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Communication No. 2025-26 October 15, 2025 Jeff Darrow, Planning Director County of Hawai'i Planning Department Aupuni Center 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3, Hilo, HI 96720 Subject: Bill 63 Dear Director Darrow: The Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) recognizes the need to "build more units that offer a variety of housing types, tenures, and affordability" (Objective HSG-4). The Kona CDP also emphasizes the importance of mixed -use communities that balance housing, employment, and services, consistent with Guiding Principle 5: "Growth is directed to mixed -use compact villages." While the intent of this Bill 63 aligns with these goals, the Members of the Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee urge caution about the possible health and safety impacts for potential residents living in MCX District, and emphasize the need for further conditions in this bill to ensure the full realization of its intended benefits. We respectfully submit the following comments for consideration and request deferral of the bill until these points are further considered: • Chapter 25 allows "Neighborhood parks, playgrounds, tennis courts, swimming pools, and similar neighborhood recreational areas and uses" as Permitted Uses within the RM, CN, CG, and CV Districts. Under Section 25-5-13. MCX districts, they are not permitted uses. Therefore, if Bill 63 amends the MCX Districts to allow for the addition of residential uses, "neighborhood parks, playgrounds, etc", should be added in the MCX Districts as Permitted Uses. • Bill 63 should be viewed as an opportunity to increase urban density; therefore, single-family residential should not be included as an allowable use. • There should be conditions addressing mitigation of noise and air pollution affecting residents in this district. • There should be a condition that would not allow multi -family development within MCX Districts to be used as short-term vacation rentals. • There should be conditions that would result in the development of affordable or workforce housing, since the stated goal of this legislation is to provide workforce housing in close proximity to places of employment.