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Stacy Higa, Chairman <br />and Members of the County Council <br />Page 4 <br />The project site is bordered by the Queen Kaahumanu Highway and a parcel zoned A -5a <br />to the west. The adjacent vacant property to the north is owned by the Department of <br />Hawaiian Home Lands, in the State Land Use Urban district, and zoned Open. Four 90 - <br />foot towers owned by the Big Island Broadcasting Company are located on a four -acre <br />parcel to the east. The state-owned Keahole Agricultural Park zoned A -5a is located <br />south/southeast of the property. The Kona Palisades Subdivision is located <br />approximately 3,500 feet mauka of the property to the southeast and zoned A -5a. <br />The applicant has stated that "in order to lessen the visual impacts of the <br />improvements to the generating station on the immediate neighboring community, <br />HELCO has sought and received approval from the DLNR for landscape improvements, <br />gate modifications, and fence construction at the site. The perimeter landscaping along <br />the southwest, west, and northwest section of the property will be redone to help mitigate <br />the adverse visual impacts of the improvements to the station. HELCO will create <br />bermed planters in areas that are currently landscaped and transplant some of the existing <br />vegetation. New trees and plants will also be added to create a more effective and <br />attractive visual buffer. The proposed planters are approximately 9,500 square feet." The <br />applicant will also convert its existing fence into a permanent perimeter fence and modify <br />two existing gates by recessing the gates into the facility. The new gates will be <br />automated, electronic card -reading gates. <br />All utilities and services are available to the site. The Department of Water <br />Supply, through its North Kona system, currently provides approximately 40,000 gallons <br />per day (gpd) of potable water to the project site. Approximately 3/a of the 40,000 gpd of <br />potable water is used for power generation. The potable water is also used for domestic <br />consumption by employees and landscape irrigation. Prior to the completion of CT -4 and <br />CT -5 and conversion to primarily brackish water, the facility had used approximately <br />40,000 gpd for domestic consumption, landscape irrigation, and the facility operations. <br />Upon completion of CT -4 and CT -5 and with the facility's conversion from potable to <br />brackish water for process water use, domestic water consumption has been reduced to <br />approximately 25,000 gpd. With the completion of ST -7, there will be a slight increase in <br />domestic water usage and an increase of approximately 0.02 mgd of brackish water use. <br />An onsite well is being used to satisfy the facility's brackish water demand. The available <br />potable water in excess of demand has been conveyed to the State Department of <br />Hawaiian Home Lands for its developments in West Hawaii. <br />There are two types of wastewater generated at the Keahole facility, domestic and <br />industrial. Industrial wastewater is disposed of through two underground injection wells <br />on the project site. The monitoring of wastewater discharged into the underground <br />injection wells is in accordance with UIC permit requirements. In addition to monitoring <br />