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<br /> Honorable James Y. Arakaki, Chairman <br /> <br /> and Members of the County Council <br /> <br /> Page 4 <br /> located just three miles from [he coastal village of Kawaihae with a deep draft harbor <br /> and marina. The nearest towns are Waimea, approximately 14 miles to the east, and <br /> Hawi approximately 16 miles to the north. Over five miles south of the project site, <br /> along the South Kohala coast are the resorts of Mauna Kea Resort, Mauna Lani Resort, <br /> and Waikoloa Beach Resort. These visitor destination areas are the major employers of <br /> the region. Therefore, this request for a Change of Zone from Agricultural (A-Sa) to <br /> Single Family Residential (RS-15) conforms with the General Plan which encourages <br /> urban developments in close proximity to existing developments, services and facilities. <br /> While the subject property is within the State Land Use Urban and County's <br /> Agricultural (A-Sa) zoned districts, it is not currently being used for active agricultural <br /> purposes. The State of Hawaii ALISH Map does not classify the subject property in <br /> any category. The Land Use Study Bureau's Overall Master Productivity Rating for <br /> the soils in the area is "E" or Very Poor. Therefore, the reclassification of this <br /> 37.88-acre area from the Agricultural to the Single Family Residential designation will <br /> not be detrimental to the reduction from the agricultural land inventory in the County <br /> of Hawaii. It would tend to alleviate the conversion of more productive agricultural <br /> lands from more appropriate locations within the North Kohala area for Urban Low <br /> Density type uses. Furthermore, the request would complement the existing and future <br /> residential land use patterns of the surrounding properties in view of the adjacent <br /> Kohala Ranch, Kohala Estates, Kohala By the Sea and Kohala Waterfront Joint Venture <br /> subdivisions. <br /> The property has no severe geological or topographical problems which cannot <br /> be properly rectified or which would render the land unusable. The U.S. Corps of <br /> Engineers Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) designates the property as Zone X, area <br /> of minimal tsunami inundation. Portions of the property along the coastline are located <br /> within Zone VE-9, a coastal hazard area with a flood elevation of nine feet. <br /> The hydrological features and characteristics of the site are typical of the West Hawaii <br /> and North Kohala Region. The mean annual rainfall is approximately 10 inches per <br /> year. Twenty percent of the annual rainfall occurs during the month of January. The <br /> evaporation rate for the area is one of [he highest in the State. <br /> Although there are no perennial streams or surface water features on the site, <br /> seven major drainageways carry a large volume of water from the mauka watershed to <br /> the ocean during rare prolonged rainy periods. The shoreline is rocky and exposed to <br /> the surf and wave action from the open ocean. The project area is within the Kohala <br /> Hydrographic area (Hawaii Resources Regional Study Team, 1979). A study <br /> conducted by Charles L. Murdoch and Richard E. Green dated February 29, 1992 <br /> assesses the potential impact of fertilizers and pesticides on the proposed project. The <br /> <br />