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C. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING OF THE PROPERTY AND SURROUNDING Physical Characteristics Environmental Setting: 9. Description of subject property, location, climate, topography, slope, soils (including size, shape, existing structures). Description: The property is 2.74 acres in size and is irregular in shape. This property was part of a larger property rezoned in 2007 from A-3a to FA-2a to create 2 lots. The southern boundary of the property borders Akala Road. There is an existing 3-bedroom dwelling constructed in 2011 located on the western end of the property surrounded by lawn and some garden areas. The remainder of the property is overgrown with Wainaku, Hilo and California grass and used for cow grazing. Location: 50 Akala Road, Hilo, HI 96720; TMK: 2-5-040:042. More specifically, it is fronted by Akala Road on the south side, starting at approximately 300 feet north of Kaumana Drive. Both Kaumana Drive and Akala Road are County roads with Akala Road intersecting Kaumana Drive just west of the 4-mile marker and .1 mile below Kaumana Caves. Climate: The annual rainfall in this area is approximately 80-100 inches. The wetter months tend to occur between December through April. The mean annual temperature is about seventy (70) degrees Fahrenheit to the lower 80's. Because the site is situated on the windward side of the island, winds tend to be trade and variable. Slight northeasterly winds occur during the day, while westerly or mountain winds are prevalent during the evenings. Topography & soils: The topography of the site slopes slightly in a mauka (west) to makai(east) direction. The USDA Soil Survey Report identifies soil on this site as "Hilo Series (HoC). This type of soil is characterized as being well-drained, silty clay loam. The surface layer is dark-brown silty clay loam about 12 inches thick. The subsoil is about 48 inches thick and consists of dark-brown, dark-reddish brown silty clay loam. Permeability is rapid, runoff is slow, and the erosion hazard is slight. The Land Study Bureau Overall Master Productivity Rating for the subject area is essentially Class "N & C". Part of the site is classified "C" which means "fair productivity potential"; the remaining portion of the site is classified as "not classified". It is of the Hilo/Wailea soil series, with deep soil. The soil texture is moderately fine, the color is dark brown, and the parent material is volcanic ash. It is well drained but moist and is moderately suited for machine tillability. The State of Hawaii's Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii (ALISH) maps classify this site as being "Important Agricultural Use". Under this system, the subject site is classified as "Prime" due to its prior sugar cane use. Slope: The parcel is located on the eastern slope of Mauna Kea, approximately four miles from the ocean. The parcel is gently sloping in the west to east direction. The elevation is approximately 900 feet above sea level. 10.Lava Hazard Zone The United States Geological Survey (USGS) classifies 4