Landowners opposed to rezoning Kobler, airport

Some landowners are opposing a local bill that seeks to rezone the area along Tun Kiyoshi Road in Koblerville and areas around the airport into an industrial district during a public hearing held at the Dandan Elementary School cafeteria on Friday.

Organized by the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation’s Committee on Judiciary & Governmental Operations, the public hearing was attended by committee chair Rep. Joseph Palacios (R-Saipan), Reps. Antonio P. Sablan (R-Saipan) and Joseph P. Deleon Guerrero (R-Saipan), acting Zoning administrator Therese T. Ogumoro, and Zoning legal counsel Kate Fuller.

The Koblerville and airport areas are currently zoned as mixed village commercial and village residential.

Ogumoro said that about six landowners opposed Rep. Stanley T. Torres’ (Ind-Saipan) House Local Bill 17-26.

“They’re concerned that with the rezoning, having a quiet and healthy environment will no longer be possible,” she told Saipan Tribune.

To address landowners’ concerns, Ogumoro said they recommended restricting some uses for the proposed industrial zoning district, including the prohibition of gas and fuel wholesale, gas station, light repair, and sanitary landfill use.

Ogumoro said they also proposed “conditional” uses for the affected areas, including general vehicle repair, manufacturing and processing, warehousing/general wholesaling, mining, asphalt and concrete plants; and transfer station.

“Despite additional amendments, they still opposed it. It’s a thing they decided,” said Ogumoro.

Besides listening to comments, Ogumoro and Fuller also answered questions raised by those at the public hearing.

“We will confer with the board to present our findings on or before the next regular board meeting,” she said. The next board meeting is slated for Nov. 3.

Palacios, in a separate interview, said he spoke with Torres and recommended that the area be rezoned to mixed commercial, which he believes “would be more acceptable” for the landowners since it will allow them to build a home or a business on a conditional use permit to be approved by Zoning.

Palacios also noted that the Commonwealth Ports Authority does not want any electronic communication businesses or buildings taller than 36 feet in the area so as not to affect their airline tower.

According to Palacios, the rezoning plan is “the only holdup right now” in coming up with the Saipan Zoning Law of 2011.