided for industrial activity in an agricultural zoned area and that this should not be permitted without rezoning. The members then discussed the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting. The following items were suggested for inclusion in the agenda: 1. designate a subcommittee to review applications to the Planning Department; 2. report on the meeting of the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee; 3. continuity of CDP and subcommittees for new Action Committee Members; 4. participation of Committee members in Planning Department reviews of applications to determine consistency with SK CDP; 5. meetings of Action Committee representatives of various action committee’s to discuss efficiency; 6. discussion on the potential geothermal impact on Kawaihae; 7. letter to corporation council regarding role of Committee and the duties of the Planning Department; and 8. Ten Year Moratorium impact on fishing. The Chairman then noted that the next meeting of the Action Committee is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, September 24, 2012, at the Waikoloa Village Association Community Room, 68-1792 Melia Street, Waikoloa Village, Hawai‘i. 5 There being no further business to come before the meeting, the meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m. ______________________________ Michael B. Fischer Chairman 6