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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-10-05 Hearing Transcript - Ka Umeke Kaeo Public Charter SchoolWINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAII HEARING TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 5, 2017 A regularly advertised hearing on the application of KA 'UMEKE KA'EO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (USE 17-000071) was called to order at 9:30 a.m. in the County of Hawaii Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii with Chairman Gregory Henkel presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Joe Clarkson, Gregory Henkel, Myles Miyasato, and Thomas Raffipiy. ABSENT & EXCUSED: Donn Dela Cruz and Donald Ikeda. ALSO PRESENT: Michael Yee (Planning Director), Malia Ho Hall (Deputy Corporation Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), Jeff Darrow (Planning Program Manager), Maija Jackson (Planner), Christian Kay (Planner), Shancy Watanabe (Planner), and Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary). And 3 members from the public in attendance. APPLICANT: KA `UMEKE KA`EO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (USE 17-000071) Application for a Use Permit to allow the establishment of a Hawaiian language charter elementary school (grades K-2) for 100 students, six (6) teachers and four (4) operations and support staff in an existing facility situated on 1.2042 acres of land within the Industrial - Commercial Mixed Use - 20,000 square foot (MCX-20) zoned district. The property is located at 313 Kuawa Street, which is on the northeast corner of Kalanikoa Street and Kuawa Street, Waiakea, Hilo, Hawaii, TMK: 2-2-032:024. HENKEL: Okay, we'll move on to Agenda Item No. 2 which is Ka `Umeke K5'eo Public Charter School, USE 17-71, and it looks like Shancy will be making the presentation. WATANABE: Yes, thank you. Good morning, everyone. The Applicant is Ka `Umeke [Secretary's Note: Microphone feedback momentarily disrupted the meeting.] Sorry, thank you, good morning, everyone. The Applicant is Ka `Umeke K5'eo Public Charter School. The Applicant is requesting for a Use Permit. This is the location map. The subject property is highlighted in red and located at the northeast corner of Kuawa and Kalanikoa Street intersection in the South Hilo District. The Applicant is requesting a Use Permit to allow the relocation of a public charter school into a 10,500 -square foot portion of an existing facility situated on 1.2042 acres of land within the Industrial - Commercial Mixed Use District. 10V1111.11 1.1 The school will consist of a maximum 100 students in grades K through 2, six teachers, and four operations and support staff Ka `Umeke K5'eo was approved as a public charter school in 2001 by the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission. The charter school contract for Ka `Umeke K5'eo was renewed through the end of June 2021. The Applicant provided this life safety site plan showing the proposed area in, outlined in yellow. The proposed staff parking is shown in green, and the egress for the students and staff is proposed onto Kuawa Street. This is the zoning map. The subject property is highlighted in red and currently zoned Industrial -Commercial Mixed Use District shown in the twilight color. The Industrial zoning is shown in gray; Commercial is in the pink; and Open in the bright green. This is the State Land Use Boundary Map. The subject property is situated within the State Land Use Urban District. This is the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map or LUPAG Map. The subject property is designated as Medium Density Urban. This is the Special Management Area or SMA map. As you can see, the subject property is entirely within the SMA. This is an aerial photograph of the property at the corner of Kalanikoa and Kuawa Streets. The approximate area for the proposed school is outlined in yellow. To eliminate the potential traffic or queueing of vehicles on County roads, there is now a one-way ingress from the Kalanikoa Street entrance which proceeds to the back of the building for student drop-off and pick-up with the Ka `Umeke K5'eo staff standing by to facilitate the student drop-off and pick-up. Egress is proposed onto Kuawa Street. The proposed parking for the staff is shown in green. This photo was taken standing across Kuawa Street looking directly at the subject property. This photo was taken standing in the parking lot of the school looking towards Kuawa Street. As part of the school's traffic safety measures, these cones are set out to prevent access into the parking lot while school is in session. This photo shows the designated egress onto Kuawa Street. These are interior photos of the areas occupied by the school. From left to right is a picture of the classroom; the kitchen area leading to the bathroom area here; and the common room. The Planning Director respectfully recommends approval with conditions of this Use Permit. This morning you have also received a copy of added conditions which will be Condition No. 2. All of the other conditions will be renumbered. This added condition addresses the life of the permit which will be five years from the effective date of this permit. EXHIBIT B 2 With this, this concludes my presentation, and I'm happy to answer any questions that the Planning Commission may have. Thank you. HENKEL: Thank you, Shancy. Any questions from the Commission for staff? CLARKSON: I'm just curious why in a Commercial Mixed Use area, why is that a Use Permit is required? Because of the SMA area or—I mean, I'm just curious why you can't have a school in a commercial building. HENKEL: Anyone from staff? DARROW: Yes. HENKEL: Looks like Jeffrey has the answer. DARROW: II can't answer for originally why they put that in the Code, but I can assume that this is actually industrial commercially zoned property and so in the industrial -type zoning, it requires the Special—or the Use Permit for a school in that. Probably to be able to just evaluate the uses in relation to the Industrial uses that might be in that particular zoning. In Commercial zoning, schools are, my understanding, are outright permitted. But, this is, again, an Industrial -Commercial Mixed zoning. CLARKSON: Oh II misunderstood. I thought it was Mixed Commercial – 20 or something. DARROW: Yeah, mixed, what it means is Industrial -Commercial. CLARKSON: Oh, okay. DARROW: It's MCX. CLARKSON: Okay, thank you. DARROW: Thank you. HENKEL: Thank you, Jeffrey. Any other questions? Then, could we have the representative and the Applicant come forward, please? LILLY: Aloha, my name is Olani Lilly. I'm the principal of Ka `Umeke K5'eo. HENKEL: Can we have you raise your right hands first to swear you in? LILLY: Oh, right hand. HENKEL: Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth in this matter before the Planning Commission? EXHIBIT B 3 LILLY/LEE: I do. HENKEL: Thank you. Now you can say your name and proceed. LILLY: Okay. HENKEL: Before you go, did you get the conditions that were added? LILLY: Yes, yes, we did. HENKEL: Thank you. LILLY: My name is Olani Lilly, I promise. And, I'm the principal at Ka `Umeke K5'eo. LEE: My name is Louisa Lee, and I'm the director of operations at Ka `Umeke K5'eo. HENKEL: I've got to say. I really support Hawai`i's public charter schools for the unique opportunities they offer students, and I've had the great pleasure of working in an urban environment at a charter school in Downtown Hilo, and it, it's challenging and it's also really interesting and beneficial. I know you're close to a lot of green space around there, too, the kids have access to with the new ballfields and the proximity to Bay Front and stuff so. LILLY: We, I guess last year. Our original home was at Keaukaha Elementary School. We've been there for thirty years and then we were, we needed to move and so we did a hustle and this, as we looked out into Hilo, we wanted to remain in Keaukaha because within our mission, it states that Keaukaha is our learning laboratory. So, our keiki do a lot of research up and down that coastline. And, so we wanted to remain somewhat close to Keaukaha, but as we looked at all the warehouses out there, none of them were suitable for our students, and so, thankfully, it may be a blessing, the church had to vacate. And, so it was pretty turnkey for us. And, so it was really a no-brainer to move there, and with the help of the Planning Department, we've been able to go through this and this process and get to this point. And, our intent is to move out of there within five years to a permanent campus back in Keaukaha. HENKEL: Very good. Any questions of the Applicants? Okay, you can be seated. LEE: Mahalo. HENKEL: Again, we have no one signed up to testify, so MIYASATO: Sorry, Chair, I just have one question real quickly. Did you have any concerns with any of the conditions or do you accept. LILLY: No. MIYASATO: Okay, thank you. EXHIBIT B 4 HENKEL: Thank, Myles. No one is signed up to testify so is there a motion to close public testimony? MIYASATO: Motion to close. CLARKSON: Second. HENKEL: It's been moved and seconded to close public testimony. All in favor say, "aye." COMMISSIONERS: Aye. HENKEL: Opposed? Public testimony is closed. Now, we'll look for discussion and motion to action. MIYASATO: Chair, I'll make a motion. You know, my son was going to Keaukaha Elementary as a kindergartener, and I used to see those charter school students, and I, he luckily got accepted to Kamehameha. He was fortunate, but, you know, I'm glad that these students have this opportunity `cause they was kind of like in that cage in the front area, you know? Yeah, it's a great opportunity. You know, Chair, I move that the application for Use Permit Docket No. USE 17-071 with the added Condition No. 2 be approved based on the Planning Director's recommendations and proposed conditions which shall be adopted. RAFFIPIY: I second. HENKEL: It's been moved and seconded. Can we do a roll call vote, Shancy? WATANABE: Yes. Commissioner Miyasato? MIYASATO: Aye. WATANABE: Commissioner Raffipiy? RAFFIPIY: Aye. WATANABE: Commissioner Clarkson? CLARKSON: Aye. WATANABE: Chair Henkel? HENKEL: Aye. WATANABE: The motion carries four, zero. Thank you. EXHIBIT B 5 HENKEL: All right. You'll be notified in writing from the Planning Director [sic]. The discussion ended at 9:41 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary Windward Planning Commission EXHIBIT B 6