HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-09-25 Leeward Exh A (REZ 17-222)
LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I
HEARING TRANSCRIPT
SEPTEMBER 25, 2017
A regularly advertised hearing on the application of KATHLEEN L. BRILHANTE (REZ
17-000222) was called to order at 9:33 a.m. in the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Community Center,
Building G, 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, with Vice Chairman
Collin Kaholo presiding.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Collin Kaholo, Nancy Carr Smith, Perry Kealoha, Barbara
Nobriga and Sonny Shimaoka
ABSENT AND EXCUSED: Scott Church and Keith F. Unger
ALSO PRESENT: Malia Ho (Counsel for the Commission), Michael Yee (Planning Director),
Jeff Darrow (Planning Program Manager), Christian Kay (Planner), Shancy Watanabe (Planner)
and Noriko Sauer (Commission Secretary)
And two people from the public in attendance.
APPLICANT: KATHLEEN L. BRILHANTE (REZ 17-000222)
Application for a Change of Zone from an Agricultural-1 acre (A-1a) to a Single Family
Residential-20,000 square feet (RS-20) zoning district for approximately 50,791 square feet of
land. The property is located at 65-1102 Hōkū‘ula Road, north of the Spencer Road-Hōkū‘ula
Road junction, Waimea Homesteads, South Kohala, Hawai‘i, TMK: 6-5-004:049.
KAHOLO: On the agenda, presentation of the agenda, is application Kathleen L. Brilhante, REZ
17-000222, application of a Change of Zone from an Agricultural \[-1 acre\], A-1a, to a Single
Family Residential-20,000 square feet, RS-20, zoning district for approximately 50,791 square
feet of land. The property is located at 65-1002 \[1102\] Hōkū‘ula Road, north of the Spencer
Road-Hōkū‘ula Road junction, Waimea Homesteads, South Kohala, Hawai‘i, TMK: 6-5-004:049.
At this time I’d like to call on Planners. Thank you.
WATANABE: Thank you. Good morning, everyone. The applicant is Kathleen Brilhante and
she is requesting for a Change of Zone.
This is the location map. For orientation, Hōkū‘ula Road runs in the southwest to northeast
direction in the Waimea Homesteads in the South Kohala District. Spencer Road runs in the north
to southeast direction. The subject property is outlined in red, and is located at the junction of
Hōkū‘ula Road and Spencer Road.
The applicant is requesting a Change of Zone from an Agricultural-1 acre to a Single-Family
Residential-20,000 square feet zoning district to create a two-lot subdivision. Upon subdivision,
the applicant will continue to live in their current residence. The new approximately
22,137-square foot lot will be conveyed to a member of the applicant’s family to build a residence.
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EXHIBIT A
This is the applicant’s proposed two-lot subdivision map. The applicant will retain their existing
residence and property shown here. The proposed second lot will be conveyed to a member of the
applicant’s family, and access is proposed via an electrical and utility easement shown here.
This is the zoning map. The subject property is highlighted in red, and currently zoned
Agricultural shown in the light green color. Residential zoning is shown in the various shades of
yellow, Commercial shown in the light Pink and other Agricultural shown in the blues.
This is the State Land Use boundary map. The property is situated within the State Land Use
Urban District shown in the light pink, and Agricultural is shown in the light green.
This is the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide map. The subject property is
designated as Low Density Urban shown in the mustard color. The goldenrod color represents
Medium Density Urban, and the white represents Extensive Agriculture.
This is an aerial photograph of the subject property at the junction of Hōkū‘ula Road and Spencer
Road, which is right in this area here. The proposed second lot would be in this area.
This photo was taken standing on Hōkū‘ula Road, looking towards the curve in the road, which
will become Spencer Road. Here is the front of the subject property. This view shows the height
variations in the front of the property. So if you are driving on this way, the front of the property
is not easily visible because of the height.
This photo was taken from Hōkū‘ula Road, looking at the flag of the adjacent property. The
subject property is on the right. The proposed second lot would be located in this general area.
With the current landscaping, it would be difficult to see the second lot from this view from
Hōkū‘ula Road. The proposed easement would be about here. And the hill of Pu‘u Ki rises
behind the subject property and dominates the view plane.
This photo was taken standing on Spencer Road, looking southeast away from the subject
property.
The Planning Director respectfully submits for a favorable recommendation with conditions for
this Change of Zone request to the County Council. This concludes my presentation and I’m
happy to answer any questions that the Planning Commission may have. Thank you.
KAHOLO: Staff, you’ve got anything, Commissioners, you’ve got anything for staff? I’m sorry.
None? Can I call the applicant or the person in charge of the applicant?
KERN: Good morning. Good morning, Mr. Chair, Members of the Leeward —
KAHOLO: Let me swear you in first. Let me swear you in first.
KERN: Oh, yes, sorry.
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EXHIBIT A
KAHOLO: Do you swear and affirm to tell the truth on the matter before the Planning
Commission?
KERN: Yes, I do.
KAHOLO: Thank you. Please state your name.
KERN: My name is Zendo Kern. I’m a planning consultant. I represent Kathleen Brilhante. I
want to say good morning, Mr. Chair, Members of the Leeward Planning Commission, Director,
Corporation Counsel and staff. I used to be a Planning Commissioner on the leeward \[sic\] side
and got to chair it for a good number of years, so I just want to say out of respect I know what it
takes to show up here and then do the work, and really appreciate it. It takes everybody to really
make our community whole, and this is a great process. And all the work that staff continually
does, whether it’s figuring out how to make microphones work, is challenged at times.
So I’m here, this application is relatively straightforward. I’m here to answer any questions,
explain anything necessary that would be needed.
CARR SMITH: Mr. Chair?
KAHOLO: Commissioner.
CARR SMITH: Good morning, Mr. Kern.
KERN: Good morning.
CARR SMITH: I was wondering if there was any input from neighbors, surrounding neighbors,
regarding the zoning change.
KERN: No, I have not received any calls or any feedback. As far as I know from the Department
there has been no communication as well. We did send out the multiple notices to all the
surrounding property owners per County Code. And we also ended up sending out a third notice
by default that, because the agenda got changed up and the notice that I got said like Thursday,
th
September 25, so we sent out a third notice correcting that, saying it was Monday. So we did
send out, you know, it’s usually two notices plus the sign, so, and we did a third notice. And, no, I
have not received a call or letter or have not heard anything from the Department.
CARR SMITH: And the parcel, the home that sits above the intended new lot, is, has its own
driveway, correct?
KERN: Correct.
CARR SMITH: Okay.
KERN: Yeah.
CARR SMITH: And this is a separate driveway for these two.
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EXHIBIT A
KERN: Correct. They are basically right next to each other, and with the easement the applicant
is going to have to basically widen the front up there just a little bit. They basically share the same
kind of area right now, but we made it so that the map – this sounds really weird in my head with
the, with the – so we made it so the driveway on their side is just going to have to widen just a
little bit to afford the two-lot subdivision. But we haven’t heard from anything from the neighbor
as well.
CARR SMITH: Thank you.
KERN: Thank you.
KAHOLO: Any more questions? None? Thank you.
KERN: Thank you very much.
KAHOLO: Before you go, did you receive the Planning Director’s —
KERN: Yes, we received the Planning Director’s recommendation and conditions. We are
agreeable to those. One question I did have was the condition for the future road-widening
setback. I take it that that’s pretty much just a standard, standard procedure, and anything that
comes forward in the future will do that to eventually allow that road to be widened if it needs to
be. So, no, otherwise, we, yeah, we accept the conditions and the recommendation from the
Planning Department.
KAHOLO: Okay. Thank you.
KERN: Thank you.
KAHOLO: I don’t see anybody from the public out there. Can I have a motion to close the public
testimony?
SHIMAOKA: I motion.
NOBRIGA: I second.
KAHOLO: It’s been moved by Commissioner Shimaoka and seconded by Commissioner
Nobriga. Thank you, motion passed. All those in favor, say aye.
COMMISSIONERS: Aye.
KAHOLO: Thank you. Any opposed? None. Motion passed. Thank you. Can I have a motion
for action?
SHIMAOKA: Yeah, I move that a favorable recommendation be forwarded to the County
Council on the application for Change of Zone, Docket Number REZ17-000222, based on our
Planning Director’s recommendation and findings, which shall be adopted.
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EXHIBIT A
CARR SMITH: I’ll second that.
KAHOLO: It’s been moved by, motion has been made by Commissioner Shimaoka, seconded by
Commissioner Nancy Carr Smith. Staff? Any discussion? No? Staff, roll call.
WATANABE: Commissioner Shimaoka?
SHIMAOKA: Aye.
WATANABE: Commissioner Carr Smith?
CARR SMITH: Aye.
WATANABE: Commissioner Kealoha?
KEALOHA: Aye.
WATANABE: Commissioner Nobriga?
NOBRIGA: Aye.
WATANABE: Motion carries, five-zero. Oh, and Chair, excuse me –
KAHOLO: Aye.
WATANABE: — Commissioner Kaholo?
KAHOLO: Aye.
WATANABE: Motion carries, five-zero.
The discussion ended at 9:47 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Noriko Sauer, Secretary
Leeward Planning Commission
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EXHIBIT A