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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1445.000 2006-2008Harry Kim MrO~or Dixie Kaetsu Mrtnrtging Director Barbara Kossow Deputy Mnnnging Director County of Hawaii 25 Aupuni Sweet, Room 215 • Hilq Hawaii 9672(44252 • (808) 961-8211 • Fax (808) 961fi553 KONA: 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103 • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808) 329-5226. Pax (808) 3265663 r-a September 8, 2008 r_~ ~-~ °' co r-_ t...3 'Z7 _..w. - r. _'. __ ~ Honorable Pete Hoffmann, Chairman '_ ` y - f u1d Members of the County Council _ ` ~ ~ ~= ~j i `_, County of Hawaii 5 ~. w '.! o Sam= 333 Kilauea Avenue ~ '`~ o Hilo, HI 96720 ' m Dear Chairman Hoffmann and Members: North Kohala Community Development Plan As required by Chapter 4, Sec. 6-4.3(C), Hawaii County Charter, transmitted herewith for the County Council's consideration and action are the Planning Commission's letter and enclosures regarding the above-referenced matter. ncerely, Harry Kim ~ Mayor Enclosures cc: Planning Department ~~~~ 3~~ Comm. No. ~ `f' ~s Ref. To; Ref• Dare 9 2008 County of Hawaii PLANNING COMMISSION Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Phone (808) 961-8288 Fax (808) 961-8742 September 5, 2008 Pete Hoffmann, Chairman and Members of the County Council County of Hawaii 333 Kilauea Avenue, 2"d Floor Hilo, HI 96720 Dear Chairman Hoffmann and Council Members SUBJECT: North Kohala Community Development Plan (NKCDP) The Planning Commission conducted public hearings on August 7, 2008, August 22, 2008, and September 4, 2008, to review the Prefinal Draft of the NKCDP as submitted by the NKCDP Steering Committee and its consultant, Townscape, Inc. At its meeting on September 4, 2008, the Commission voted to send a favorable recommendation of the NKCDP to the County Council including clarifying language for six (6) proposed points and two (2) corrections. Four of the points of clarification were initially proposed by the NKCDP Steering Committee. These clarifications help ensure that the Prefinal Draft submitted to the Planning Commission accurately reflected the decisions made by the Steering Committee. Two additional points of clarification are proposed by the Planning Commissioh. The two corrections were submitted by the Hawaii County Fire Department. The clarifying language and corrections submitted are considered non-substantive changes by the Planning Department. We are asking Corporation Counsel also to advise on whether these are non-substantive changes and therefore do not require further review by the Steering Committee. The North Kohala CDP Steering Committee proposed amendments are as follows: The corrections are shown with "double strike-through" for deletions and "underlining" for additions. Page 20 - "Key planning implications" Agricultural lands -The majority of the land in Kohala is zoned for agriculture, is suitable for such use, and should be utilized as such. ~~ This means that agriculture! land should not be upzoned unless the Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Pete Hoffmann, Chairman and Members of the County Council Page 2 2. 3. Page 20 -last paragraph, next to last line: "The community would like to have increased reliability for these systems. Page 84 -Action Steps 4. WHAT needs to be done - • Identify alternative corridors for ' 'all options to provide redundant electrical power for North Kohala. The Planning Commission's proposed amendments are as follows: 1. Clarification of language for "KEY POLICY" number 7, section 3.2; In accordance with discussion with the Hawaii County Planning Commission at their Public Hearing on the NKCDP, August 7, 2008. Note: New language is underlined. Page 23 -Key Policies 7. Minimize speculation that drives up land values, property taxes, and the cost of housing; and encourage developers that wish to invest in the long-term health of North Kohala. County permits and approvals for North Kohala, including but not limited to zoning changes, subdivision approvals, and building permits, shall have expiration dates for permit conditions that require actions by the applicant, and these expiration dates shall be adhered to. Any requested extensions of expiration dates for permit conditions shall be carefully evaluated. • The North Kohala CDP recommends the enactment of a special land speculation tax by the state legislature. The NKCDP Action Committee should provide support to implement appropriate state legislation. 2. Clarification of language for Strategy 1.7, section 4.1: Implement a Policy for a Cultural and Historical Preservation Community; In accordance with discussion with the Hawaii County Planning Commission at their Public Hearing on the NKCDP, September 4, 2008. Note: New language is underlined. Page 37 -Action Steps WHAT needs to be done - • Identify areas requiring additional protection. • Identify appropriate protections, such as buffers, for these areas. Pete Hoffmann, Chairman and Members of the County Council Page 3 Submit findings to the County for public review and adoption for use in land use planning and decisions. All steps should be done in consultation with the community, including affected land owners, scientists, natural resource managers, and cultural experts. The Fire Department's proposed corrections are as follows: 1) Page 86, strategy 4.10: Improve Fire Department Facilities, Equipment, and Services under Background Subcategory Staffing: a) The statement "The Fire Department should be staffing each platoon with six fire personnel to meet the national standards" is incorrect. The national standard is currently five fire personnel per engine company. b) It is noted that two personnel respond to medical emergencies and the other two personnel respond to all other emergencies to include structural and wildland fires as well as land and ocean rescues. This statement is also incorrect. There are currently fifteen medic units at various fire stations throughout the Big Island that provide emergency medical services and while our personnel is also trained and contracted to provide emergency services as part of their position, all personnel respond to fires as necessary. Enclosed for your favorable consideration are the draft bill adopting the NKCDP, and the Planning Department's Background and Recommendation Report and amended Background and Recommendation Report. We have also included eleven (11) copies of the NKCDP. For your information, transcripts of the hearings will be forthcoming shortly. Sincerely, Rell Woodward, 2"d Vice Chairman Planning Commission cc: Planning Department-Kona Lincoln Ashida, Esq. Enclosures 1 ~ COUNTY OF HAWAII PLANNING DEPARTMENT NORTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NKCDP) BACKGROUND REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION INITIATOR: PLANNING DIRECTOR BACKGROUND RECOMMENDATION On June 12, 2008 the North Kohala Community Development Plans (CDP) Steering Community voted unanimously to send the Prefinal Draft of the North Kohala CDP to the Hawaii County Planning Commission with a positive recommendation for approval. The Planning Director recommends that the Planning Commission send a favorable recommendation to the Hawaii County Council for adoption by ordinance for the North Kohala Community Development Plan. The accompanying draft bill is provided for your favorable consideration. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN PROGRAM Chapter 15 of the County General Plan provides the regions around the island with the opportunity for the creation of CDP. The General Plan requires that the CDP's shall be adopted by the County Council as an ordinance, giving the CDP the force of law. The CDP process offers a forum for receiving Community input into managing growth, delivery of government services, resources preservation and any other matters relating to the planning area and integrating this input into Goals, Objectives, Policies, and Actions as they apply to specific geographical regions around the Island INITIATING THE NKCDP PLANNING PROCESS In the spring of 2007, the Planning Department formed a review committee to evaluate "Statements of Qualifications" submitted by Planning Consultants on the County of Hawaii's "Professional Services List" to serve as Planning Consultant in the development of a Community Development Plan for North Kohala (NK). The committee chose the consultant, Townscape, inc., to work with Planning Department staff and the community to create ofthe NKCDP. The following objectives for the NKCDP were included in the Scope of Work that was approved by the Planning Deparhnent and agreed to by Townscape, Inc. • Provide Project Coordination by periodically updating and maintaining an overall work plan and schedule for the NKCDP. Provide Stakeholder and Community Outreach by working with the CDP Team to plan and host four (4) public meetings on the 1`;KCDP process and products. Coordinate Focus Group meetings to capture local knowledge and expertise on priority planning issues • Work with the Steering Committee to develop and incorporate a vision statement, community values, and guiding principals into the CDP • Develop a Community Profile and Environmental Concept Plan based on Profiles that were developed by the Community Readiness Program (CRP) Team for North Kohala. • Develop strategies and action plans for addressing priority issues for the most critical land use/community development issues for North Kohala. • Develop a series of iterations of the NKCDP beginning with Working Papers, followed by a Preliminary Draft, a Public Review Draft, a Prefinal Draft, and culminating with the Final Draft once the NKCDP is approved by the Hawaii County Council. • Provide technical support through the NKCDP approval process by assisting the Planning Department with presentation(s) to the Planning Commission, and County Council and incorporating amendments. THE PLANNING TEAM Townscape, Inc., Planning Consultant • Bruce Tsuchida, Principal-in-Charge • Harmonee Williams, Planner County of Hawaii (COH) Planning Department • Chris J. Yuen, Planning Director • Allen A. Salavea, Project Manager • Christian Kay, Planner COH Office of the Mayor • Roy T. Takemoto, Special Assistant to the Mayor Department of Research and Development • Jane Testa, Director • Alex Frost, Hawaii County Resource Center COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION Over the last three years, a number of activities oriented around the Community Readiness Project (CRP) and the NKCDP were provided to inform the North Kohala community about the CDP program, develop capacity in the district, and ultimately gather input from community members. The activities were designed to be accessible to all residents keeping in mind those who worked out of district, which necessitated the need to hold meetings in locations and at times that fit various schedules. 2 As a result, many of the residents of North Kohala participated in either or both the CRP and NKCDP planning process, which are the processes that facilitated the creation of the NKCDP. COMMUNITY READINESS PROJECT The Planning Department, in collaboration with the Department of Research and Development, recognized that broad-based public participation in the planning process was critical in developing community buy-in to ensure implementation of Plan. Between June and September of 2006, over 2800 ideas were gathered from over 80 small group meetings conducted by trained local facilitators in North Kohala. These meetings were offered on-demand, scheduled throughout North Kohala, and were targeted to ensure balanced demographic and geographic participation of residents. Over 730+ community members, roughly 12% of the total population participated in the "talk story sessions." The CRP data served to help the Steering Committee to prioritize the community's input and select four Priority Issues that would be the focus of the NKCDP. COMMUNITY MEETINGS. It was decided early on that community meetings would be held in North Kohala during the NKCDP planning process to help facilitate the following goals; 1) Create and maintain a relationship between the community and the planning team, 2} Introduce and make visible the members of the NKCDP Steering Committee to the community, 3) Describe the planning process and estimated timeline, and 4) Create a feedback loop to the community to keep them appraised of the latest developments as the planning process progressed. All meetings were held with tremendous support from Kohala High School who provided their cafeteria on three separate occasions. The community meetings were held August 8, 2007, January 12, 2008, and April 16, 2008. Approximately 400+ people attended the three meetings and we anticipate a large number of residents to attend a fourth community meeting to celebrate the unveiling of the approved NKCDP. FOCUS GROUPS In order to gather input from a diversity of community members, Focus Groups (FG) were formed to address each of the four Priority Issues: Growth Management, Public Access, Affordable Housing, and Infrastructure. Each FG met several times to discuss and decide on the goals, strategies, and action steps for their issue. The meetings were held in the North Kohala district at the senior center, high school, private residences, and other locations. Invitation to attend FG meetings was open to the public and people could begin attending meetings even after the group had been formed and were engaged in the planning process. Over twenty FG meetings were held from October 2007 through May 2008. The FGs were a key force behind the NKCDP planning process and provided tremendous amounts of energy and time to collect data and provide input to the planning consultant. This facilitated the creation of Working Papers released in January 2008, which are the basis of the NKCDP. The FG also worked closely with the SC to fine tune NKCDP. THE NKCDP STEERING COMMITTEE The COH Mayor and the Hawaii County Council appointed citizens to serve on the NKCDP Steering Committee (SC), representing a cross section of the North Kohala community. The Steering Committee played a critical role in overseeing and guiding the planning process as the NKCDP was being developed. The SC met monthly on the first Wednesdays of the month at duly noticed meetings that were conducted under Sunshine Law. The SC members are as follows: HENRY DULAN DAVID FUERTES MIKE ISAACS ALVIN KAWAMOTO CAROLYN LANCASTER ROBERT MARTIN TED MATSUDA FERN WHITE The SC and planning team reviewed the Working Papers along with input from community to refine the elements needed to begin the iterative process of drafting the NKCDP. Here is a quick synopsis of the timeline in developing the NKCDP: • January 2008 -Working papers released to SC and FG members. Also presented to the public at the community meeting held in North Kohala on January 12, 2008 for feedback and comment. • February 12, 2008 -Preliminary Draft released to the SC and FG members for comment and feedback in preparation of the Public Review Draft. • March 26, 2008 -Public Review Draft released to the community. Over 150 copies placed in convenient locations for community members to obtain a copy, review, and provide feedback to the SC or planning team. • April 30, 2008 -Public comment period extended to this date to accommodate public participation. • May 2008 through June 2008 -Additional SC meetings scheduled to accommodate the time needed to work with the FGs and the planning team on incorporating public input received. June 12, 2008 -The SC voted unanimously to send the NKCDP Prefinal to the Planning Commission with a positive recommendation. In the final stages of drafting the Prefinal Draft, the SC had the difficult task of bringing together all of input and elements and evaluating each item for validity relative to community need. This was a momentous responsibility assumed by the SC, whose performance was outstanding. COMMUNITY OUTREACH In an effort to keep the community updated of the status of the NKCDP planning process as it progressed and increase public participation, the planning team and the SC looked for promotional opportunities beyond publicly noticed meetings. Here is a summary of activities that was accomplished during the NKCDP planning process. August 2008 to present -Posted all SC and community meeting materials as well as FG notes on the Hawaii County Resource Center's website to. facilitate public access to these documents. • August 2008 to present -Collaborated on a regular basis with contributing writers to have articles and meeting dates included in the Kohala Mountain news. 4 • October 2007 -Provided information about the NKCDP at the Kohala Country Fair in October 2007 (will again be attending in October 2008). • Januazy 2008 -Attended and provide information about the NKCDP at the Kohala Intergenerational event in January 2008. • Apri12008 -Sent out an information letter and three page summary along with a community meeting flyer to all postal recipients in North Kohala (approximately 2,500 pieces mailed out). • July 2008 -Provided copies of the NKCDP Prefinal on CD to community members by placing at convenient locations in the North Kohala district. VISION, GOAL, VALUES NORTH KOHALA CDP VISION STATEMENT • We aze a community that respects, preserves and honors our history, our land, and our diverse culture. We value access to our shores, our forests, and our streams. • We have a broad range of programs for our youth that includes work on the land. We have good social services, recreation, health, and education. • We are friendly and hard working people, which enables us to continue to build our small businesses and create jobs as part of our sustainable economic development. • We have a strong community voice in the development of affordable housing, the use of our land, and the development of alternative energy sources. • `Ghana and the Spirit of Aloha are the foundations of our community. OVERALL GOAL OF THE NORTH KOHALA CDP To manage the future growth of the district in a manner that is consistent with the Kohala lifestyle and ideals of being a rural community with a strong cultural heritage, an agricultural base, and a small town feel. NORTH KOHALA COMMUNITY VALUES • Spirituality and prayer (pule} • Ghana • Honoring the past • History of Kamehameha • We stand together for the aina, the community, and each other • Open space • Protecting natural resources • Humility is strength • Being respectful • Bridging old ways with the new • Tolerance towards your neighbor • Give and take; give comes first KOHALA TODAY PHYSICAL SETTING & HISTORY OF NORTH KOHALA Most residents of North Kohala are very connected to this special place. They enjoy its remote setting and ruggedness, rich cultural history, agricultural traditions, and small- town feel. Overall, the district has a landscape filled with remnants of "Hawai `i past," including evidence of all of the major epochs in the islands' history: • Pre-contact -ancient Hawaiian fishing villages, house sites, heiau, ko`a, and hundreds of other important cultural sites. Some cultural experts believe the Kohala coast contains one of the most intact "cultural landscapes" in the state because of its high density of cultural sites. • Early traders, missionaries, and ranchers -the Bond Estate and Ranches that were started in the 1800s and are still functioning today Plantation days -Kohala Ditch, field systems, continued agricultural tradition Kohala's landscape tells its history from pre-contact to modern day. While other places may have some evidence of this history, they are generally not as well preserved, or else do not cover as large or contiguous an area as in Kohala. In addition, Kohala has perpetuated the cultural heritage of "Hawai`i past" through its varied ethnic mix. Key Planning Implications Related to North Koha/a's Physical Setting and History • Remoteness -The area is relatively remote and rural, and residents want to keep it that way. • Historical/cultural significance -Important cultural sites and landscapes should be protected, and place names commemorating Kamehameha I should be recognized. • Agricultural tradition -Agriculture should be practiced and promoted in various forms. NATURAL & CULTURAL RESOURCES North Kohala is rich in natural and cultural resources. From the Native Hawaiian perspective, these are generally one and the same. The early Native Hawaiian settlers in Kohala grew crops in the fertile mauka soils, built lo`i in the lowlands of the eastern valleys that were fed with an abundance of water, and fished and gathered from the coastal areas. Today, most of these aspects are considered "natural resources" -the fertile soils, the plentiful rainfall found in the eastern part of the district, the rich coastal resources, among others. Mixed in with these resources are "cultural resources," including the remnant terraces of the mauka "Kohala field system," where numerous crops were grown, and the remains of ancient Hawaiian settlements, such as fishing villages and other sites located along the coast. Archaeological and cultural experts have observed that Kohala's coastline is one of the most intact "cultural landscapes" in the state. There are an abundance of heiau and ko`a throughout the district, where early Hawaiians carried out rituals, many of which were connected to the land and ocean, and their fertility. Overall, Kohala residents would like to see these cultural resources protected and the natural resources managed with care. In addition, they would like to preserve the vast open spaces of the region, which help to define Kohala's rural character. One other aspect to note is the district's vulnerability to natural hazards, such as flooding, tsunami, and earthquakes. Its remote location accentuates Kohala's need for well-planned emergency response. Key Planning Implications Related to North Koha/a's Natural and Cultural Resources • Cultural sites and landscapes -Important cultural sites and landscapes, including the entire Kohala coastline and the mauka kula lands, should be protected. • Coastal (makai) resources - Kohala's pristine coastline and abundance of marine life should be protected from development and be accessible to residents. • Mountain (mauka) resources -The district has important resources in its mauka regions that need protection, such as streams, forest areas, and pasture lands. • Ahupua`a -Ancient Hawaiians looked at the land from the framework of the ahupua`a, which is the unit of land that extends from the top of the mountain to the fishing waters of the sea, similar to today's concept of a watershed. These wedge=shaped divisions of land contained all of the resources needed for human survival, and provided the principal physical and social structure for Native Hawaiian society. This holistic perspective is important for current-day land use planning as well, since activities in the mauka regions directly affect makai areas. • Agricultural potential -Agriculture should be promoted and agricultural lands should be preserved for this use. • Open space- The district's large open spaces should be preserved. • Vulnerability to Natural Hazards -Emergency preparedness should be a priority. DEMOGRAPHICS & ECONOMICS According to the 2000 Census, North Kohala had a total population of 6,038, with about 60% of that total living in and around the small towns of Hawi and Kapa`au. The total number of people living in the district almost doubled between 1980 and 2000. This growth is largely attributed to the continuing development of various resort complexes along the neighboring South Kohala coast, as well as a growing number of people who have built their retirement homes within the district. Figure 2 below shows the population trends for North Kohala for the period of 1960 to 2000. Population -The population of North Kohala is expected to continue to increase. The 2005 County of Hawaii General Plan included three population projections for North Kohala for the year 2020. These three growth rates are: relatively conservative (1 ],053), moderate (11,273), and rapid (12,289). However, these projections are largely based on past trends, which maybe somewhat skewed, since the growth rate for the County of Hawaii was higher than average between 1990 and 2000 (23%). In addition, it is possible for the County to direct population growth, to some extent, to more urban areas. Economy -The district's economy has been struggling since the Kohala Sugar Company closed in 1975. Almost one-third of the workforce now commutes to South Kohala to work in the hotels and resorts located there. The search for viable businesses must continue to enable this community to remain vibrant. Many would like to see diversified agriculture encouraged in the region. The other major issue related to economics in North Kohala is property values. The median residential sales price for 2006 for Kohala was $721,000, the highest in the County (compared to $417,000 for the island overall). With housing prices being so high and economic opportunities so few, there is a significant need for affordable housing in the district. (More detailed data is included in section 4.3 on affordable housing.) Key planning Implications Related to Kohala's Demographics and Economics • Population -Kohala is a rural area and should be maintained as such. Thus, development should be directed to more urban areas. • Economic opportunities -Agriculture should be supported and promoted, and other economic opportunities should be explored. • Housing - A concerted effort must be made through public-private partnerships to provide affordable housing for Kohala residents and their children. LAND USE The overwhelming majority of Kohala lands are zoned for agriculture, 84.6% according to County zoning (67,977 acres), and 80.5% in the State Agricultural district (64,713 acres). The sentiment of Kohala residents is generally that they would like to see this land utilized for agriculture. One of their biggest concerns is the mi:>use of this land for luxury subdivisions and/or "gentlemen estates." LUPAG - In addition, the County General Plan includes a Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) map, which is a broad, flexible design intended to guide the direction and quality of future developments in a coordinated and rational manner. The LUPAG designates the majority of Kohala's lands for agriculture: 41,314 acres (51.4%) for "Important Agricultural Land" and 21,885 acres (27.2%) for "Extensive Agriculture". One concern with these designations is that there are few regulations governing their use. However, the Genera] Plan does support the use of these lands for agriculture first and foremost, and states that "Important Agricultural Lands shall not be rezoned to parcels too small to support economically viable farming units." The LUPAG map also designates 176 acres for Medium Density Urban near the town centers, and 2,668 acres in Low Density Urban surrounding those town centers. The General Plan directs future development to be concentrated within these areas as much as possible. There are also 258 acres of Urban Expansion land, which allows for residential, industrial, and/or commercial development, around the Resort designated area of Pdahukona. Rezonings -Kohala residents have expressed concern with what they perceive as a large amount of development happening within the district, specifically on land that was originally zoned for agriculture, but then was re-zoned, subdivided, or developed through a Special Permit. The highest number of re-zonings in Kohala occurred in the 1980s, which included a significant amount of land that was re-zoned for Kohala Ranch. Those numbers decreased in the 1990s and 2000s, and it should be noted that of the 6 re-zonings in this decade, most were for a small parcel (average size was 9.5 acres, largest was 21 acres), and allowed for a small number of new lots (61ots or less). The only re-zoning that allowed for more lots was for the self-help housing project in Pahoa (75 lots allowed on 15 acres). Subdivisions -The number of subdivision applications approved has increased each decade since the 1970s. However, many of these subdivisions created a small number of lots. For example, in the 2000s, over one-half (54 out of 100) of these subdivision approvals created 21ots or less (some consolidated lots and re-subdivided in order to change boundaries). For those 15 subdivision applications that are currently still pending, 13 of them are for 10 lots or less. The remaining 2 are for an additiona148 lots at Kohala Ranch, and 261ots for the self-help housing project at Pahoa. Special Permits -One of the issues that has raised the most concern with Kohala residents is that of Special Permits, especially those that allow overnight accommodations, such as "retreats." While it is true that 10 of the 17 Special Permits issued in the 2000s do allow overnight accommodations, 8 of those 10 are parcels owned by one owner (the New Moon Foundation). Therefore, the bigger problem may be those land owners who are allowing overnight visitors without the appropriate permits. Still, community sentiment is generally that Special Permits that allow large-scale overnight accommodations should not be approved, due to the negative impacts that such developments have on the azea's limited infrastructure and small-town feel. Key Planning Implications Related to North Kohala's Land Use • Agricultural lands -The majority of the land in Kohala is zoned for agriculture, is suitable for such use, and should be utilized as such. This means agricultural land should not be re-zoned to higher density, nor subdivided for uses other than agriculture. Special Permits -Special Permits for uses that include large-scale overnight accommodations should not be approved. INFRASTRUCTURE & PUBLIC FACILITIES Much of Kohala's infrastructure was constructed decades ago, including the roads, water system, and electric power lines. Many Kohala residents feel that it is time for these aging infrastructure components to be revamped, repaired, or replaced. This includes - repairing the Hisaoka Gym (damaged during the 2006 earthquake) and improving communications, such as radio and cell phone service, which are important for timely emergency response. Emergency Preparedness -Residents say there is a need for overall improved emergency preparedness. Due to Kohala's geographic isolation, it is vulnerable to system failures or outages, including those caused by natural disasters, since it takes so long for outside help to arrive. The fact that there is only one main road through Kohala is indicative of most of the major infrastructure there, including electricity and water. Redundancy -The community would like to have redundancy or back-up created for these systems. They would also like to learn how to better handle emergency situations themselves, through training such as CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), and to improve their ability to communicate critical information to the community during emergency situations. Rural Standazds -Lastly, community members have discussed the need for Rura] Infrastructure Standards. Such standards would help maintain Kohala's rural character. They would also aid in keeping costs down for affordable housing projects. Key Planning Implications Related to North Kohala's Infrastructure and Public Facilities • Transfer Station -The current transfer station was damaged by the 2006 earthquake, is too small for current and expected future demand, and needs more recycling options. • Improve parks -Several of the district's parks are in need of repair, and the district is in need of a public boat ramp. • Emergency Preparedness -Kohala needs to be prepared for emergencies due to its vulnerability to natural hazards. It would greatly benefit from training, such as CERT, and redundancy for many of its systems, including water and roads. • Communications -The district needs its own radio station and more cell towers in order to better serve the community and improve its emergency preparedness. • Public Facilities -Several of the community's public services and facilities could use long-range improvement plans, such as the schools and healthcare facilities. • Rural Infrastructure Standards -Kohala could greatly benefit from the development of such standards in order to help maintain its rural character and to reduce costs for affordable housing projects. KOHALA TOMORROW COMMUNITY ISSUES AND CONCERNS Throughout the three-year process of creating this CDP (including the 2-year CRP process), numerous issues and concerns were voiced by the Kohala community. The majority of these issues have been at least touched upon above. Some of the most prominent themes heard include: preserving Kohala's rural character and open spaces, protecting its cultural heritage, promoting agriculture, increasing both mauka and makai access, providing affordable housing, and improving infrastructure. The next chapter summarizes this community input in the form of the Priority Issues that the North ]0 Kohala community decided to focus on, and some of the Key Policies to address those issues. PRIORITY ISSUES & GOALS In order to "Keep Kohala, Kohala," and to achieve the VISION for Kohala, this CDP focuses on four Priority Issues. The aim was to identify these Priority Issues and the Goals for each issue, and then address them with appropriate Strategies and Action Programs. These four Priority Issues, as identified by the Kohala community and their general Goals are: • Growth Management - to direct North Kohala's growth to areas within and near existing town centers in order to preserve the district's open space and cultural resources; and to promote agriculture. • Access - to provide for community access to mauka and makai resources. • Affordable Housing - to provide affordable housing for the district's residents. • Infrastructure and Community Facilities - to update Kohala's infrastructure systems that are aging or in disrepair, and provide infrastructure, community facilities, and services that adequately serve the community on an on- goingbasis, and especially in times of emergency. KEY STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION For each of the four Priority Issues and Goals listed above, there is a subsequent section comprised of Strategies and Action Programs to address them. In addition to these action- oriented sections, there is also the need for more general, over-arching Policies that should help to achieve Kohala's Vision and the Goals related to the priority issues. Once this CDP has been adopted, these Policies should provide guidance for all proposed projects and programs for North Kohala. The Key Policies for North Kohala are: 1. Cultural and Historical Preservation Community -All future land use decisions for North Kohala shall be in keeping with the heritage and cultural significance of Kohala. 2. Rural Character -Recognize North Kohala as a Rural Community that should not experience significant urban/suburban development that impacts population growth. 3. Future Upzoning -Any future proposed upzoning of land in North Kohala shall be approved only if the proposed upzoning is substantially in conformance with the Goals and Policies of the North Kohala Community Development Plan. 4. Agricultura] Subdivisions -Any proposed Agricultural Subdivision in North Kohala shall submit an agricultural use/production plan with their preliminary subdivision application that cleazly demonstrates that the land will be primarily used for active agriculture, and that any proposed dwellings will be farm dwellings. 5. Special Management Area (SMA) Rules -Consideration of the cultural and environmental sensitivity of P1orth Kohala, as described in other parts of this plan, 11 shall be given to all proposed projects in the SMA areas, including single-family residences and all subdivisions. 6. Infrastructure Requirements -County approvals of proposed new development projects shall require that adequate infrastructure be in place. Consideration of cumulative impacts shall be included in the evaluation of the adequacy of infrastructure systems. 7. Minimize speculation that drives up land values, property taxes, and the cost of housing; and encourage developers that wish to invest in the long-term health of North Kohala. a. County permits and approvals for North Kohala, including but not limited to zoning changes, subdivision approvals, and building permits, shall have expiration dates, and these expiration dates shall be adhered to. Any requested extensions of expiration dates shall be carefully evaluated. b. The North Kohala CDP recommends the enactment of a special land speculation tax. The NK CDP Action Committee should provide support to implement appropriate legislation. 8. Amendments to the General Plan -For any conflicts or discrepancies between the General Plan and the North Kohala CDP, the Action Committee should meet with the Planning Department to discuss possible amendments to the General Plan. GROWTH MANAGEMENT North Kohala residents recognize that some growth will happen within the district. However, they have been very vocal about their desire to control the type and quantity of development that happens, and to direct its location to concentrated areas, so as to protect Kohala's rural character, agricultural lands, open space, and cultural resources. While other parts of the Big Island have experienced substantial increases in their population over recent decades, Kohala's has remained relatively low, at approximately 4% of the island's total population since 1980. What has concerned some of the residents is the fact that much of the growth seems to be in the form of luxury subdivisions or "gentlemen estates" on agricultural land. This concerns them for several reasons -such developments reduce the amount of land available for agricultural uses, encroach on the district's large open spaces and culturally sensitive areas, and often push up property values, forcing long-time residents and/or their children to move out of the district to find land/homes that they can afford. Thus, the over-arching Goal for achieving the desired Growth Management in Kohala is summarized as: • GOAL -DIRECT NORTH KOHALA'S GROWTH TO AREAS WITHIN AND NEAR EXISTING TOWN CENTERS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE DISTRICT'S OPEN SPACE AND CULTURAL RESOURCES; AND TO PROMOTE AGRICULTURE The most effective way to manage Kohala's future growth is through the establishment of Policies that guide land use decisions in Kohala, combined with the development of Strategies and Action Programs that take pro-active steps to achieving the envisioned future. The Policies are presented in Chapter 3 of this NKCDP. The Strategies 12 for achieving the desired Growth Management in Kohala are presented below in summary form. • Strategy 1.1: Establish the North Kohala CDP Action Committee to oversee implementation of the CDP Vision and Action Programs • Strategy 1.2: Acquire coastal lands that should be preserved as open space • Strategy 1.3: Down-zone identified State-owned parcels that have special cultural and/or scenic value • Strategy 1.4: Promote and Support a Community of Diversified Agriculture • Strategy 1.5: Establish Agricultural Education Programs • Strategy 1.6: Establish Community Cultural Programs • Strategy 1.7: Implement a Policy for a Cultural and Historical Preservation Community • Strategy 1.8: Participate in the identification of Important Agricultural Lands as established by Chapter 205-47, Hawaii Revised Statutes to ensure that appropriate lands are identified and protected • Strategy 1.9: Establish a View Plane Protection Program to identify and protect areas of significant beauty along the Kohala Mountain Road and Akoni-Pule Highway corridor. PUBLIC ACCESS Public access to coastal areas and resources and to mountain areas and resources was identified by the Kohala community early in the CDP process as one of the top priorities for planning and action. In pre-contact Hawaii, there were, of course, no "private lands" with fences and "keep out" signs. Although access to certain areas was limited because of traditional "kapu,"people were generally free to move about the land - to swim and fish in the near shore waters, and to gather resources in the mountains. During the 19th and 20th century ranching and sugar plantation eras, the lands of Kohala and other Hawaii Island regions were still lazgely free offences or other barriers to access. Since the closing of the Kohala Plantation in 1975, however, and the ensuing sale of the Plantation's lands in the 1980's to various buyers, many of whom were/aze "off-shore" companies, fences, locked gates and "No Trespassing" signs have become common. There are now only a few roads and paths in Kohala that provide public access to the shore or to the mountains. In the longer term, the Kohala community envisions a continuous coastal ("lateral") path stretching at least from Pololu to Kawaihae, together with numerous mauka-makai accesses from Akoni Pule Highway to the shore, and from the Highway up into the mountains and a lateral mountain trail from Pololu to Taga Pond. Thus, the Goal and Strategies for public access in Kohala maybe summarized as follows: • GOAL :PROVIDE FOR ADEQUATE DRIVABLE (MAUKA-MAKAI) (4 wheel vehicles) PUBLIC ACCESS TO COASTAL (ALONG THE TOPS OF CLIFFS) AND MOUNTAIN AREAS IN NORI-H KOHALA, INCLUDING PROVISION OF: 13 o A continuous coastal path from Pololu to Kawaihae Harbor, o Adequate mauka-makai access easements between the coastal path and Akoni Pule Highway, o Adequate mauka-makai access easements from Akoni Pule Highway and the Kohala Mountain Road into the Kohala mountains, and o A lateral mountain road (Wylie Blvd) from Pololu to Taga Pond. Strategies that need to be implemented to achieve this Goal include the following: • Strategy 2.1: Provide for substantive community input to the County Planning Department and the County Council in order to finalize and accept priority shoreline access easements. • Strategy 2.2: Assign responsibility and authority for the construction, management and maintenance of public access easements, paths, and roads that fall under the County's responsibility to a specific County Public Access Coordinator,together with adequate funding. • Strategy 2.3: Revise and improve Chapter 34 of the Hawaii County Code, dealing with "PUBLIC ACCESS," and Planning Department "Rule 21 -Relating to Public Access: Usage;" in specific ways recommended by the Access Focus Group and the North Kohala CDP Action Committee. • Strategy 2.4: Encourage increased cooperation and coordination among federal, state, and county agencies and departments regarding public access to coastal and mauka lands. Strategy 2.5: Encourage and increase cooperation and coordination between the community and private land owners regarding public access to coastal and mauka lands. • Strategy 2.6: Implement along-range plan for achieving adequate public access to both coastal areas and to the mountains, as part of the North Kohala Community Development Plan. AFFORDABLE HOUSING "Affordable Housing" is a state-wide, and even a national problem and issue. There are many signs that Hawaii is becoming a society of "haves and have nots." The number of homeless individuals and families in Hawaii appears to be at an all time high, and various studies and surveys have estimated that people who are "at risk" of becoming homeless - "three paychecks away from becoming homeless" -plus the "hidden homeless" -those who are living "doubled up and tripled up" with other families -total 25% to 30% of all people in Hawaii. The 2006 Hawaii "Housing Policy Study" numbers for "North Hawaii" (North Kohala and Hamakua Districts and a portion of South Kohala} were: • Total number of households: 9795 • At Risk for Homelessness: 2103 households (21.5%) • H:.dden Homeless: 490 households (5%) 14 The North Kohala Steering Committee focused on Affordable Housing as one of the most critical issues facing the community. This issue has become especially acute during the past few years, during which time average home prices and buildable lot prices in North Kohala have doubled. The "Growth Management" section of the North Kohala CDP contains a number of strategies that will help to preserve important cultural sites, open range lands, and farm lands in North Kohala, and that will moderate future growth and development. However, it should be recognized that growth management that results in limiting future residential development projects may also result in even higher housing prices. The overall need is thus for the design and implementation of a number of action- oriented programs that will directly address the need for affordable housing. Programs of this kind can be very challenging to organize and fund. Detailed data on the affordable housing needs of the North Kohala community are not available from State or County databases. The Affordable Housing Focus Group participants provided a qualitative assessment of the community's affordable housing needs as follows: • The greatest need is for affordable housing for young families and for young single adults. There is also a need for affordable housing for the elderly. • There is a need for both affordable rentals and affordable for-sale homes; • Affordable home prices would be in the range of $200,000 to $250,000. • The lack of affordable housing in Kohala has led to serious social and personal impacts: many homes are overcrowded, and many young people are being forced to leave Kohala to look for affordable housing in areas like Puna and Ka'u. • Affordable housing should be integrated into existing neighborhoods. • A strategy is needed that can make existing housing stock affordable. A recently conducted "Housing Survey" (see Appendix B of the NKCDP for a copy of the survey) that was conducted as part of the CDP process resulted in a total of 75 responses. In general, most of the respondents defined "affordable housing" for Kohala families as homes selling for "less than $150,000" (44%) or "$150,000 to $250,000" (18%). and noted that the group in most need of affordable housing was "our young families" and "our kupuna." Of the 75 survey responses, 23 people (30.7%) said that they were in need of affordable housing, and 33 people (44%) said that a person or family currently living with them was in need of affordable housing. Although we do not at this time have detailed numbers for total demand, the need for affordably priced housing in North Kohala can be approximately calculated by analyzing some basic numbers: 1. Estimated population of North Kohala District in 2008: +/- 7,000 people 2. If 10% of the population is in need of affordable housing, then 700 people need affordable housing. If 20%:1,400 people. If 30%: 2,100 people. Note again that 30.7% of the respondents to the survey said that they were in need of affordable housing. 3. If the average family or household size is 3 people, then there is a total of about 2,300 existing housing units in North Kohala, and a need for 230 (10%) to perhaps as many as 700 (30%) affordable units. 15 4. If we use a number for households "at risk of becoming homeless" and "hidden homeless," per the 2006 Housing Policy Study, of 26.5%, there would be a current need for about 600 affordable units in North Kohala. Several community members who are active in real estate sales compiled some statistics on the recent and current North Kohala housing market. These statistics are summarized as follows: • During the recent sharp increase in real estate values (2004-2006), prices of modest, existing single family homes in North Kohala nearly doubled. • In 2003, 12 homes sold for less than $250,000; 6 homes for $250-$300,000, and another 7 sold for $300-$360,000 -thus there were a total of 25 homes that sold for under $360,000. • These homes were typical]y plantation-era single wall, post and pier homes. • In 2004, however, not a single house sold in North Kohala for under $300,000. In 2006 only 8 homes sold for under $400,000 (the range was $265,000 to $395,000), and in 2007 only 5 homes sold for under $400,000 (the range was $283,000 to $390,000). • Thus, since 2003, not a single North Kohala home has sold for under $250,000. • In 2007, these small, plantation-era homes, with some remodeling, were on the mazket for $450,000 to $500,000. • In late 2007, the lowest priced buildable house lots in North Kohala were in the new "Hanaula Village" project, and were priced at $235,000 to $282,500. Other than these lots, there were only 3 lots in Hawi or Kapa`au priced at under $300,000. • Much of the "affordable" rental market appears to be met through the renting of un-permitted structures. • Affordable housing within the existing community fabric can be provided if a second home or apartment can be built on existing lots. Of course, prices in the "upscale" subdivisions like Maliu Ridge and Kohala Ranch are in the price range of $800,000 to $1,000,000+. Thus, if "affordable" for young families and young singles is in the $150,000 to $250,000 range, even fora "basic" house, and if a modest house in Kohala is selling for $450,000, there is an affordability gap of $200,000 to $300,000. GOAL: THE OVERALL GOAL OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM FOR NORTH KOHALA IS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS AND THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN Related Objectives are: I . To meet the Kohala community's needs for affordable for-sale and rental housing over a ten (10) year planning and program development period; 16 2. To develop a program that will make some of the existing housing stock affordable to young families and young single adults; 3. To integrate new affordable housing into the existing fabric of the community; 4. To develop a strong, community-based organization that can work towazds achieving these goals and objectives. The specific Strategies that implement these Goals and Objectives are presented later in the Affordable Housing chapter. In order to choose the most appropriate Strategies for this CDP, the Affordable Housing FG discussed the following tools and techniques that were presented by Townscape. Tools and Techniques for Affordable Housing: It should be noted that affordable housing is a national and international issue, and there have been many, many books written, plans published, programs developed, and projects implemented that address this issue. We do not intend to inventory all of this material here. Generally, some of the principal tools and techniques that have been or aze being used in Hawaii to develop affordable housing are: 1. REGULATORY TOOLS a. "Inclusionary Zoning" - Hawaii County Code Chapter 11 "HOUSING" requires 20% of total units for "rezoning" projects to be affordably priced. 2. PUBLIC SECTOR PROGRAMS a. Federal Tax Credit Program -tax credits are provided to developers of rental projects with rent prices affordable to individuals or families earning 60% or less of the area median income. b. Federal Public Housing Program -construction of housing units with federal funds; for low income families. c. Federal "Section 8" Rental Housing Vouchers -provides payments to owners of rental properties to supplement the modest rents that low income families can afford to pay. d. State Tax Credit Program -tax credits are provided to developers of rental projects with rent prices affordable to individuals or families earning 60% or less of the area median income. e. State Rental Housing Trust Fund -low interest loans are made available to developers of affordable rental projects. f. Hawaii Housing Finance Development Corporation (III-IFDC) -created in 2006, with a mission to partner with the private sector to develop affordable housing projects throughout the State of Hawaii. g. Department of Hawaiian Home Lands homestead program -provides affordable homes to native Hawaiians that have a "blood quantum" of at least 50%. 17 h. Hawaii County-sponsored affordable housing projects -the County's Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) from time to time plans, designs, and develops affordable housing projects. 3. PRNATE SECTOR PROGRAMS a. Non-profit housing development corporations - an example is the recently created (2006) "Hawaii Island Housing Trust," whose mission is to develop affordable housing for Hawaii County communities. b. "Self-Help" housing construction programs -the typical program requires families to contribute 500 person hours of "sweat equity" by helping to build their home. c. Housing Cooperatives ("Co-ops") -the typical structure is for renters in an apartment building or complex to organize, purchase the building or complex, and then manage and maintain the property, and set rents. d. Community Development Corporations -community-based non-profit organizations that can take action in a number of areas, including developing affordable housing and creating jobs. e. Community Land Trusts -community-based non-profit organizations that typically hold housing land "in trust" and thereby lower the cost of for sale and rental housing. 4. COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS -Community Land Trusts have been created in many areas of the United States to address critical affordable housing and other community issues. Some additional information on this kind of organization is provided in this section of the CDP. There are at present hundreds of land trusts, large and small, in the United States. Many of these organizations focus exclusively on affordable housing programs; others focus exclusively on land conservation. Other Hawaii County-based land trusts that were recently created include the Hawaii Island Housing Trust, which focuses on affordable housing, and the Hawaii Island Land Trust, which focuses on land conservation programs. A community land trust entity iswell-suited for the implementation of a program that focuses on making existing housing stock affordable to local families and young single adults. The program would work basically as follows: a. The Land Trust develops an "affordable housing revolving fund" from public and private sources. b. The Land Trust develops a list of Kohala families and individuals that need affordable housing. Note: "need" criteria will have to be developed. c. The Land Trust buys existing homes that are selling at market prices - cun-entlycbout $400,000 to $450,000. d. The Land Trust sells each house to an eligible family or eligible single person (or group of singles) but retains title to the land. Thus, for example, if the value of the house lot is $200,000, the sales price of the house alone might be $200,000 to $250,000. The Land Trust leases the house lot to the buyer for a nominal amount -perhaps $100 a year. 18 e. The sales contract includes restrictions that will ensure that the house will be "affordable in perpetuity." Restrictions will thus include limiting appreciation of the price of the house to the federal consumer price index (CPI) Or similar index, and a requirement that any future sale of the house be to the Land Trust and not on the open market. There are other important program details and options that will have to be worked out, including an amendment to the County real property tax rules such that lands held by a Community Land Trust are exempt from or given a very low rate for real property taxes. However, the basics of the program are as outlined above. Other actions by a North Kohala Community Land Trust could include: f. Raise funds -say $50,000 to $100,000 - to sponsor an architectural competition for the design of innovative affordable homes that would be specific to Kohala's history, culture, climate, and economy. g. Purchase available building lots and partner with the Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation (HICDC) to implement a number of "self-help" housing projects. HICDC is a Hawaii County based nonprofit that specializes in self-help housing. 5. AMENDING COUNTY CODES - In addition to these tools, there is considerable interest in North Kohala - as well as in many other areas of Hawaii County, in the possibility of amending County subdivision code and the building code such that innovative and appropriate forms of housing and residential/agricultural neighborhoods can be constructed at a relatively low cost. These ideas will be further discussed later in the Affordable Housing chapter. For the North Kohala community and its affordable housing needs, the most useful Strategies identified include the following: • Strategy 3.1: `Ghana Housing Units and Additional Farm Dwellings • Strategy 3.2: Self-Help Housing • Strategy 3.3: Non-profit housing development corporation or similar entity • Strategy 3.4: Pre-emptions of certain County regulations to provide for more affordable housing and/or changes to County codes to facilitate affordable rural housing INFRASTRUCTURE & PUBLIC FACILITIES Much of Kohala's major infrastructure and public facilities was constructed decades ago, including the roads, water system, electric power lines, and healthcare facilities. The community feels that it is time for these aging infrastructure systems to be revamped, repaired, or replaced. These include repairing the Hisaoka Gym (damaged during the 2006 earthquake) and improving communications, such as radio and cell phone service, which are important for educational opportunities as well as timely emergency response. The community says there is a need for overall improved emergency preparedness. Due to Kohala's geographic isolation, it is vulnerable to system failures or outages, including those caused by natural disasters, since it takes so long for outside help to arrive. The fact 19 that there is only one main road through Kohala is indicative of most of the major infrastructure there, including electricity and water. The community would like to improve reliability of these systems by creating back-up, redundancy, repair and replacement. They would also like to learn how to better handle emergency situations themselves, through training such as CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), to improve their ability to communicate critical information to the community during emergency situations, and improve the responsiveness and capabilities of emergency service providers. Lastly, community members have discussed the need for Rural Infrastructure Standards. Such standazds would help maintain Kohala's rural chazacter. They would also aid in keeping costs down for affordable housing projects. Thus, the overall goal for the Infrastructure in Kohala can be summarized as follows: GOAL: REVAMP, REPAIR, AND/OR REPLACE AGING OR DAMAGED INFRASTRUCTURE; IMPROVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS; PRIORITIZE AND IMPLEMENT FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES; AND DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE STANDARDS Strategies that need to be implemented to achieve this Goa] include the following • Strategy 4.1: Repair and Relocate the Solid Waste Transfer Station • Strategy 4.2: Improve Parks (restrooms, gym & public boat ramp) • Strategy 4.3: Improve Communication Systems (radio, cell, Internet) • Strategy 4.4: Improve Emergency Prepazedness and Response • Strategy 4.5: Upgrade Potable Water System • Strategy 4.6: Improve Existing Roadway Systems and Create Emergency Bypass Roads • Strategy 4.7: Improve Reliability of Electrical Service in North Kohala • Strategy 4.8: Develop and Implement Rural Infrastructure Standards • Strategy 4.9: Increase Community Awareness of Healthcare Services in Kohala • Strategy 4.10 : Improve Fire Department Facilities, Equipment and Services • Strategy 4.11 : Improve Police Department Facilities, Equipment and Services • Strategy 4.12 : Long Term Strategies 0 4.12a: Support repair and maintenance of existing agricultural water transmission and distribution systems to meet agricultural needs 0 4.12b: Support adequate, affordable, and visually appealing infrastructure for affordable housing 0 4.12c: Support enhancement of Educational Facilities and Programs for the Di strict 20 • CDP IMPLEMENTATION Throughout the process of developing this and other Community Development Plans, there has been much discussion by both the communities and the County about the need for follow-up to ensure implementation of these plans. Two of the necessary components that have emerged are: (1) guidelines for financing the CDP projects and programs, and (2) the creation of an entity to coordinate implementation. Chapter 5 of the NKCDP includes a section called "Financing Guidelines," which lists possible funding sources and summarizes the funding needs from the North Kohala CDP, and a section entitled "Action Committee." "CDP Action Committee" is the proposed name of the community based entity that will continue the work begun by the Steering Committee, and work with the County to oversee implementation of the CDP. This section includes the North Kohala community's recommendations for the organizational structure, membership, and duties of the CDP Action Committee. However, a County ordinance is currently being considered, which if approved, will codify the majority of these aspects. Lastly, there is an Implementation Matrix, which provides a list of the actions to be taken in order to implement the North Kohala CDP. FINANCING GUIDELINES The following list includes possible funding sources for County projects. It is important to note that there are some projects supported by this CDP that are not eligible for County funding, such as the construction of new cell phone towers in the area. Those projects will have to be funded by private sources. a. General fund current revenues b. General obligation bonds c. Revenue bonds d. Land-secured financing (improvement districts, community facilities districts) e. Business improvement districts (services and facilities) f. Development fees (e.g., DWS facilities charges) g. User fees h. Impact fees (examine the potential uses of this source if an impact fee ordinance has not been adopted) i. Tax-increment financing, and/or other means to earmark portions of property tax revenues generated from the planning area for specific improvements or services; j. Grants'and donations k. Reimbursement programs (formal mechanisms to reimburse initial developers or public agencies for upfront funding). 21 ACTION COMMITTEE The purpose of establishing the North Kohala CDP Action Committee is to create a body that will supersede the NK CDP Steering Committee upon adoption of the NK Community Development Plan by the County Council. Administered by the Planning Department, the CDP Action Committee is to be apro-active, community-based stewazd of the plan's implementation and update. The structure, membership, and duties will be determined by a County ordinance. A draft of that ordinance is included in Appendix D. Section 5.2 of the NKCDP goes into further detail regarding how the committee should be formed and some of its functions. IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX The Implementation Matrix provides a list of what actions need to be taken to implement the North Kohala CDP, along with who should do the implementing, and approximately how much it will cost. For a full description and related tables, please refer to section 5.3 of the NKCDP. MONITORING PLAN Chapter 6 of the NKCDP is intended to provide the basis for monitoring the effectiveness and progress of the implementation of this CDP. The NK CDP Action Committee may wish to revise and/or add to this Monitoring Plan as they get established and begin implementation. The monitoring is based on "indicators," which are divided into five sections: one for general trends, and one for each of the four over-arching goals of the CDP. These indicators should serve as an annual information resource to provide a snapshot of current community conditions and trends based on selected quantitative data gathered from a variety of sources. The indicators were selected based on the following factors • They are relevant. They tell us something basic and fundamental relating to the long term cultural, environmental, economic or social health of the community. • They reflect community values. The crucial role of an indicator is to reflect the values that resonate with the citizens of Kohala. • They are statistically measurable. Data exist or can be developed that is relevant to the geographic area. • They are reliable. One must be able to trust what the indicator shows and preferably indicators can be measured over time so that compazable data is available and can be tracked. The report card should be published annually based on the following general rankings: + Good trend or progress ~ No change or holding steady -Bad trend or no action 22 (\ COUNTY OF HAWAII PLANNING DEPARTMENT NORTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN (NKCDP) AMENDED BACKGROUND REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION INITIATOR: PLANNING DIRECTOR BACKGROUND RECOMMENDATION On June 12, 2008 the North Kohala Community Development Plans (CDP) Steering Community voted unanimously to send the Prefinal Draft of the North Kohala CDP to the Hawaii County Planning Commission with a positive recommendation for approval. At the July 9, 2008 meeting of the North Kohala Steering Committee (NKSC), several NKSC members noted that corrections were needed in the June 18, 2008 Prefinal CDP document. These corrections contained in the attached Errata Sheet are needed because the Prefinal CDP text in several places did not accurately reflect the decisions made by the NKSC. The Planning Commission should review and incorporate the corrections to the North Kohala CDP that have been submitted by the NKSC. These changes are not considered substantive because the corrections are recommended by the NKSC. The Planning Director recommends that the Planning Commission send a favorable recommendation to the Hawaii County Council for adoption by ordinance for the North Kohala Community Development Plan (including corrections submitted by the NKSC). North Kohala Community Development Plan PREFINAL dated June 18, 2008 ERRATA SHEET Date: July 10, 2008 By: Townscape, Inc. At the July 9, 2008 meeting of the North Kohala Steering Committee (NKSC), several NKSC members noted that corrections were needed in the June 18, 2008 Prefinal CDP document. These corrections are not considered by the NKSC to be substantive changes. These corrections are needed because the Prefinal CDP text in several places did not accurately reflect the decisions made by the NKSC. The corrections are shown with "double strike-through" for deletions and "highlighted" for additions. Page 20 - "Key planning implications" • Agricultural lands -The majority of the land in Kohala is zoned for agriculture is suitable for such use, and should be utilized as such. T"~~ .~°°-~° *"~* .This means that agricultural land should not be upzoned unless the proposed upzoning substantially conforms with the Goals and Policies of the North Kohala CDP. • Page 20 -last paragraph, next to last line: "The community would like to have increased reliability for these systems. Page 84 -Action Steps ~ WHAT needs to be done - o Identify alternative corridors for ' 'all options to provide redundant electrical power for North Kohala.