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Level 1— General Plan. The General Plan establishes long-range islandwide goals, policies, standards, and courses of action. It functions as the umbrella plan and sets the outer limits within which County action must operate. Level 2 — Second -Tier Plans. Community Development Plans, functional plans, and area plans provide more detailed, place -based, or program -specific direction consistent with the General Plan. Level 3 — Implementation Mechanisms. Zoning and subdivision codes, operating budgets, capital improvement programs, and other ordinances implement the policies of the higher -level plans. This hierarchy ensures that planning decisions are coordinated across scales, from islandwide priorities to neighborhood -level actions, and that regulatory and investment decisions are grounded in adopted policy. Comprehensive revisions to the General Plan were adopted in 1989 (Ordinance No. 89- 142) and 2005 (Ordinance No. 05-25). This General Plan represents the most recent comprehensive update, reflecting current conditions, community priorities, and the evolving needs of Hawaii Island. Section 1-4. Function. The General Plan functions as the County's primary decision -making framework for land use, development, and public investment rather than a detailed technical manual. It does not replace zoning codes, engineering standards, or departmental master plans. Instead, it establishes the policy foundation that those documents, programs, and actions are expected follow. The purposes of the General Plan are to: (1) Guide land use and development patterns across Hawaii Island; (2) Identify the vision, values, and priorities of the County and its communities; (3) Provide a framework for decision -making, capital improvement priorities, and other government programs; (4) Improve the physical environment of the County; (5) Align departmental actions and priorities; (6) Promote and safeguard the public interest and the welfare of the County as a whole; and (7) Ensure that growth occurs in a manner consistent with community values. iii