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ordinances, which are adopted by the County Council, are also law. In addition, rather <br /> than hiring an attorney to seek legal advice regarding his responsibility to maintain his <br /> property, the landowner tried to shift the responsibility to seek legal counsel to his <br /> neighbors and the Department of Public Works. Therefore, the Planning Director is not <br /> confident that the conditions placed in Ordinance No. 14-056 and 10-109 to reduce <br /> impacts to the neighboring RS-zoned community would be fulfilled by the current <br /> landowner. <br /> The landowner did not make a serious effort to resolve violation of Chapter 20, <br /> Article 2, HCC until the Planning Department informed him the Director may initiate <br /> procedures to downzone the property. "Downzoning" or decreasing the residential <br /> density and use of a property by changing the zoning typically decreases the value of the <br /> property, whereas "upzoning" increases the property value. The property has been <br /> "upzoned"by the current landowner twice, from RS-7.5 to RM-2.5 and from RM-2.5 to <br /> RM-1.5. While the landowner may have intended on developing multiple-family housing <br /> units on the property in the past, it is clear since the property is for sale, that he no longer <br /> intends to develop the property. To date the landowner has not once disclosed to the <br /> Planning Department that the property is listed for sale. <br /> One of the criteria for granting a change of zone is that the zoning is consistent <br /> with the goals, policies and standards of the General Plan and the zoning would promote <br /> the general welfare of the community. The Land Use section of the General Plan <br /> recommends that controls be established to discourage speculative land development. <br /> Specifically, Policy 14.5.3(e) of the Land Use, Multiple-Family Residential section <br /> states, "To assure the use of multiple family residential zoned areas and to curb <br /> speculation and resale of undeveloped lots only, the County may impose incremental and <br /> conditional zoning, which shall be based on performance requirements" and Policy 14- <br /> 5.3(g) states, "Support the rezoning of those multiple residentially zoned lands that are <br /> used for other purpose to a more appropriate zoning designation". Also, the Housing <br /> section(Policy 9.3(f)) of the General Plan states, "Continue to study and implement <br /> appropriate measures to curb property speculative practices that result in increased <br /> housing costs." <br /> 5 <br />