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<br /> Honorable Spencer K. Schutte, Chairman <br /> and Members of the County Council <br /> <br /> Page 2 <br /> In reviewing the proposed land use against the requirements <br /> and review standards for a General Plan Amendment, growth <br /> assumptions of the General Plan and the goals and policies <br /> of various elements of the General Plan were considered. <br /> The General Plan begins with the following assumptions: <br /> "Agricultural employment, especially in the sugar industry <br /> has been declining over the past ten years. At best, <br /> employment in the sugar industry is projected to decline <br /> slowly if normal attrition through retirement continues. <br /> Alternatively, national and international economic and <br /> political forces could result in the demise of the industry. <br /> Factors affecting this decline will be the expansion and <br /> labor demands of the macadamia nut, papaya, flower and other <br /> diversified agricultural industries. <br /> "The County's visitor industry is poised for rapid <br /> expansion, and employment in tourism is expected to increase <br /> substantially." <br /> "There is tremendous potential for expansion in other <br /> industries such as aquaculture, astronomy, renewable energy, <br /> and research-development. <br /> Land use is one of the principal focal points of public <br /> concern and policy. The Land Use Element provides the <br /> primary basis for direct control and guidance of <br /> publicly- and privately-owned resources. It sets forth <br /> goals, policies, and standards to guide the location and <br /> density, and building intensities of land uses in particular <br /> arras. The Land Use Element is also intended to be used as <br /> a policy guide for the coordinated growth and development of <br /> the sectors of the County. It seeks to accommodate growth <br /> without congestion; to designate and preserve the lands <br /> needed for residential use, commercial and visitor services, <br /> industry, agriculture, and open space; and to coordinate <br /> these uses with the County's service and circulation <br /> systems. <br /> The Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) Map component <br /> of the General Plan indicates broad-brush boundaries which <br /> are graphic depictions of the spatial relationships of <br /> various land uses and the expressed policy statements of the <br /> document itself. Therefore, changes and requests for <br /> amendments to the LUPAG Map must be evaluated against <br /> applicable goals, policies and standards of the General <br /> Plan. It is only through such a comprehensive policy <br /> analysis approach that evaluations and decisions can be made <br /> to better time or stage certain developments to achieve <br /> <br />