04-23-2011, 03:03 AM
quote:
Originally posted by hikatz...and 5 pubs, you can see what was important to our village population under 1,000[]
LOL.
I think too the design of the space, & facades of the buildings are really important too not just a parking lot with metal buildings.
In Sebastopol, CA when I visited, they have one common area that is park like with a fountain and rose bushes, benches - and all the stores open on one side to the "courtyard". The parking is around the perimeter (even the tire store opens their "front customer service door" onto it. I could see something like that with tropical landscaping... anything so we dont have a strip mall look from Keaau to Pahoa. And add a bicycle path to the [future] Orchidland Community Center!
I was on the street inbetween HD/KFC and Walmart/Safeway/Target and thought I could take a pic here and ask where am I? and it could be anywhere USA.
I know everything is expensive and landscaping isn't a money maker, but why cant something be incorporated that says this is Big Island not anywhere USA. Can design standards be set where even the big corporations have to incorporate the Big Island style" into their designs? Is the KTA's parking lot if it goes in Orchidland going to look the same as the KTA parking lot in Hilo on Puanaiko?
Back to managed growth, maybe it is time for the village centers and village center "annexes" to be decided on so growth can continue and it is delineated where things can go in the future. So there will be fewer special use permits going on, case by case. And people who buy property will know that it is possible a big box is going in across from their driveway.