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TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 309 BY DAVID TARNAS, MARINE AND COASTAL SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC. PLANNING CONSULTANT TO JACOBY DEVELOPMENT, INC. JULY 31, 2006 Aloha Thank you for this opportunity to testify in support of Bill 309, Interim General Plan Amendment E-4, which amends the General Plan for the makai lands of Kealakehe from "Open" to "Urban Expansion Area." However, I would like to clarify the State's plans for these lands, so that you can more accurately reflect that in this bill. Amendment E-4 of the proposed changes to the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) map, is to change the area surrounding Honokohau Harbor from "Open" to "Urban Expansion Area." The Rationale presented is as follows: "The State plans to expand the harbor and have some associated commercial and golf development surrounding the harbor. The development should include a coastal open space buffer, but the exact dimensions can be set at the time of zoning." DLNR, DHHL, and Jacoby Development wrote to the Planning Director explaining the plans for the area were to include a mixed-use development of retail, commercial, hotel and timeshare, marina support industrial, with an expanded harbor, a major connector road, and a shoreline park. To make the "Rationale" under Amendment E-4 more accurate you could add "transient accommodations" after the word "commercial" as a recognition of the plans envisioned by the state agencies and their development partner. According to the General Plan, "Urban Expansion Area" "allows for a mix of high density, medium density, low density, industrial, industrial-commercial and/or open designations in areas where new settlements may be desirable, but where the specific settlement pattern and mix of uses have not yet been determined." Among the zoning districts consistent with the "Urban Expansion Area" designation include the "General Commercial District" and the "Commercial Village District." Permitted uses in the General Commercial District include hotels and timeshares, among many other uses. Permitted uses in the Commercial Village District include hotels, lodges, and a variety of other uses. With this in mind, the plans for a new harbor, surrounded by a mixed-use development project, including hotel and timeshare units along with the other retail, restaurant and commercial uses, is consistent with the "Urban Expansion Area." As the Kona Community Development Plan process has indicated, the idea of a mixed-use development project where people can live, work and play is preferred. DHHL and DLNR are working with Jacoby Development to plan a mixed-use development project for these lands. Because there is no permanent residential use allowed on these lease lands, transient accommodations are included. Potentially, the permanent residential area for worker housing would be mauka in the same or adjacent ahupua'a, and connected by a shuttle service to the makai lands. In this way the ahupua' a is the area where people can live, work, play and learn. 1, J~~f t Comm. hN~ Ref. To: Ref. Vate_~3 Tarnas testimony on Bill 309 p. 1 of 2