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Heather Kimball, Council Chair <br />and Members of the County Council <br />County of Hawaii <br />August 09, 2024 <br />Page 2 <br />If the requested land use entitlement changes are approved, the applicant proposes <br />to subdivide the property into a total of 8 lots, consisting of 3 retail/commercial lots <br />fronting Mamalahoa Highway situated in the SLU Urban district and 5 residential <br />agricultural lots south of the commercial development situated primarily in the SLU <br />Rural district. <br />The approval of the reclassification from the State Land Use Agricultural to <br />the Rural District for 2.653 acres of land will not be in violation of Section 205-2, <br />Chapter 205, Hawaii Revised Statutes (FIRS), nor will it be inconsistent with the <br />Land Use Commission Rules, the County General Plan, and the Hawaii State Plan. <br />According to the Land Use Commission Rules, the following three standards shall apply <br />when determining an area for the Rural district boundaries: <br />(1) Areas consisting of small farms; provided that the areas need not be included in <br />this district if their inclusion will alter the general characteristics of the areas; <br />(2) Activities or uses as characterized by low -density residential lots of not less than <br />one-half acre and a density of not more than one single-family dwelling, per one- <br />half acre in areas where "city -like" concentration of people, structures, streets, <br />and urban level of services are absent, and where small farms are intermixed with <br />the low -density residential lots; and <br />(3) Generally, parcels of land of not more than five acres; provided it may include <br />other parcels of land which are surrounded by, or contiguous to this district, and <br />are not suited to low -density residential uses for small farm or agricultural uses. <br />The subject property conforms to these standards in that the proposed use for the <br />southern half of the parcel in the proposed Rural district consists of low -density <br />residential lots of not less than one-half acre, with a density of one single-family dwelling <br />per lot. Additionally, lands directly contiguous to the east, south and west of the subject <br />parcel consist of a mix of small farms and low -density residential lots, in an area where <br />"city -like" urban services are absent. <br />Although the Rural SLU classification is rare on Hawaii Island, in 1998 and 1999 <br />two properties located about a half a mile to the northwest, and across the highway, of the <br />subject property were reclassified by the County from the Agricultural to Rural district. <br />These properties were also subsequently rezoned to RA-0.5a, similar to the subject <br />applications submitted by the applicant. The Rural district serves as a transition between <br />urban and agricultural land uses. <br />