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Home My WebLink About2017-08-03 Hearing Transcript - Rodney Tanaka REZ 07-065WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAII HEARING TRANSCRIPT AUGUST 3, 2017 A regularly advertised hearing on the application of RODNEY TANAKA (REZ 17-065) was called to order at 9:02 a.m. in the County of Hawaii Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii with Vice -Chairman Joseph Clarkson presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Joe Clarkson, Donn Dela Cruz, Donald Ikeda, Myles Miyasato, and Thomas Raffipiy. ABSENT & EXCUSED: Gregory Henkel. ALSO PRESENT: Michael Yee (Planning Director), Malia Ho Hall (Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), Maija Jackson (Planner), Shancy Watanabe (Planner), Kim Tanaka (Secretary), and Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary). And 5 members from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: RODNEY TANAKA (FORMERLY CYNTHIA KUULEI THOMAS) (REZ 07-000065) Request for an additional 5 -year extension of time to comply with Condition C (Complete Construction) of Ordinance No. 07-136, which rezoned approximately 22,500 square feet of land from the Single -Family Residential — 10,000 square feet (RS -10) district to the Industrial - Commercial Mixed Use — 20,000 square feet (MCX-20) district. The property is located on the northwest corner of the Lanikaula Street and Hinano Street intersection, Waiakea House Lots It Series, Waiakea, South Hilo, Hawaii, TMK: 2-2-036:090. CLARKSON: The first item on the agenda is an application by Rodney Tanaka for rezone. I'd like to askShancy, I guess, is going to make the presentation from Planning staff and brief us on what this is, what is involved here. WATANABE: Thank you, and good morning, everyone. The Applicant is Rodney Tanaka. This application is for an amendment to a Change of Zone ordinance. This is the location map. For orientation, we have East Lanikaula Street running in the east -west direction in the Waiakea House Lots. Hinano Street runs in a north to south direction. The subject property is highlighted in red and is located at the corner of Hinano and East Lanikaula Street. The Applicant is requesting an amendment to a --Condition C of Change of Zone Ordinance No. 07-136 for a time extension for the completion of construction. Currently, Condition C required completion of construction by October 10th of this year. The Applicant is requesting for a five-year time extension from the effective date of this amended ordinance. EXHIBIT A The Applicant provided this site plan showing the proposed building shaded in yellow. The proposed parking is shown shaded in purple. Here is the proposed entryways—one up off Hinano and one off of East Lanikaula Street. The Applicant provided this proposed floor plan for the warehouse retail building with office. The building will consist of the restrooms, a parts showroom, and warehouse base with interior stairs leading to the mezzanine storage. This is the zoning map. The subject property is zoned MCX-20 which is Industrial -Commercial Mixed Use District as shown in the twilight color. Residential shown—Residential zoning is shown in the light yellow; Commercial zoning in the light pink; and the Industrial in the various shades of gray. This is the State Land Use Boundary Map. The subject property is situated within the State Land Use Urban District as are the surrounding properties all shown in the light pink. This is the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide or LUPAG map. The subject property is designated as Industrial, and the surrounding properties all shown in the goldenrod color is the Medium Density Urban. This is an aerial photograph of the subject property at the corner of East Lanikaula and Hinano Streets. The existing retaining wall is located here at the property line with the adjacent property. This site photo is from Lanikaula Street looking directly at the subject property. The photograph on the left was taken standing on Lanikaula Street looking towards Hinano Street where the blue truck is turning left. The picture on the right was taken standing on Lanikaula Street looking down Hinano Street. The subject property is on the left. The picture on the left was taken standing on Hinano Street looking towards Lanikaula Street. The subject property is on the right, and the subject property on the left—excuse me—the picture on the right was taken standing on Lanikaula Street looking towards Manono streetlight, and Hinano is now on the right. Wait, I'm sorry. So, the picture on the left is standing on Hinano Street looking towards Lanikaula Street, and the subject property is on the right, and the picture on the right was taken standing on Lanikaula Street looking down Hinano Street, and the subject property is now on your left. Excuse me. So, the Planning Director respectfully recommends approval with conditions for the amendment of this Change of Zone request to County Council. This morning, you would have also received additional copies for the site plan that were inadvertently left out. Please include this as part of Exhibit 1. And, this concludes my presentation. I'm happy to answer any questions that the Planning Commission may have. Thank you. EXHIBIT A 2 CLARKSON: Any questions for staff, Commissioners? In that case, will the Applicant or their representative please come forward? I need to swear you in, please. Raise your right hands. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now before the Planning Commission? [Yen Wen Fang, P.E., Representative from Engineering Partners, Inc., also went up with Mr. Tanaka.] TANAKA: Yes, I do. CLARKSON: Thank you. Please state your name, where you reside, and then proceed. Please speak directly into the microphone—yeah, it's always on. TANAKA: Yeah. Yeah, my name is Rodney Tanaka. I'm the president of Hawaii Spring Supply. OhI presently live in Kea`au, but I've been a lifetime Hilo resident. My business has been in operation since 1956, and I'm asking you guys to please approve this. It's to try to better my working conditions for my workers and myself, and so we can grow. Thank you. CLARKSON: Yeah, did you read the Planning Director's Background Report and Recommendation? Do you agree with the Recommendation and its conditions? TANAKA: Yes. CLARKSON: In that case, are there any questions for the Applicant from Commissioners? RAFFIPIY: Yeah, I have a question. Mr. Tanaka, do you have any issue meeting the conditions that the, that was set forth in the, by the Planning Director? Do you have any—you don't have an issue meeting them? TANAKA: No, I don't haveI'm not aware. I was letting my engineers handle most of this `cause I've been travelling back and forth to Honolulu to take care of the other shop. But, if there is any condition that you guys want me to meet that we haven't met, I will surely look into it and try to get it done. I didn't know of any problem with anything. RAFFIPIY: Any construction, construction timelineanything, you don't have no problem with construction timeline within the five-year extension requested? TANAKA: That's why I'm applying for five years. I'm applying for five years because I bought the property in December of 2015. So, right away in January, we went to see the engineers hoping we could it done before the zoning ran out, and there were some complications and things got behind. So, the reason why I'm asking for the five years is to guarantee me enough time if there are any problems to finish this project. RAFFIPIY: Thank you very much. TANAKA: Yes, thank you. EXHIBIT A 3 CLARKSON: Any further questions from the Commission? If not, you're welcome to take a seat. The staff has indicated that there are no members of the public wishing to testify today. So, my script skips way down toI need, do I need a motion to close the public hearing if they're? Yes. MIYASATO: Chair, I make a motion to close public testimony. CLARKSON: Thank you. IKEDA: Second. DELA CRUZ: Second. CLARKSON: All those in favor? COMMISSIONERS: Aye. CLARKSON: Motion carries. And, opposed? Okay, motion carries. It was moved, let's see now do we—we need a motion for approval or disapproval, motion for action. IKEDA: Mr. Chairman, I'll make the motion. I move that a favorable recommendation be forwarded to the County Council on the request to amend Condition C of Change of Zone Ordinance No. 07-136 based on the Planning Director's recommendations and findings which shall be adopted. RAFFIPIY: I second. CLARKSON: It was moved by Commissioner Ikeda and seconded by Commissioner Raffipiy that the recommendation for a favorable recommendation be sent to the Commission [sic - Council]. Will the staff take the roll call vote, please? Any discussion, Commissioners? Thank you. Will the staff take a roll call vote, please? WATANABE: Yes, thank you. Commissioner Ikeda? IKEDA: Aye. WATANABE: Commissioner Raffipiy? RAFFIPIY: Aye. WATANABE: Commissioner Dela Cruz? DELA CRUZ: Aye. WATANABE: Commissioner Miyasato? EXHIBIT A 4 MIYASATO: Aye. WATANABE: Chair Clarkson? CLARKSON: Aye. WATANABE: The motion carries five, zero. Thank you. CLARKSON: Thank you for coming. You'll be notified in writing of the results. Thanks. The discussion ended at 9:13 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary Windward Planning Commission EXHIBIT A 5