PL-SMA-2023-000038 01.12.24 June Gravitte Comments

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Dacayanan, Melissa From: June Gravitte <dawgnut@hotmail.com> Sent: Friday,January 12, 2024 11:26 AM To: LPCtestimony Subject: June Gravitte - Comments on PL-SMA-2023-000038 Aloha Leeward Planning Commission Members and Planning Department personnel, I submitted a Petition for Standing in a Contested Case Hearing on December 14, 2023 against proposed project PL-SMA-2023-000038. I co-own a condo at Hale Kona Kai across Kahakai Road from the proposed hotel. The Planning Department noted in their recommendation that they feel Hawai'i/Kona is fortunate to have this development/project. As someone who grew up and lived in the DC area while the Marriotts were building their empire and as a fan of their hotels, I totally understand that sentiment. I have stayed at their hotels - their customer service and quality is excellent. However, I do have some concerns about the project. During email and phone conversations with Alex Roy after I submitted the Petition, he noted that I should focus on identifying and documenting personal concerns with the development (vs. very generic broad ones that anyone could identify). Additional comments have been submitted by several members of the Hale Kona Kai community including Jana Cook and Jan/Richard Dodge. Public Services and Facilities Access During Emergencies - Access to the underground parking garage will be via Kahakai Road. The Planning Department recommendation notes that during a major event the evacuation of this site will be via Ali'i Drive or Walua Road. In the event of an emergency, how is the Planning Department and the developer proposing to ensure that hotel guests will be evacuated via Ali'i Drive or Walua Road vs. Kahakai Road where the planned parking access is via Kahakai Road? Owners and guests from Hale Kona Kai along with the house and the Kona Reef are expected to use Kahakai Road to evacuate during an emergency, whether it's from a tsumami, a fire(wild or building), high surf from a Kona Low, hurricane, or god forbid, Hualalai erupts and during a luau at the Royal Kona. I do not think the Leeward Planning Commission should assume that all guests will automatically evacuate via Ali'i Drive. At least some of them will want to get in their cars and evacuate via Kahakai Road. Unless employees are trained to evacuate guests via Ali'i Drive and evacuation drills are performed on a regular basis, I am concerned that vehicular and pedestrian traffic from the proposed development will impact those Hale Kona Kai owners and guests that are trying to evacuate via Kahakai Road. Pedestrian access and safety is also addressed by the developer and in the Hawai'i Planning Department recommendation via the development of a 7 foot sidewalk to accommodate pedestrians along Kahakai Road. However, it does not take into account the increased vehicular traffic that should be anticipated by the parking garage access on Kahakai Road. As noted by the developer and the Planning Department, traffic studies are not required. Although Kahakai Road may technically be a 2 lane road with a speed limit of 25 mph, in reality it is currently a 1-1.5 lane road with most vehicles traveling no more that 10-15 mph. Access to the Hale Kona Kai parking areas are difficult on a good day due to the narrowness of Kahakai Road. Hale Kona Kai's south entrance (my parking place entrance) should be approached/exited from/to the south side of Kahakai Road since basically a U- turn is needed to enter/exit that parking area from the north. An additional 7 feet of pedestrian 1