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HomeMy WebLinkAbout 02/11/2015 Public hearing transcript on BILL#2571 PUBLIC HEARING FEBRUARY 11, 2015 A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to order by Mason K. Chock, Chair, Planning Committee, on Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at 1:51 p.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Historic County Building, Lihu`e, and the presence of the following was noted: Honorable Mason K. Chock Honorable Gary L. Hooser Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable Arryl Kaneshiro Honorable KipuKai Kuali`i Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura Honorable Mel Rapozo (not present at 2:01 p.m.) The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following: "Bill No. 2571 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES, DEVELOPMENT PLANS, AND FUTURE GROWTH AREAS FOR THE LIHU`E PLANNING DISTRICT," which was passed on first reading and ordered to print by the Council of the County of Kaua`i on January 14, 2015, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on January 20, 2015. SCOTT K. SATO, Council Services Review Officer: We received no written testimony and have one (1) registered speaker, Ken Taylor. Committee Chair Chock: Mr. Taylor. Ken. The hearing proceeded as follows: KEN TAYLOR: Chair and members of the Council, my name is Ken Taylor. I do not have a problem per say with the Lihu`e Community Plan. I think they have done a good job from a planning standpoint, but my concern is we have a terrible traffic problem on this island and what I am concerned about is I do not see any way of resolving the traffic problem in the near future. I am concerned that if we approve this document as it is being presented, we open the door for considerably more development here in the Lihu`e area which is going to play into the traffic issues. Last evening when I was going to a meeting at Kauai Community College (KCC), I hit the backup down here by the bridge work and it was bumper to bumper all the way out to the college around 6:00 p.m. No accidents. It is just when you have two (2) lanes of heavy traffic funneling back down to one (1) it backs everything up. Something has to happen. This is only the tip of the iceberg. We have the same problem in Kapa`a. We have many developments that have a potential of moving forward in that area as well. You folks are going to have to bite the bullet, do something, and not keep approving these potential development activities until we can get the infrastructure in place to handle it. I mean, it goes back for years and years, and maybe back into the 1950s. I have been PUBLIC HEARING 2 FEBRUARY 11, 2015 BILL NO. 2571 able to document it after 1973. The long range plan in transportation. The land transportation plan in 1997 called for certain things to happen. They have not happened. They may never happen, but we have to get a handle on this before we continue to approve more development. Thank you. Committee Chair Chock: Thank you. Would anyone else like to testify on this item? Seeing none...oh, Mr. Rosa. Welcome. JOE ROSA: Good afternoon members of the Council. For the record, Joe Rosa. Again, I am hearing this Lihu`e Development Plan. I have been around for so many of them going back to Amfac Properties days up to the 1976 one. After the Planning Department came over and they started going into master plans, it is totally different than what was planned way back then. When Amfac Properties owned all of the land around and they did things, I know as far as 1976 or so, all lands below Knhio Highway to the airport was to be zoned light industry and business basically because of the airport and the pier at Ahukini and Nawiliwili. That will keep the business industries in this area and housing mauka of Kuhio as far as Kilohana for housing development for the people to live close by and would support the businesses. Now, everything is changing. You take Molokoa. It is surrounded three-fourths (3/4) of the way with business and the housing is right in the middle. There is an open gap back of Walmart, and close that and they would be surrounded. Then, these people are going to be wondering why their property tax is so high. Because they are going to be zoned in a business commercial area. They talk about spot zoning here and there, but yet, this is what is happening. They do not go back and look at the old plans that has a lot of merit and respect to it because way back in 1950, the roads around Lihu`e town was basically Kapule Highway that would have gone all the way across Nawiliwili Valley and turn out by Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School at Puhi. They also had the mauka ulterior that started out from Kipii stretch, goes back to Puhi Camp where KCC and Island School is, goes back up to Kilohana, and go mauka and would end up all the way as it would progress at the old Anahola School. That is coming back from what was planned in those days. Due to things and political things, it did not become a reality basically because Lihu`e Plantation did not want the road because they could not use it to haul their cane which they were converting in the 1950s to trucking, which came a reality in 1952. Those are the things and they had grade roads running from the mauka ulterior that would come in. We will not have those... Mr. Sato: Three (3) minutes. Committee Chair Chock: Mr. Rosa, that is your three (3) minutes. Mr. Rosa: Yes. I think nobody else was signed up. Committee Chair Chock: I do not know. Let me ask. Anyone else would like to testify on this item? We have one (1) more person who wants to come up. So, we will ask you to come back if you would like to if you would like to for a second time. Mr. Rosa: Okay, I can continue. Thank you. DOROTHEA HAYASHI: Dorothea Hayashi. Sorry. PUBLIC HEARING 3 FEBRUARY 11, 2015 BILL NO. 2571 Committee Chair Chock: No. Thank you. Ms. Hayashi: I think at this time, I should bring it up. At one of the meetings, it was held on this —since you are talking about the town core planning, something about the housing that the second phase. I think it was down that way. I heard it mentioned that they were going to take water from Hanapepe/`Ele`ele. I was very stressed when I heard that because we are looking to develop our own area and this water is vital to the West Side. Ross, could you look into it, please to check? If so, I think the West Siders are going to be upset when they hear that they are going to be siphoning our water to Lihu`e. Councilmember Yukimura: May I just correct her? Committee Chair Chock: Hold on. Go ahead, Councilmember Yukimura. You have a question? Councilmember Yukimura: No, I just want to give her the accurate information if I may in three (3) sentences. Mrs. Hayashi, the discussion was about a water from the HanapepefEleele water for the Hanapepe development. That is called Lima Ola. So, it is not going to be for any Lihu`e development. Ms. Hayashi: Okay, thank you. Committee Chair Chock: Thank you. Would anyone else like to testify on this item? Would anyone like to testify for a second time? Here is your chance for a second three (3) minutes. Please come up. (Chair Rapozo was noted as not present.) Mr. Rosa: For the record again, Joe Rosa. As I was saying, a lot of these things did not fulfill because like I just said, the plantation did not agree to yield the land for the development of the mauka ulterior and also the makai one because they owned all of the lands. They had the monopoly on it. Now, we are suffering and I can prove a point that when Kapule Highway came into effect, that was in 1984 and before I retired in 1986, we took a count of cars from the old way (inaudible) at the Hanama`ulu intersection of Kapule. The traffic that was diverted using Kapule and Kiihi0, the traffic was split even with five hundred plus (500+), five hundred plus (500+). So, it showed you something that we needed alternate routes to ease this traffic because the traffic coming in from Kapa'a to Lihu`e is eighty-two (82) years without any improvements for the traffic from way back in 1932. Coming from the West Side, it is like seventy-eight (78) years coming in from Knudsen Gap towards Lihu`e. That is how much you are probably not aware that nothing has been done to ease this traffic situation. It is not going to get any better with busses. Busses will contribute to slowness on the highway because a bus cannot move that fast. Those are the things that you all overlook. The Transportation Department comes to Kauai and just puts one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000), one million dollars ($1,000,000). They scare you with figures, but we need our share of the gas tax money plus the vehicle weight taxes and things that was supposed to go to highway construction and buildings. Since 1986 we did not have any other new highway built except Kapule and yet, the Kapule people, they race down to Rice Street, they come down Rice Street, they go down Haleko Road, and they race out to Puhi Road. That shows you that they try to get access roads to get out of Lihu`e. These roads that they are making right now at Kukui PUBLIC HEARING 4 FEBRUARY 11, 2015 BILL NO. 2571 Grove my experience with working with the highways, any contractor can say that when they have to deal and work with the public like they are doing out here, it costs big money. They have to provide the alternate routes for the traffic to keep coming in which we have only one (1) way in and one (1) way out in Lihu`e here in that area. So, the liability comes up. When I was working, I know I have to file claims that people said they had a flat tire because of a rock that punctured their tires. They had rocks fly up on the (inaudible) panels and nick all of that. They wants paint jobs. So, those are the things that costs money. Mr. Sato: Six (6) minutes. Committee Chair Chock: Okay Mr. Rosa, that is your time. Mr. Rosa: Yes. Anyway, I can wrap it up. You think just widening up the roads like they are going to do here is going to ease the problem, but no. It is going to add more problems because the traffic is going to be the same old thing. Committee Chair Chock: Thank you. Mr. Rosa: In and out one way for seventy-eight (78) years and eighty-two (82) years. Committee Chair Chock: Thank you. Mr. Rosa: If you are not aware of it and that is how long it is. The people of Molokoa are going to be suffering by... Committee Chair Chock: Okay, Mr. Rosa. Mr. Rosa: ...when this whole place is surrounded. Committee Chair Chock: You have to wrap it up already. Thank you. Mr. Rosa: I am going to wrap it up, Mr. Chock. Committee Chair Chock: Yes, you had your chance to wrap it up. Mr. Rosa: Yes, okay. Like I just said, just think about those things. Committee Chair Chock: I will. Thank you. Mr. Rosa: They will be paying higher property tax because of the businesses around them. Committee Chair Chock: Thank you. Mr. Rosa: Thank you. PUBLIC HEARING 5 FEBRUARY 11, 2015 BILL NO. 2571 Committee Chair Chock: Anyone else would like to testify on this item a second time? Going once. Alright. There being no further testimony, the public hearing adjourned at 2:05 p.m. Respectfully submitted, SCO T K. SATO Council Services Review Officer :aa