COM 0257.000 2010-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Honorable Dominic Yagong, Chairman and Members of the County Council Page 4 termed "Important Agricultural Land" in the General Plan. The predominant zoning of agricultural lands along the Hamakua coast, extending to Waimea, is A -40a. There will be considerable interest by landowners to rezone and reduce the minimum lot sizes because the biggest value is the ability to build a home. The per -acre price is therefore higher if the property can be sold in smaller lots. This desire to create smaller lots must be handled very carefully because of the possible carving up of the land into uneconomical units, and the increasing per -acre price. The General Plan contains a policy for the protection of lands classified as Important Agricultural Lands in Section 14.2.3(s): "Important agricultural lands shall not be rezoned to parcel sizes too small to support economically viable farming units." This policy applies to roughly the lower one -third of this property, where the applicant is proposing to create one new lot after the rezoning. Five acres is the minimum at which a range of crops can be grown on a commercial scale, and is sub - optimal for many crops. While the rezoning application does not violate this policy, it is at the minimum that could be consistent with the policy. A number of factors tip the balance for this favorable recommendation. The applicant wants to subdivide the property for her and her family. The area has not historically been cultivated in crops, unlike the former cane lands and the vegetable growing areas of Waimea. Additionally, the property can be supplied with water and road access without significant infrastructure costs, which will be covered by the sale of one of the lots created. It is a limited rezoning that does not greatly change the overall land use pattern of the area as there are similar zoned areas to the east and south of the property. The Change of Zone request from Agricultural 40-acre (A -40a) to Agricultural 5 -acre (A -5a) is consistent with the applicable goals, policies and standards of the South Kohala Community Development Plan. The South Kohala Community Development Plan (SKCDP) was adopted by Ordinance No. 08 159 on December 1, 2008. The project site is identified within an area identified in the plan for the "Small Farms and Ranches Preservation Program" in the SKCDP (Figure 4.4 - Waimea Town Conceptual Plan). There are five (5) overall Policies for Land Use in Waimea Town. These policies are to be used as a long range plan (20+ years) for the future of Waimea. The key element of the Waimea Town Plan is the "Responsible Growth" policy intended to preserve Waimea's sense of place.