COM 0409.000 2012-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Honorable J Yoshimoto, Chairman and Members of the County Council Page 6 million. Construction would commence upon completion of permitting and design and is estimated to be completed as soon as 2015. According to the Zoning Code, the purpose of the Village Commercial district is to provide a broad range or variety of commercial and light industrial uses that are necessary to serve the population in rural areas where the supplementary support of the general business uses and activities of a central commercial district is not readily available. The subject property is located in Pahoa town, which is the largest town in the area providing goods and services to the population in rural areas of lower Puna. The Change of Zone Application from an Agricultural (A-la) to Village Commercial(CV-10) zoned district will conform to the following goals,policies and standards of the General Plan. The General Plan is intended to be used as a policy guide for the coordinated growth and development of all sectors of the County. It sets forth goals, policies, standards and courses of action to accommodate growth without congestion, to designate and preserve the lands needed for residential use, commercial and visitor services, industry, agriculture and open space, and to coordinate these uses with the County's service and circulation systems. The overall goals, policies and standards are set forth to physically plan the lands in the County in the best interest of the island's residents. These state the following: LAND USE—GENERAL • Zoning requests shall be reviewed with respect to General Plan designation, district goals,regional plans, State Land Use District, compatibility with adjacent zoned uses, availability of public services and utilities, access, and public need. LAND USE—COMMERCIAL- PUNA DISTRICT • Centralization of commercial activities in Pahoa Town, rather than along the Pahoa By-Pass, to serve the residents of Lower Puna shall be encouraged. According to 2010 U.S. Census data, after the South Hilo District 50,927 residents, the Puna District contains the second highest population in the County with 45,326 residents. Additionally the population of the district has experienced significant growth over the last 30 years (76.8% from 1980-1990, 50.8% from 1990-2000, 44.8% from 2000-2010) and will continue to rapidly grow due to the affordability of property in Puna. Comparatively, the population of the South Hilo district increased only 7.5% from 2000 to 2010 and is projected to be lower than the population of the Puna district by 2015. However,job growth and the provision of goods and services such as grocery stores and medical clinics have not kept pace with the population growth. Clearly there is