PD BACKGROUND REPORT (PL-SPP-2022-000012)

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F. STATEMENT OF REASONS IN SUPPORT OF GRANTING SPECIAL PERMIT 1. Such use shall not be contrary to the objectives sought to be accomplished by the Land Use Law and Regulations The request is considered an unusual and reasonable use of agricultural lands. The requested use will not adversely affect the preservation and agricultural use of the County's prime agricultural land and therefore, is not contrary to the objectives sought to be accomplished by the State Land Use Law and regulations. While the General Plan identifies the Project Site as Important Agricultural Lands and its ALISH classification is Other Important Agricultural Lands, the Papai series soils within the Project Site are mostly found covered in woodland, with some small areas used for pasture, orchards, and truck crops. The Natural Resources Conservation Service classifies it as a Class Vlls soil, meaning it has very severe limitations for use for cultivation, and is therefore only useful as pastureland, wildlife or woodland. Finally, the Land Study Bureau finds that the agricultural potential of these soils is Very Poor. Therefore, to commit the Project Site to quarry and stockpile activities is an unusual and reasonable use of very marginal agricultural lands that will not compromise the island's inventory of valuable agricultural lands. 2. The desired use shall not adversely affect surrounding properties The 37.882-acre Project Site is a portion of an approximately 2,407-acre State-owned parcel that remains largely vacant and in forest, with uses in the immediate vicinity consisting of the Applicant's existing quarry and other abandoned quarries, a landfill and transfer station, greenwaste composting area, a skeet range, a dragstrip, and the County's Mass Transit baseyard. This particular area of Waiakea have been largely used for a myriad of industrial-type of activities with the Project Site well-suited to these neighboring, potentially very noisy activities. The closest dwellings are located within the Panaewa Farm Lots about half a mile to the west of the proposed quarry site, further away than the Applicant's existing and adjacent quarry. Typical impacts associated with quarry and stockpile operations include dust and noise. However, these impacts can be properly mitigated by complying with Department of Health requirements as well as limited quarry-related operations to the hours between 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., daily. All quarry-related traffic between the Project Site and the Applicant's baseyard facility will be limited to Hoolaulima Road, which is the same road the services all of the surrounding County-operated facilities, such as the landfill and transfer stations, Mass Transit baseyard, skeet range and dragstrip. While the Hilo International Airport is located about a mile to the north of the Project Site, there are no known operational conflicts anticipated between airport operations and that of the proposed quarry. Due to the nature of the proposed quarry operations as an extension of an existing and adjacent quarry, there does not appear to be any situation that would be cause for concern upon airport operations, such as creating a wildlife attractant, visual glare due to standing water or any aerial obstructions. 13 Page