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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Stacy Higa, Chairman <br /> and Members of the County Council <br /> Page 4 <br /> <br /> As part of the Office of State Planning's five-year State Land Use District <br /> Boundary Review, the Water Resources Research Center recommends that the high <br /> rainfall and fog-drip area mauka of the 2,000-foot elevation be redesignated into the <br /> Conservation District for protection as a watershed recharge area. The Kona Watershed, <br /> which provides for the recharge of aquifers which supplies most of Kona's drinking <br /> water, includes those lands located within the Kaloko Mauka Subdivision and situated <br /> above the 1,900 foot elevation, which includes the property. The property, located at the <br /> 2,200-foot elevation, does not seriously compromise the recommendations of these <br /> studies beyond existing conditions. Although the property is located within the water <br /> recharge area, the condition will be included to retain 67% of the forest cover on the site <br /> to preserve the watershed qualities and watershed area. Approval of the requested change <br /> of zone will not alter the existing land use conditions within Kaloko Mauka Subdivision. <br /> Uses permitted within the Agricultural District will allow for a variety of agricultural <br /> activities to be conducted on the property. <br /> <br /> In addressing potential adverse visual impacts the clearing of the property for <br /> individual home sites and agricultural uses may have on the existing upland forest <br /> character within the area, the applicant has proposed the following: <br /> <br /> • a 60-foot wide "forest reserve easement" for buffer purposes along the existing <br /> roadway; <br /> • a 30-foot "forest reserve easement" along all lot lines not covered by the 60- <br /> foot easement; <br /> • a 60-foot wide structural setback along the existing roadways in lieu of the <br /> required 30-foot setback along the property's public street frontage to provide <br /> an additional buffer; <br /> • at least 67% of the lot area to be retained in forest; <br /> <br /> Conditions will be included to preserve the forest corridor along the roads of the <br /> Kaloko Mauka Subdivision. Also recommended are conditions to restrict the <br /> construction of a second dwelling and a preparation of a conservation plan for each <br /> subdivided lot, and a "fair share" contribution to mitigate any potential impacts. <br /> <br /> There have been several archaeological studies conducted in the area. An <br /> archaeological investigation of the Kaloko ahupua'a was conducted in 1970 and 1971 by <br /> Huehue Ranch, the developer of the Kaloko Mauka Subdivision. In addition, the <br /> <br /> National Park Service published a report in 1991 titled, "An Ahupuaa Study: The 1971 <br /> Archaeological Work at Kaloko Ahupuaa, North Kona." This study identified remains of <br /> an agricultural field system up to the 3,500-foot elevation at certain locations. According <br />