HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-08-13 Hearing Transcript - HICDC SLU 18-051WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAII
HEARING TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 13, 2018
A regularly advertised hearing on the application of HAWAII ISLAND COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (SLU 18-000051) was called to order at 9:02 a.m. in the
County of Hawaii Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawaii with
Chairman Joseph Clarkson presiding.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Gilbert Aguinaldo, Joseph Clarkson, Donn Dela Cruz, Donald
Ikeda, John Replogle.
ABSENT & EXCUSED: Thomas Raffipiy.
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 5 members from the public in attendance.
APPLICANT: HAWAII ISLAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
(SLU 18-000051)
Application for a State Land Use Boundary Amendment from Agricultural to Urban for
approximately 9.379 acres of land. The subject properties are located about 608 feet west of the
intersection of Mohouli Street and Komohana Street in the Waiakea Cane Lots, Waiakea, South
Hilo, Hawaii, TMK: (3) 2-4-001:177,185 and 186.
CLARKSON: With that, we'll start with the first item on the agenda which is Hawaii Island
Community Development Corporation, application for a State Land Use Boundary Amendment.
Please proceed.
WATANABE: Thank you. Aloha mai kakou. Hope that everyone is having a good morning.
The Applicant is the Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation or HICDC. This is
for a State Land Use Boundary Amendment.
This is the location map. The three subject properties are highlighted in red, and they are about
608 feet away from the Komohana and the Mohouli Street Extension in the South Hilo District.
The Applicant is requesting a State Land Use Boundary Amendment from Agricultural to Urban
for 9.379 acres of land consisting of three adjacent parcels, 177, 185, and 186, which is the
current site of Phases 1 and 2 of the Mohouli Heights Senior Neighborhood Project under the
Governor's Executive Order No. 4224 and the new Hilo Adult Day Center facility. On Parcel
177, Phase 1 consists of 60 senior housing units completed in 2014 and occupied since. On
EXHIBIT A
Parcel 186, Phase 2 consists of 30 senior housing units completed in 2017 and occupied since.
On Parcel 185, the construction of the new Hilo Adult Day Center facility is nearing completion.
In 2017, the Applicant submitted an application for Phase 3, which is the Planning—which the
Planning Commission forwarded a favorable recommendation to the County Council and
notified the Applicant to submit a State Land Use Boundary Amendment for the remaining
phases of this project. The County Council approved Ordinance No. 18-16 for the State Land
Use Boundary Amendment for Phase 3. In answering the Planning Commission's request, the
Applicant submitted this application on May 3rd 2018.
This is the Applicant's overall site plan. Phase 1, shown in yellow, consists of the 60 units.
Phase 2, in this picture it says "under construction" but it is completed. There are 30 units there.
In the purple is the Hilo Adult Day Center which is nearly complete. And, Phase 3, which
construction has not yet started, has gone through the State Land Use Boundary Amendment
approval process.
This is the Applicant's existing site plan. This is a closer view of the three areas of Phase 1
shown in the yellow, Phase 2 in the orange, and the Hilo Adult Day Care in the purple.
This is the existing Phase 1 elevations plan. The Applicant provided this existing Phase 2 senior
housing elevation. This is the existing Hilo Adult Day Center facility elevations. This is the
Hawaii County zoning map. The subject three, the three subject properties are highlighted in
red, so Phase 1 is designated as RM -4, Multiple Family Residential. The light brown is RM -3.
That's for the Phase 2 and for the Hilo Adult Day Center.
Neighboring properties, excuse me, neighboring properties are Residential, showing the
Residential District in the yellow and the Agricultural in the green. This is the State Land Use
Boundary Map. The subject properties are in the State Land Use Agricultural District, and the
pink shows the State Land Use Urban District.
This is the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map. The three subject properties
are Medium Density Urban as is Phase 3 which is completed. Adjacent to the three properties is
also Medium Density Urban.
This is an aerial photograph of the subject properties. The photo was taken a while ago so for
Phase 2, the Hilo Adult Day Center, the facilities aren't shown there, but they're there, and then
Phase 1 was completed at the time this photo was done. This is the same photo without the
highlighted colors here so that just shows Phase 1 and then the improvements going in for
Phase 2, but this area is already complete.
The Planning Director recommends a favorable recommendation for the State Land Use
Boundary Amendment to the County Council. And, that concludes my presentation. I am happy
to answer any questions that you may have.
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CLARKSON: Any questions for staff from the Commission? If not, will the Applicant or their
representative please come forward? Would you raise your right hand to be sworn in, please?
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter before the Planning Commission today?
KATO: Yes.
CLARKSON: Would you please introduce yourself, where you reside, and then proceed.
KATO: My name is Keith Kato. I'm the executive director of the Hawaii Island Community
Development Corporation. I live in Papa`ikou. So, this, you know well, okay, so we're here I
think because there was some different interpretations of the procedures that were to be
followed. We did a 201H, you know preemption or exemption process for all of these facilities,
and as we were developing them, the LUC staff questioned using that process to change the State
Land Use District. You know, the theory that we had been operating under is that so long as it's
less than 15 acres, it's within the jurisdiction of the County. You know, there's this provision in
201H that things within the County's jurisdiction could be dealt with, you know, through the
process. And, to be honest with you, this is not the first time this process had been used. It's
been, we've been doing it for several years actually.
But, anyway, to clean up the record, you know, we are, you know, back before the Planning
Commission with this application. You know, as the staff has pointed out, Phase 1 for senior
housing, 60 units has been completed. Phase 2 has been completed. That's 30, and they are still
both fully occupied. And, the Adult Day Center is probably going to be completed either late
this month or early next month.
CLARKSON: Thank you. Are there any questions for the Applicant from the Commission? If
not, thank you. We may have some later, but probably not. Is there anyone here wishing to
testify on this matter from the public? If not, I'll ask for a motion that public testimony be
closed.
DELA CRUZ: So moved.
IKEDA: Second.
CLARKSON: It's been moved and seconded that public testimony be closed. Allin favor?
COMMISSIONERS: Aye.
CLARKSON: Opposed? Motion carried. Public testimony is closed. Is there any discussion
from the Commission? If not, do we have a motion for action?
IKEDA: Mr. Chairman, I move that a favorable recommendation be forwarded to the County
Council on the application of the State Land Use Boundary Amendment, Docket No. SLU 18-
000051 based on the Planning Director's recommendations, findings, and proposed conditions
which shall be adopted.
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DELA CRUZ: Second.
CLARKSON: Before we vote, I just forgot one thing. I forgot to ask the Applicant whether you
had received the Background Report from the Planning Director and you are willing to agree
with all conditions and recommendations.
KATO: To be honest with you, I don't recall receiving it. It may have gone to our consultant.
Could I just briefly review what they are? [Mr. Darrow went over the Background and
Recommendation Reports with Mr. Kato.] Yeah, thank you, for this indulgence. Yeah, we have
no objection to the conditions.
CLARKSON: Okay, thank you. Please poll the Commission.
WATANABE: We apologize for you not receiving the conditions. Commissioner Ikeda?
IKEDA: Aye.
WATANABE: Commissioner Dela Cruz?
DELA CRUZ: Aye.
WATANABE: Commissioner Aguinaldo?
AGUINALDO: Aye.
WATANABE: Commissioner Replogle?
REPLOGLE: Aye.
WATANABE: And, Chair Clarkson?
CLARKSON: Aye.
WATANABE: The motion carries five to zero. Thank you.
CLARKSON: You'll be notified in writing of the action of the Commission today.
KATO (from audience): Thank you.
The discussion ended at 9:13 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary
Windward Planning Commission
EXHIBIT A
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