REP PC 061 11/04/2003 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RE'POR'T' OF THF. COMMIT"fEE ON PLANNING DATE: November 4, 2003 RE: Comm. No. 370/Bill No. 160 PLACE: Councilroom 'T'IM[?: 220 p.m. Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Communication No. 370 and Bill No. 160, transmitted by Mayor Harry Kim, dated October 3, 2003, regarding a change of zone application request by Puna Sugar, LLC, at Keaau, Puna Hawai`i,'1'MK: I-G-3:99, reports as follows: Bill No. 160 seeks to amend Section 25-A-22, Airticle 8, Chapter 25 (Zoning Code) of the I lawaii County Code, by changing the District Classification of approximately 14.901-acres (Parcel A) of land from Agricultural-20 acres (A-20a) to Limited Industrial 20,000 Square Feet (ML-20) and 8.724-acres (Parcel B) of land to Agricultural-5 acres (A-Sa). Communication No. 370 reports the Hawaii County Planning Commission, as required by the Hawaii County Charter, Chapter 4, Section 6-43(C), considered the above request and accompanying Bill No. 159 on September 22, 2003. The Commission concurred with the Planning Director's favorable recommendation on this matter. Communication No. 370, in synopsis, reports the Planning Director's findings as the following: This request for a change of zone from an Agricultural (A-20a) to a Light Industrial (ML-20) and Agricultural (A-Sa) zoned district would result in an appropriate land use pattern and further the public convenience, necessity and general welfare based on the following: An amendment ro the State Land Use Boundary Map from an Agricultural to Urban District (Bill No. 159) is being concurrently processed for the proposed industrial development. Upon the adoption of this amendment, the proposed change of zone request will be consistent with the proposed Urban District Designation. I'he request from Agricultual to Limited Industrial is consistent with Land Use, Economic policies, LUPAG elements of the General Plan and with the urban form depicted for this area of the Puna region. The Industrial Designation for the area has been in place since 1971. To encourage additional utilization of the area, the Industrial Area designation was lurther expanded during the 1989 General Plan Review to include additional Intensive Agricultural and Orchards lands. The request designates approximately 14.901-acres of land as MI: 20. The proposal includes the subdivision of this parcel into two lots for the purposes of limited industrial and related uses. This action would be a reasonable expansion of industrial activities associated with existing uses in the area, which include a power plant and agricultural processing facilities. Surrounding properties consist of a mix, industrial and agricultw~al uses, some established through the Special Permit process. The State of Hawaii AIJSH Map classifies portions of the area as Prime Agricultural Lands and the northern portion of the property is Unclassified. 'T'he Land Use Study Bureau's Overall