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REPORT OF THE <br />COMMITTEE ON PLANNING <br />DATE: March 10, 2020 Re: Comm. No. 764/Bill No. 141 <br />PLACE: Council Chambers <br />Hilo, Hawaii <br />TIME: 11:01 a.m. <br />Council Chair and Members <br />Hawaii County Council <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Bill No. 141, reports as follows: <br />Bill No. 141, transmitted by Mayor Harry Kim via Communication No. 764, dated <br />January 29, 2020 (REZ 19-000239), amends Section 25-8-7 (North and South Kohala District <br />Zone Map), Article 8, Chapter 25 (Zoning) of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as <br />amended), by changing the district classification from single family residential —15,000 square <br />feet (RS -15) to residential and agricultural — five acres (RA -5a) at Kahua 1st, North Kohala, <br />Hawaii, covered by TMK 5-9-001:008. <br />The Leeward Planning Commission, at its duly noticed meeting on January 16, 2020, voted to <br />forward a favorable recommendation to the Council for the change of zone, which would allow <br />the applicant to subdivide the property into six lots to develop a residential subdivision. The <br />property is located three miles north of Kawaihae Harbor on the makai side of Akoni Pule <br />Highway. <br />Appearing before Your Committee was Land Use Consultant Gregory Mooers, representing <br />Dr. Nathan Myhrvold and his wife, owners of Kohala Shoreline, LLC, as well as archaeologist <br />Dr. Robert "Bob" Rechtman of ASM Hawaii. Planning Director Michael Yee and Planning <br />Program Manager Jeff Darrow were also present in the Hilo Chambers. <br />Mr. Mooers introduced himself and outlined the history of the project as well as the rationale <br />behind the current owner's decision to rezone the property back to RA -5a. He presented a map <br />showing the property, explaining that development of the land according to the RS -15 zoning <br />would have been more destructive and that the new zoning would preserve more of the land's <br />cultural and natural resources. He also began to explain how the current owner had worked with <br />the community to address concerns from a previous environmental assessment. <br />Mr. Mooers stated how the new zoning and setbacks would preserve as much of the natural <br />resources and historic sites as possible and acknowledged the owner's support of the conditions <br />of approval proposed by the Planning Department. <br />PC Report No.: 47 <br />