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The location and seeking access from Hwy 130 was a poor choice.
Planning would have accepted access from the non-existent road that's about 400' up from the driveway -- even though it suffers most of the same problems.
The PCDP had little or nothing to do with it.
The PCDP stipulates that business be located in designated "village commercial" areas. Between artificial scarcity and high-overhead permitting requirements, those "approved" areas are too expensive for local businesses.
It's a compromise: Puna avoids sprawl, but then Puna only has corporate chain retail.
I do feel sorry for the small businessman trying to make a better business.
Per the transcripts, Quinn has plenty of other projects. I feel sorry for the residents of Puna who are now forced (again, yet, still) to Drive To Hilo for everything.
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Mirandas closed yesteday. They will reopen May 6 at their new location 16-186 William St in Shipman Park.
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"The PCDP stipulates that business be located in designated "village commercial" areas. Between artificial scarcity and high-overhead permitting requirements, those "approved" areas are too expensive for local businesses."
This is a CoH problem, as most Puna problems are.
"Artificial scarcity".... The planning department needs to pre approve, for commercial uses, all parcels in the neighborhood and village centers. Commercial zoning in Puna = approx. 40 acres. Commercial zoning in Hilo = approx. 2,000 acres. This issue could be addressed by our council representatives.
"those "approved" areas are too expensive for local businesses." Any parcel with paved road, electric, water, internet and telephone service will cost more. There is always something cheaper somewhere. It seems the Puna Kai shopping center had little problem finding tenants. Some of these tenants are refugees from old town Pahoa where the landlords want high rent for poorly maintained, rotten buildings.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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This issue could be addressed by our council representatives.
Imagine my surprise as this continues not to happen.
Any parcel with paved road, electric, water, internet and telephone service will cost more.
As described in the transcripts, Pahoa Feed can build that infrastructure for themselves at substantially lower cost than renting in Puna Kai. At the SUP application was rejected due to poor access, we don't know what other objections might have been raised.
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"Pahoa Feed can build that infrastructure for themselves at substantially lower cost "
Actually this isn't true.They have access to Pahoa Village road but stated that it would be too expensive to connect to that existing road.It would require 2000 yards of fill and a culvert.
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They have access to Pahoa Village road
Subject parcel only has frontage on highway 130. The apparent "road" next to them is merely a path over private property.
There is, of course, no way to know what Planning might approve ... which is part of the problem.
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"The apparent "road" next to them is merely a path over private property."
Sure looks like a road from the satellite images.It would require improvement but could be done.
By the way, I actually got into an accident at that next little road about 15 years ago.I was trying to turn off of the bypass while driving toward Hilo. I misjudged how far I was from the road and started to slow down and had my turn signal on.I realized I had a ways to go so I sped up and turned my signal back off.When I got to the road I signaled and hit the brakes to turn. The impatient kid behind me had decided to pass on a double yellow line and ended up rear ending us.
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Sure looks like a road from the satellite images.
To be clear: it's not platted as a road, it's merely private property with tire ruts. A surveyor would need to figure out which private property it's actually on (there's a boundary right there). State DOT approval required.
If successfully turned into "access" then the two adjoining parcels would become eligible for development of some kind, possibly leading to the exact traffic problems that Planning was so concerned with.
Lack of planning is very difficult to fix. There are no good/simple answers. Best we can hope for is more lanes to Hilo.
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"Lack of planning is very difficult to fix."
This is true.
Because of planning it's a limited access bypass road. It was built to get the cane haul trucks off the streets of Pahoa and now it serves to get commuter traffic off the streets of Pahoa.
If they allow access roads and development then it's purpose is defeated.
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If they allow access roads and development then it's purpose is defeated.
Problem is, the access roads and driveways already exist, and ag development doesn't require review.
For example: Quinn could build a house on that lot. A busy household with several cars could generate as much traffic as a small feed store. All the original issues continue to exist. The problem isn't the feed store.
Similarly, a commercial greenhouse/nursery operation would be an allowable use for the land as currently zoned. Retail sales of produce from the land are explicitly permitted, and the property already includes a State-sanctioned driveway. Quinn should have taken this route and not even bothered asking for an SUP.
