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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-08-15 Kailua Village Design Commission Minutes KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MINUTES Meeting Date: August 15, 2017 Time: 5:15 p.m. Place: West Hawai‘i Civic Center nd Planning Department Conference Room – Building E, 2 Floor 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, 96740 CALL TO ORDER Commissioners Present: Peter Dahlberg, Alvin Akina, Jr., Fanny Au Hoy, Bryant Ching, Shaun Roth, Zon Sullenberger, Mark Van Pernis and Ann Kern (from 6:02 p.m.) Planning Department: Michael Yee (Planning Director, left at 7:15 p.m.), Deanne Bugado (Planner), Terry Dunlap (Planner) and Noriko Sauer (Commission Secretary) Applicants/Representatives: John Hetherington, Abraham Kim, Eric Kim, Fritz Harris-Glade and Faruq Ramzanalli Public: Jinhee Lee, Cameron Mičulká and Michael Riehm A quorum was present. Chairman Dahlberg called the meeting to order and the Commissioners introduced themselves. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Minutes of the Meeting of August 1, 2017 Chairman Dahlberg asked if there were any corrections to the minutes. No corrections were offered, and the minutes were approved as circulated. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS There was no one from the public who wished to testify on any items on the agenda. NEW BUSINESS 1. A proposed walk-up food service establishment utilizing an existing structure (previously a pumping station) on Kuakini Highway. Accessible parking space is located on adjacent Kamehameha Mall. Applicant: JKV KONA LLC, Mr. Eric Kim Landowner: Lanihau Properties LLC TMK: (3) 7-5-005: 067 Location: 75-5632 Kuakini Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 1 Mr. Dunlap displayed some photographs of the subject property. He said that the parking requirement for the project, which was one stall complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) standards, was satisfied by a parking agreement with the adjoining King Kamehameha Mall. He described the project with the applicant’s drawings, and noted that no signage was proposed at this time. Mr. John Hetherington, the architect for the project, provided further information. He stated that instead of paving most of the 2,000-square foot parcel for parking, the applicant opted to create a garden setting with drought-tolerant local plants, such as akia, ti, pohinahina and Singapore plumeria, and raised planters where customers could sit and wait, as well as four dining tables under a trellis with ‘ōhi‘a posts. He further stated that the project would be a true walk-up establishment, with a dropdown window that could serve customers in a wheelchair or on a handicap scooter, and that there would be bike racks for bicyclists, which was in line with the newly established Bike Share program and biking path maps for the neighborhood. He said that the ground would have a concrete path stained in amber color and turf blocks with grass in them, and that there was an existing six-foot rock wall along the southern boundary, which would prevent people from entering to and from the adjoining American Savings Bank property. He stated that the applicant’s intent was to modernize and upgrade the property overall, but maintain the charming character of the existing structure, such as the double-pitch roof and lava rock exterior. He showed a photograph of the existing lava rock exterior, and said that they would keep the exterior as much as possible, with addition of matching new lava rock veneer. He noted that the property was currently attracting the homeless, and that the applicant wanted to contribute to the community by doing their part to help Kailua Village thrive and prosper. Commissioner Au Hoy questioned the safety of the turf blocks for the handicapped and elderly. Mr. Hetherington responded that turf blocks were able to accommodate wheelchairs, scooters and dining chairs, especially with hardy Bermuda grass that could be cut very short. He added that the other options that they had considered but were not preferable included pavement, stepping stones and gravel. Mr. Dunlap clarified that ADA compliance would be confirmed during the Plan Approval process. Upon inquiry by Commissioner Au Hoy, Mr. Hetherington displayed color samples of three shades of blue for the roof, and said that although Atlas Regal Blue was the applicant’s choice out of the three, they were open to the Commissioners’ opinions. Commissioner Au Hoy said that she would prefer a lighter blue, as the proposed darker shade, together with the lava rock exterior, would make the small building appear even smaller. Commissioner Van Pernis expressed his agreement. Commissioner Roth commented that a darker roof might be less reflective, but he concurred with Commissioner Au Hoy that it would make the building hot. In response to Commissioner Roth’s question, Mr. Hetherington stated that the present roof color of the adjacent King Kamehameha Mall was beige, but that it would be painted over to match the food booth during the course of planned remodeling. He added that the applicant’s intent was to create the feel that the food booth was a part of the mall. The consensus was that Siam Blue was preferable to Atlas Regal Blue. Commissioner Sullenberger thanked the applicant for their vision for the subject property, without which there would have been temporary black fencing instead as proposed earlier by the landowner. Upon inquiry by Commissioner Au Hoy, Mr. Hetherington stated that the trellis would be as long as the building and should be large enough for four tables, and that there would be a shade cloth over the trellis. He added that the color of the shade cloth would probably be black or else match 2 the roof color. Commissioner Au Hoy suggested a trailing plant, such as Kuhio vine, as an alternative. Mr. Hetherington responded that they preferred a shade cloth to a flowering vine because of bees, as well as plant debris falling on the tables, but that they would consider the vine option. Mr. Abraham Kim representing the applicant, reminded the Commissioners that the applicant, which was a family-owned company, had come before the Commission earlier this year with an application for the first phase of remodeling of the adjoining King Kamehameha Mall. He said that, as he had stated then, their intention was to brighten up the area and contribute to the community. He stated that he had slight hesitation about changing the roof color without talking to his family members, especially his mother who had expressed her strong preference for the proposed color over the other options. He asked if the Commission could approve both colors and allow the applicant to make a choice. In response to Mr. Dunlap’s question, Mr. Hetherington stated that he was aware that the proposed project would have to go through the Special Management Area Assessment and Plan Approval processes. He further stated that those applications were already prepared, but that the applicant wished to get the design review done by the Commission first. Commissioner Van Pernis moved that the Commission forward to the Planning Director a recommendation for approval of the proposed project, with a condition that the roof color be changed from the proposed Atlas Regal Blue to Siam Blue. Commissioner Roth seconded the motion; however, noting that a darker color would fade anyway, he suggested that the condition in the motion be amended to accept any of the blue color options presented. He said that he greatly appreciated the proposed project, and that the choice between two similar colors seemed like a minor matter. Commissioner Van Pernis restated the motion that the Commission forward to the Planning Director a recommendation for approval of the proposed project; further, any of the three blue color options presented to the Commission be accepted. The restated motion was seconded by Commissioner Sullenberger. There being no further discussion on the motion, a roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with six ayes (Van Pernis, Sullenberger, Akina, Au Hoy, Ching and Roth), no noes, and one absent and excused (Kern). 2. Proposed four (4) story hotel, with 141 units. Access is proposed from Henry Street. Applicant: Fritz Harris-Glade, AIA, Leed AP Landowner: Circadia Management LLC TMK: (3) 7-5-004: 006 Location: Located near the south-makai corner of the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway and Henry Street intersection Mr. Dunlap displayed some site photographs. He said that the proposed project complied with the Zoning Code, including the use, the parking and the 45-foot building height. He described the project with the applicant’s site plan and drawings, and said that the applicant was going to present additional drawings, as he had since made some revisions based on his discussion with the Planning Department. \[Commissioner Kern joined the panel at this time, 6:02 p.m.\] 3 Upon inquiry by Commissioner Van Pernis, Mr. Dunlap said that the current elevation of the property was about 25 feet lower than Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway in the mauka portion and about 20 feet higher than Henry Street in the makai portion. Commissioner Van Pernis said that the top of the building from the Henry Street perspective would then be 65 feet high. The applicant, Fritz Harris-Glade, presented additional information. He displayed a revised site plan and stated that the flood zone within the property and the close proximity to the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway-Henry Street intersection dictated the placement of the entryway and the hotel structure; however, by eliminating the originally proposed bridge and condensing the building, he had been able to push the building more towards Henry Street. He also stated that in order to further mitigate the impact on the residential neighborhood to the south, a landscaping buffer, such as a podocarpus hedge, would be planted in the grading phase so that by the time the building was constructed, the buffer would already be in place. He added that having the buffer was also important to the hotel for the rooms along that border. In addressing Commissioner Van Pernis’ earlier question as to the height of the proposed building, Mr. Harris-Glade stated that from Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway the building would appear to be in a hole because of the 25-foot drop, and that the height appearance from Henry Street would vary depending on the viewpoint due to its slope and curve. He added that it would be no different from the existing buildings along the street. With respect to colors, Mr. Harris-Glade said that the owner was open to the Commission’s preference, and that any color from the recommended Benjamin Moore Historical Colors would be acceptable. He said that the roof color had also been changed since the original submittal, and displayed revised renderings on his computer. He stated that he had chosen green for the roof as opposed to the originally proposed brown because green was the predominant color of the roof across the street. He also explained that the color concept for the building was to use white on the upper floor to diminish the height and a dark color on the bottom to hold down the building. Mr. Harris-Glade also displayed a rotating three-dimensional image of the building on his computer. Commissioner Roth pointed out that everything presented was making the property and the surroundings appear to be flat, and asked if the applicant had an image or drawing of section through the site available. Mr. Harris-Glade confirmed that the property was not flat, and that he had not been able to prepare any sections in time for this meeting. In response to Commissioner Van Pernis’ comment that the applicant’s submittal did not seem final, Mr. Harris-Glade said that the owner did not want to proceed and spend their funds without knowing the concerns of the Commission, and that they were willing to come back with more details based on the outcome of this meeting. Upon inquiry by Commissioner Van Pernis, Mr. Ramzanalli who was from the owner company, stated that the owner-developer of the subject property and the Holiday Inn Express in downtown had the same parent company. He said that unlike the Holiday Inn Express project however, which had hired an architect from Oregon, they wanted to make sure that they had someone with experience locally. He said that in order to address one of the concerns expressed to them earlier, they had directed Mr. Harris-Glade to move the building further in from the required 15-foot setback along the southern boundary. Mr. Harris-Glade added that in the revised plan the building was set back 38.5 feet, which was as far away from the residential neighbors as possible without being in the flood zone on the other side. 4 Commissioner Van Pernis commented that he was not opposed to having a hotel servicing different clientele than the hotels along the coast, but that he was concerned about impact on the public view. He said that people would be looking at a 65-foot high building as they travel down Henry Street. He further said that except for a small portion of the Henry Street frontage there was no landscaping proposed, including along Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, and that the building height could be broken up more by trees than the proposed color scheme. Mr. Harris-Glade explained that not much landscaping was planned for those sections because there was another parcel between the subject property and Henry Street and there was the 25-foot drop on the Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway side; however, he said that he had no problem with providing additional landscaping. Mr. Ramzanalli affirmed Mr. Harris-Glade’s statement, and added that the landscaping would be done by a licensed landscaper. Commissioner Van Pernis further commented that he wished there had been more landscaping at the Holiday Inn Express in downtown, which was an eyesore to the community in his opinion, and that since the property in question was in a more visible location, much more landscaping was needed. He also added that the 25-foot drop did not excuse them from landscaping the area because pedestrians on Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway could look down and see the project. In response to Commissioner Van Pernis’ question, Mr. Harris-Glade stated that their roof-mounted solar panels would not be visible because they would be hidden in the roof well. Commissioner Van Pernis also expressed his disapproval of the proposed colors, especially the barn red, and said he would prefer earth-tone colors, such as beige or green. Commissioner Ching said that he also preferred earth-tone colors. In response to Commissioner Ching’s question, Mr. Harris-Glade stated that the site plan was depicting some existing features based on a survey, including barbed wire fence in the highway right-of-way. He further stated that they were not going to install any barbed wire fence within the project site. Commissioner Sullenberger commented that the north-west corner needed some horizontal separation or buffer to soften the vertical change from the street to the building, and that the roofline needed some articulation, such as overhang, to mitigate the horizontal look. Commissioner Roth also commented that the architectural design in general did not represent Kailua-Kona, and that the applicant’s presentation should include more information, such as the slopes and the surroundings, for the Commissioners to better visualize the project within the context of the village. In response to Mr. Dunlap’s suggestion to flip the building in the north-west corner of the site, Mr. Harris-Glade said that although he had to think through the operational functionality, he could take a look at the possibility. Commissioner Roth commented, however, that along a busy road like Henry Street he would rather see a well-treated tall façade than a pool area. In response to Commissioner Van Pernis’ question, Mr. Harris Glade stated that the site elevation could not be reduced because of the adjoining floodplain. Commissioner Au Hoy expressed her concern about the archaeological site and the Great Wall of Kuakini. Mr. Harris-Glade responded that there was a chain-link fence around the archaeological site, and that a burial site plan was in the file. Commissioner Au Hoy asked the applicant to come up with a treatment that would enhance those sites. Commissioner Roth added that something that would show respect should be done instead of merely a functional chain-link fence. 5 Mr. Harris-Glade mentioned that they were consulting with Mr. Curtis Tyler, and that the Holiday Inn Express had built a lava rock wall with an iron gate around a small burial site on its property. Chair Dahlberg summarized the Commission’s advice to the applicant as follows: 1) Replace the barn red color with an earth tone; 2) Provide a landscaping plan; 3) Provide topography with site sections at various points showing the proposed hotel and its relationship to the surrounding area; 4) Consider horizontal buffer from Henry Street; 5) Modify the architectural design in keeping with Kailua-Kona, with compatible building materials and colors; 6) Provide the archeological preservation plan or the burial treatment plan; and, 7) Provide renderings, including three-dimensional, of the view looking down Henry Street. It was moved by Commissioner Roth and seconded by Commissioner Kern that the Commission defer this application. Commissioner Van Pernis suggested that the motion be clarified that the applicant was to resubmit his proposal. Commissioner Roth clarified that his motion meant deferral of action and resubmission by the applicant addressing the concerns specified today. There being no further discussion on the motion, a roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with seven ayes (Roth, Kern, Akina, Au Hoy, Ching, Sullenberger and Van Pernis) and no noes. 3. Discussion of possible creation of Investigatory Committee to address Sign Issues in Kailua Village Special District. Discussion is to identify reasons for committee, scope and assignment of members. Commissioner Roth made reference to Section 3-48 of the Sign Code, which provides, “The director shall prepare or cause to be prepared an easy-to-use, user-friendly pamphlet or brochure which describes the key provisions of this chapter and provides examples by drawing or photograph, to facilitate use of this chapter. The director may use community organizations to assist with this process.” He emphasized the word “shall,” and suggested that the committee, if created, focus on education. Director Yee mentioned that the current director of the Department of Public Works’ last day was st August 31, and that he had not heard of any potential successor being considered. He said that that would give the Commission time to get ready to work with new director on the sign issues. He also agreed with Commissioner Roth that education should come first. Chair Dahlberg asked if any of the Commissioners would be interested in becoming a member of such a committee; however, no one was able to make the commitment at this time. Director Yee commented that since Kailua Village redevelopment was under consideration and there would soon be a new director of the Department of Public Works who might be interested in this issue, the Commission might have a better opportunity later. Commissioner Kern suggested that the Commission contact former Commissioner Theresa Andreae who had expressed her interest in this matter. Mr. Dunlap also volunteered to speak to his contacts in the community and report back to the Commission. It was moved by Commissioner Roth and seconded by Commissioner Kern that the Commission defer this matter to the next meeting and request Mr. Dunlap to reach out to members of the 6 Kailua Village Business Improvement District and the secretary to contact Ms. Andreae. There being no further discussion on the motion, a roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with seven ayes (Roth, Kern, Akina, Au Hoy, Ching, Sullenberger and Van Pernis) and no noes. OLD BUSINESS Discussion of draft letter responding to the Director of the Department of Public Works’ letter dated April 5, 2017, regarding enforcement of the Sign Code within Kailua Village Special District. Chairman Dahlberg suggested that this matter be also deferred. He said that if the Commission was to send the letter now, it might not be effective since the director of the Department of Public Works was retiring very soon. Commissioner Van Pernis disagreed, and said that the letter should be sent out right away. Commissioner Sullenberger commented that the letter could be sent again to his successor as a follow-up. The Commissioners reviewed a draft letter prepared by Commissioner Van Pernis, and discussed revisions. It was moved by Commissioner Kern and seconded by Commissioner Van Pernis that the word “Acting” from the title of the addressee and the word “former” in the first line be deleted from the draft letter, that Mr. Frank De Marco’s name be inserted as the addressee, and that the finalized letter be signed by all members of the Commission and sent out. There being no further discussion on the motion, a roll call vote was taken and the motion carried with seven ayes (Kern, Van Pernis, Akina, Au Hoy, Ching, Roth and Sullenberger) and no noes. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS None. ANNOUNCEMENTS Next meeting tentatively scheduled for September 5, 2017 Mr. Dunlap announced that there was tentatively one design review application regarding Kona Brewery on the meeting agenda. ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, it was moved by Commissioner Van Pernis and seconded by Commission Sullenberger that the meeting be adjourned. Chair Dahlberg adjourned the meeting at 7:26 p.m. Respectfully submitted, A T T E S T: Noriko Sauer, Secretary Peter Dahlberg, Chairman Kailua Village Design Commission 7