COM 0047.000 2010-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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i It is quite obvious that to permit a telecommunication tower as a permitted use on Open - i zoned land without the benefit of public or agency review does, at face value, run contrary to the i purpose of designating lands within the Open -zoned district. There is no better way to I emphasize this point than to describe a recent proposal to place a telecommunication tower upon the flanks of Hala`i Hill in the City of Hilo, a location that is designated Open by the Zoning Code and which permits a telecommunication tower on this hill as an outright permitted use. Hala`i Hill is a landmark that is part of a complex of three cinder and spatter cones prominent in Hawaiian mythology through its association with the legend of the demigod Maui and his sisters, Hinakeahi and Hinaikawai. Hala'i Hill is also identified as a site of natural beauty in the General Plan. There is concern that the placement of the proposed telecommunication tower upon Hala`i Hill will desecrate the significance of this hill in Hawaiian folklore and its designation as a site of natural beauty. The proposed bill will provide a mechanism to allow for a more thorough review of any future proposal to establish a telecommunication antenna or tower upon lands designated Open by the County. RECOMMENDATION For the reasons stated above, the Planning Director recommends that the Planning Commission forward a favorable recommendation of the accompanying bill to the County Council to amend Chapter 25, Article 2, Article 4 and Article 5 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended), relating to Use Permit and Telecommunication Antenna and Tower. -2-