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Purpose and Need <br /> The purpose of the petition for a boundary amendment is to bring the property in <br /> alignment with the existing adjacent properties. The property West of the proposed <br /> development is zoned State Land Use — Urban and the property North of the proposed <br /> development is also zoned State Land Use — Urban (exhibit A). The property East of the <br /> proposed development is zoned State Land Use — Agriculture and will he separated by a <br /> County of Hawaii dedicated road. The proposed boundary amendment would then allow <br /> the proposed development to meet the established guidelines under the Urban zoning, <br /> thus allowing the Office ofHousing and Community Development (OHCD) to meet the <br /> needs of the community. <br /> It would appear that the current zoning classification of Agriculture does not completely <br /> align with studies conducted of the area and surrounding area. The Detailed Land <br /> Classification — Island O prepared by the University of Hawaii Land Study <br /> Bureau (LSB), evaluates the quality or productive capacity of certain lands on the Island <br /> for selected crops and overall suitability in agricultural use. A five -class productivity <br /> rating system was established with "A" representing the highest productivity and "E" the <br /> lowest. According to the study, the project site consists mostly of bare pahoehoe lava <br /> flows with no soil cover. The site is classified as "L ", or very poorly suited for <br /> agricultural productivity. <br /> The Agricultural Lands of Importance in the State of Hawaiai (ALISH), prepared by the <br /> State Department of Agriculture, classifies lands into three categories: 1) Prime <br /> Agricultural Land, 2) Unique Agricultural Land, and 3) Other Important Agricultural <br /> Land. The project site is not classified as Important Agricultural Land in any category <br /> under the ALISH system. <br /> The OHCD is an agency operating under the direct supervision of the Mayor and is <br /> responsible for the planning, administration and monitoring of assigned federal grants <br /> (e.g.. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)) and other programs. <br /> The OHCD also manages assigned leases and lands. The goal of the OHCD is to provide <br /> .for the development of viable communities in Hawaii County by providing decent <br /> housing, suitable living environments and the expansion of economic opportunities. <br /> The KHP will provide transitional and serviced- enriched, affordable housing inventory in <br /> West Hawaii. A comprehensive housing program for homeless families has been a major <br /> County challenge for over 20 years. The County has worked with the community to <br /> implement programs that address the needs of the housing continuum — including The <br /> Friendly Place in the Old Industrial Area of Kailua - Kona (donated by Stanford Carr <br /> Development), which provides essential daytime services to the homeless population. A <br /> 30 -bed overnight shelter funded by the County, State and the U.S Department of Housing <br /> and Urban Development (currently in the environmental review stage) will address <br /> emergency housing needs of homeless individuals. While the County is utilizing 540 <br /> million of its limited resources to provide permanent affordable housing (rental and for - <br /> sale) in Waikoloa, the KHP remains the critically- needed missing piece of this housing <br /> continuum. Partnering with the business community, organizations and community <br /> • <br />