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REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON PLANNING <br /> DATE: September 6, 2022 Re: Comm. No. 953/Bill No. 205 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Hilo, Hawaii <br /> TIME: 11:41 a.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawaii County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br /> Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Bill No. 205, reports as follows: <br /> Bill No. 205, submitted by Mayor Mitchell D. Roth, via Communication No. 953, dated <br /> August 15, 2022, amends Ordinance No. 17-65 which reclassified lands from Agricultural— <br /> 20 acres (A-20a)to General Industrial—20,000 square feet(MG-20) at Kea`au, Puna, Hawaii, <br /> covered by Tax Map Key: 1-6-141:002. The applicant is Ke`aloha Lani, LLC (formerly Hawaii <br /> Island Distilling, LLC). The project area is approximately 6.505 acres. Bill No. 205 was <br /> introduced by Chair Ashley Kierkiewicz, by request. <br /> The Windward Planning Commission forwards its favorable recommendation for this change <br /> of zone request, which would amend Condition E (Timing of Fire Flow Improvements) and <br /> Condition I (Timing of Roadway Improvements). The applicant proposes to develop a <br /> 7,500 square-foot microbrewery that would include a 2,000 square-foot visitor/retail sales/tasting <br /> center with a 300 square foot kitchen and required improvements to the access road and parking <br /> areas. The property is located east of Highway 11 (Volcano Highway), west of Railroad <br /> Avenue, and north of Highway 130 (Kea`au-Pahoa Highway) in Puna. <br /> Planning consultant Sidney Fuke appeared before Your Committee in the Hilo Council <br /> Chambers to represent the applicant. He elaborated on the history of the subject property, noting <br /> that it is next to the old Kea`au kimchee factory. One of the sites of the subject property is <br /> Hawaiian Springs, which bottles artisanal water. Mr. Fuke explained that the founder, Marcus <br /> Bender, envisioned it as a beverage community and had the subject property rezoned to <br /> Industrial to carry out that vision. Mr. Bender developed a solar array to support on-site <br /> activities. <br /> Earlier this year, Ke`aloha Lani, LLC—owner of Waiakea Springs —bought all of Mr. Bender's <br /> interests with the exception of the Hawaiian Springs bottling factory. Waiakea Springs currently <br /> gets its water from Kea`au and trucks it to Keaukaha, but now would like to move operations to <br /> this particular area for easier water access. They have secured plan approval, applied for building <br /> permits, and are hoping to have the project completed by October 2023. <br /> PC Report No.: 76 <br />