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1. INTRODUCTION Kona Aerials Gymnastic Team Inc., a Hawaii Nonprofit Corporation ("applicant") is respectfully requesting a Special Permit for the operation of a youth gymnastic and sports fitness facility on a 2.3-acre portion of TMK (3) 7-5-017:044, owned by Daniel B. Bolton and Janet T. Bolton. The subject property is located off Hualalai Road, approximately 700 ft east from its intersection with Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway (Figure 1). The subject parcel consists of 23.738 acres of land zoned Agricultural 1-acre (A-1 a) that has been largely cleared. Kona Aerials Gymnastics Inc. is a non-profit organization that has served West Hawaii athletes since 1989 and is the only gymnastics training facility in Kailua-Kona. Their programs offer youth with the opportunity to investigate, experiment, and grow through participation in an array of activities designed to advance physical and emotional skills. The gymnastics and sports fitness programs offered emphasize building time-management skills, leadership skills, self-confidence, teamwork, and physical coordination. With about 1,500 participants a year from ages 2 and above, Kona Aerials hosts approximately 200 participants in 20 different classes per month with class sizes that are consistently growing. Participants build community awareness through participation in community parades, events, and demonstrations. Their competitive teams have competed nationally, and the proposed use would provide a space for athletes to train for national-level teams and seek college scholarship opportunities. In addition to youth classes, senior fitness and adult gymnastics classes are offered to promote a consistent, active lifestyle for all ages. Recently, Kona Aerials has partnered with Nakuwauna Foundation, also a Hawaii Nonprofit Corporation to expand the offerings at the site to include adult fitness, strength, and conditioning facilities. Nakuwauna Foundation is proposing to share the existing structure with Kona Aerials with a partition to separate the two uses. According to Hawaii County Zoning Code the use would be classified as an "amusement and recreation facility, indoor." This use is not permitted in agricultural districts, however HCC Section 25-5-72 (c) (16) allows for uses which meet the criteria for a Special Permit under Chapter 205, Hawai'i Revised Statutes. Evaluation of the proposed project with respect to HRS Chapter 205, is included in Section III of this report. Approval of this request would be in line with the demand and need for accessible recreational 3