COM 0689.000 2016-2018 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Population Growth and Land Resources Priority Guidelines • Priority guidelines for regional growth distribution and land resource utilization: • Encourage urban growth primarily to existing urban areas where adequate public facilities are already available or can be provided with reasonable public expenditures, and away from areas where other important benefits are present, such as protection of important agricultural land or preservation of lifestyles. • Make available marginal or nonessential agricultural lands for appropriate urban uses while maintaining agricultural lands of importance in the agricultural district. • Utilize Hawaii's limited land resources wisely,providing adequate land to accommodate projected population and economic growth needs while ensuring the protection of the environment and the availability of the shoreline, conservation lands, and other limited resources for future generations. 5) Zoning: The zoning designation for the subject property is Multi-Family Residential 1,500 SF/Unit(RM-1.5). 6) Community Development Plan: The Hilo Community Development Plan(CDP) was adopted on May 21, 1975 and has not been updated since that time. The subject property is situated in Planning Area 10 of the Hilo CDP which is labeled "University"and is 1,060 acres in size. The land use designation of the project area in the Hilo CDP is Agricultural one acre(A-1a), which reflected the existing zoning at the time of the plan adoption. The Hilo CDP included the nine considerations in determining future agricultural boundaries as follows: • Areas of high agricultural suitability • Areas of existing agricultural use • Location of the state agricultural district • Location of the agricultural homesteads on Hawaiian Home lands • Providing opportunity for both small scale and large scale agricultural operations • Areas of low urban suitability • Areas which has open space value as well as agricultural suitability • Application of agricultural zoning as a holding zone for possible future urban expansion of areas which are not in agricultural use, do not have high agricultural suitability and which are not yet required for urban uses. • Use of agricultural zones for"large lot development"e.g., one acre, single family residential. Given the fact that the Project area is considered an area of low agricultural suitability, it appears that the final two considerations were the determining factors in keeping the Agricultural one-acre zoning designation for the project area when the Hilo CDP was adopted in 1975. The urban uses which have been established in the surrounding area over the past 42 years indicate that urban expansion of the project area is now appropriate. It should be noted that at the time that the Hilo CDP was 6