COM 0939.000 2012-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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J Yoshimoto, Council Chair and Members of the County Council Page 8 The County Planning Depar truent favors the development of a commercial area within the area fronting these subdivisions to serve this rapidly increasing population. This will give people an opportunity to shop closer to their homes, and provide a location for service-oriented businesses, like offices for doctors, tax preparers, hairdressers, and the whole host of commercial needs generated by a large residential population. The closest town with commercial areas is Na`alehu, about 12 miles away by road. A number of commercial enterprises have been approved near Highway 11, on both sides of the highway. To date, all of these have been approved by Special Permit within the State Land Use Agricultural District except for one Change of Zone(MCX-3a) that is located at the intersection of Hawai`i Boulevard and the highway in close proximity to the subject application. All of the land in the area is within the State Land Use Agricultural District except for the above mentioned rezoned property, which is in the State Land Use Urban District. It is not the correct use of the State Land Use Law to use Special Permits to gradually establish a town center, permit by permit. The Special Permit is a procedure meant to handle unusual situations that arise in the Agricultural District. It creates some flexibility in the Agricultural District, which is otherwise subject to rather limited uses under the state law. But urban areas, like a commercial center, should be situated within the State Land Use Urban District and be properly zoned by the county. The 2005 General Plan established an urban center in this area, centered around the existing Special Permit areas, and put it on the LUPAG map. This change of zone is consistent with the General Plan amendments. In the past, the trend in the area of the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates and Hawaiian Ranchos Subdivisions has been to issue Special Permits for urban types uses in appropriate locations. These established uses include,but are not limited to, a general store, gas station, post office, hardware store,restaurants, and other types of commercial and industrial uses on both sides of the Hawai`i Belt Road (Highway 11) within these two subdivisions. Additionally, there have been several Special Permits approved in the vicinity of the proposed request. These include Special Permit No. 1115, which allowed the establishment of a 18,900-square foot market, a two-story 5,760-square foot building for commercial office and retail space to include prospective tenants such as a real estate office, financial institution, restaurant, video rental, personal services, tourist shop and other use, and a gas station. This proposed development is located on the corner of Lotus Blossom Lane and Hawai`i Belt Road in Hawaiian Ocean View Estates, approximately 400 feet east of the subject property. Special Permit No. 637 was approved to allow the