Monday, January 22, 2018

Puohala Village Development Preservation land versus Residential

This is a letter I recently submitted to the Neighborhood Commission office as clarification and addition to the record as it relates to the Puohala Village rezone proposal.

Neighborhood Commission Office
Kapalama Hale,
925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

January 19, 2018

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

To whom it may concern:

I am writing this letter as a concerned citizen of Kāne‘ohe to be included in the record from the January 18, 2018 Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board meeting.  The board voted on a motion to oppose a development and zone change from Preservation to Residential.  I am currently serving as the Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board Chair and as a member of the Kāne‘ohe Bay Regional Council, I am directly involved in these matters and share the following:

In this case, the landowner purchased land designated as Preservation land and has tried to develop as a cemetery, an authorized use for that zone.  In that 2017 cemetery brief, it was clear to the community members and neighborhood board members present that the process of operating a cemetery and issues like leeching chemicals, grading, flooding traffic and sustainment in perpetuity were not adequately explained and the board consequently and unanimously opposed the cemetery plan.   
          
Looking for a new opportunity to develop the land, the owner tried development of homes on the property which would require a zone change from P2 Preservation to R-7.5 Residential.
Developers conducted a survey sent to 576 nearby residents of which only 86 were returned.  I am unaware if the surveys had self-stamped return envelopes which may have contributed to the 15% return rate on such a contentious issue in the community. That return rate may also be affected by the wording of the survey in that there were no opportunities for respondents to oppose the project, only agree to different development possibilities.  

On January 18, 2018, the developer made a presentation at the Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board with the plans to develop homes.  Again, a great deal of concern from the community with wide-ranging concerns.  Community letter attached.  A motion for the board to oppose the development was 5 to oppose and six abstentions – the motion failed.  In my experience on this board, abstentions usually mean, “I need more data to make an informed decision”.   Kāne‘ohe board members are very thoughtful and don’t blindly vote one way or the other. They require input and data; as do I. Nothing more should be read into that decision other than more data is needed.

Reviewing TMK’s 450300490000 (Horseshoe Land Co. LLC), 450180490000 (DOHO LTD), 450180500000  (Parkside Grotto Ltd.) and 450280070000 (Waikalua Farms Inc.) All these properties connect to each other and three abut Kāne‘ohe  Stream.  All properties except Waikalua Farms are Preservation Lands and were all purchased around 2010.  The Waikalua Farms property is zoned both Residential and Preservation and I’m unable to determine why.  

Also, at the meeting on January 18, 2018, a gentleman announced that a cemetery was an authorized use and if agreement could not be reached, they “could just go ahead and build a cemetery.”  I reminded him that the previous cemetery proposal was not well-thought out and lacked a sustainability element and would need to be better developed to have board concurrence.

Another side note is that the Puohala village residents are highly sensitive to increased traffic.  Their neighborhood is subject to increased traffic load as people wanting to shortcut the Kāne‘ohe Bay Drive – Kamehameha Highway intersection will use Puohala Street and Pua Inia Street as well as Makalani and Pua Alowalo Streets to avoid lights and main arterial traffic. These are public roads and may be used by anyone, but the fact remains that in many cases, especially during peak hours and sometimes simply during a change of stoplights, a person can be stuck on a feeder street for many minutes waiting to turn onto a main road just to leave the subdivision.  I know because it’s happened to me when visiting Puohala.  So, when the developer announces that the number of cars entering and exiting the proposed properties is very minimal and is based on approved engineering metrics, it seems that the developer is only giving the best scenarios that support their desire to move ahead.  To the residents, the claim seems disingenuous because of extended ‘ohana living arrangements and number of vehicles per household and further steels the community’s resolve to stop the development.

An explanation from Department of Planning and Permitting indicates the following:
1.      After a zone application has been received and accepted as complete, a 45-day public comment period will take place and all property owners with 300 feet of the project will be notified.  Additional notifications will be made to:
a.      Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board
b.      State legislators
c.       City Council members
d.      News media
e.      Members of the public who’ve requested to be on the mailing list for zone changes for the Koolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan area.

2.      All comments including NB minutes will then be reviewed and sent to other agencies (including federal, state, and city for their review)
a.      DPP will then consider all input and decide.

3.       Other opportunities to comment in addition to the 45-day comment period are:
a.      The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing before making a decision
b.      The City Council and its Zoning & Housing Committee

At the meeting I asked if a hui of residents and developers could form to work out the differences and/or possibilities and I offer some closing questions.
·        Would traffic calming somehow discourage people from using the village as a cut-through?
·        Is anyone interested in forming a hui where frank and honest discussion could ensue? I would volunteer to facilitate.
·        Is there any proposed use that the community would accept?
·        Why is the Waikaua Farms property zoned both Residential and Preservation?
·        What is the formula an organization uses to sustain its cemetery in perpetuity?
·        When two sides are diametrically opposed – try to reduce the gap of perception between the two. 

Respectfully submitted,

Mo Radke, Chair
Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board

Kāne‘ohe Bay Regional Council

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