COM 1015.000 2022-2024 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Heather Kimball, Council Chair and Members of the County Council County of Hawai i August 09, 2024 Page 4 The proposed Rural boundary amendment request would be consistent with, among others, the Land Use (Single Family Residential) policies of the General Plan: • Rural -style residential -agricultural developments, such as new small-scale rural communities or extensions of existing rural communities, shall be encouraged in appropriate locations. • Review and amend land use ordinances and codes to include considerations for rural -style residential subdivisions in appropriate locations. Standards and criteria for the establishment of these areas shall be developed. The proposed Rural boundary amendment request also conforms to the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) Map which designates the boundary amendment area as Low Density Urban. The proposed reclassification action also conforms to the goals, policies, and standards of, among others, the Land Use -Single Family Residential Element of the General Plan, and the General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) Map which designates the southern half of the parcel as Low Density Urban (LDU). According to the General Plan, the LDU designation allows for residential, with ancillary community and public uses, and neighborhood and convenience -type commercial uses; overall residential density may be up to six units per acre. While the proposed density of the residential lots is less than allowed in the LDU designations, the applicant's proposed 5-lot residential agricultural subdivision is responding to community input that indicated a preference for lower -density development. Existing lands in the surrounding area include a mix of rural -residential and limited agricultural activities. This boundary request would allow a rural development for residential -agricultural uses that will complement the existing and future residential - agricultural land use patterns of the immediate vicinity. The property is presently located within the State Land Use Urban and Agricultural and County's Agricultural (A-5a) zoned districts and is being used for residential and pasturing purposes. Although the southern portion of the parcel is defined as "Prime Agricultural Land" by the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii (ALISH) System, with a Land Study Bureau classification of "B" (or "good") soils, the small size of the parcel does not lend itself to large-scale agricultural activities. Rather, residential agricultural use would support more sustainable, small-scale agricultural activities while also providing low -density housing availability. Based on the above findings, the granting of the Rural boundary amendment would complement and implement the General Plan.