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Maile David, Council Chair and Members of the County Council County of Hawai`i August 17, 2022 Page 4 Policy No. 70 of the HCDP is written as follows: "To improve safe pedestrian access and increase connectivity in Honoka'a: • Make safety improvements to downtown Honoka'a based on Complete Streets and/or other evidence-based planning principles. o Improvements to include additional pedestrian crosswalks on Mamane Street, additional sidewalk development (such as along Lehua Street), and safe, marked walkways to parking areas servicing downtown. " While this policy specifically recommends additional sidewalk development along Lehua Street, it is referencing improvements to the section of Lehua Street in the vicinity of downtown Honoka`a and is not meant to recommend additional sidewalk development on Lehua Street fronting the subject parcel (situated approximately 2,100 linear feet mauka of Lehua Steet's intersection with Mamane Street in downtown Honoka`a). The subject 14.322-acre project site consists of two irregularly shaped properties, each a little over 7 acres in size, that are separated by Lehua Street. The project site is bordered along the south by the Hawai`i Belt Road (Highway 19) and to the north by Lehua Street and its future extension. The project site is currently vacant of any structures or uses with an extensive cover of abandoned sugar cane and various non-native grasses. The overall slope of the project site ranges between 8 percent to over 13 percent, with the steepest portions adjacent to the Hawai`i Belt Road and Lehua Street and an adjoining dry ditch located to the west. The project site is situated along the makai side of the Hawai`i Belt Road within the urban core of Honoka`a town. To the east lies Tex's Drive Inn, situated on Commercial- zoned lands. In close proximity to the north (makai) lies the Honoka`a Elementary, Intermediate and High School complexes, the Honoka`a Park complex, and the Hale Ho`ola Hamakua medical complex. Immediately to the east of the project along Lehua Street is a recent 8-lot subdivision consisting of lots at least 10,000 square feet in size on lands zoned RS-10. To the immediate west of the project site are vacant lands zoned RS-10. While the downzone to RS-15 would reduce the residential density in this area, it is still consistent with the urban, residential nature of the surrounding community and consistent with the LUPAG designations of the subject parcels. Additionally, this rezone, along with an approved PUD, will allow the applicant to defray infrastructure costs associated with typical subdivision requirements in order to ensure that 50% of the proposed lots would be offered at affordable rates to prospective buyers. This