Communication Number 2017-01 South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee Letter Regarding RT Permit 1247

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South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee P.O. Box 2674 Kamuela, HI 96743 SKTSCsecretary@gmail.com July 16, 2017 Hawaii County Planning Department 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, HI 96720 planning@hawaiicounty.gov Attention: Director of Hawaii County Planning Department, Michael Yee Subject: RT's Service, LLC; Special Permit Number 1247 (Docket No: SPP 04-000013); TMK: 6-4-017: portion of 064; Planning Department Comment Aloha Director Yee, My name is James Hustace and I represent the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee (SKTSC) as its Chairperson. SKTSC appreciates the opportunity to comment on this permit SKTSC attempts to limit comments to the traffic safety impact of the Special Permit; however, this letter will also address miscalculations from the Applicant that community members and committee members have brought forward to SKTSC. At the regular SKTSC meeting on July 11, 2017 the Membership approved the following comments: Service to the community: The Applicant offers the South Kohala District an important service. With the continued growth of communities within South Kohala and in neighboring districts, the Applicant's business has been essential, and demonstrates a need to grow to meet these growing demands. Many community members have been assisted by the Applicant's service, and their contribution to our town and district are valued. Traffic safety Impact: There is concern from SKTSC that the increase of business foreseen from this application will negatively impact Kauakea Road, the residential street on which the Facility is located. With the delayed development to enhance Mamalahoa Highway near the Applicant's business, the increased volume of vehicle traffic to and from the site will add to the growing congestion of traffic in the Waimea area. There currently is no left turn pocket lane on Mamalahoa highway to access Kauakea Road, which is needed to help to reduce vehicle backup in a 45 MPH designated speed zone. The Applicant's request for substantial growth of allowed stored vehicles, increased work hours, and workable acreage generates the following questions: • Does the structure and durability of Kauakea Road support the increase in projected usage? • Would increasing the Applicant's business model, consequently increasing vehicle traffic, negatively impact this residential intersection and neighboring intersections? Unfortunately, there is a lack of Information to answer these questions. A Traffic Impact Analysis Report (TZAR) would have been beneficial to accompany this permit request The results from a TZAR would calculate traffic impact and provide the necessary Information to make a better Judgment of the situation. This data would help to show how much of an Impact this growth would have, and should have been included with the Special Permit requests. Additional Comments: 1) Request No. 1- Request to delete Condition 2 [life of the permit), allowing the Facility to operate in perpetuity. a. Within this request, the Applicant states that there is no suitable land for the relocation of its business. However, there exists acreage zoned ML -20 in the Waimea area. There is also