2007-04-05 THICDC - Laserfiche WebLink

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CHEN: My name is Chengwu Chen. I live in Pepeekeo. Well, in light of large interest pro and con, I’d like to suggest we move to another date because this is too rush, too much in a hurry and, you know, short-circuit, cutting corners. I think that’s not fair for both sides. GRAHAM: Okay, thank you for your comment. We’ll go ahead then. Jeff, if you want to give us the Department’s presentation, we’ll just ask you any brief questions we have about what you say. DARROW: Sure. Thank you, Commissioner Graham. If I can direct the Commission’s attention to the location map. The area of this application is within the South Hilo district of Hawaii More specifically we’re looking at the Pepeekeo area identified mainly in yellow, which is the zoning, Single-Family Residential zoning. This white line running in a north-south direction is identified as the Hawaii Belt Road. The areas of these applications are identified with red dots. There are going to be two separate areas. Both of them are identified with dark green coloring which identifies the zoning as Agricultural 20 acres. The applicants in this case, Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation, as well as Hawaiian Rainbows Business Development, LLC are requesting a State Land Use Boundary Amendment for 6.718 acres from Agricultural to Urban zoning, as well as a Change of Zone for approximately 140 acres from Agricultural 20 to Single Family Residential 7,500 square feet for 6.71 acres, Agricultural 20 to Agricultural 10 acres for 118.36 acres, as well as Agricultural 20 acres to Agricultural 5 acres for 7.96 and 6.710 acres. The Hawaiian Rainbows Business Development, LLC has entered into an agreement to donate land to the Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation to develop a 30-lot affordable housing subdivision. The layout is identified in this particular area. Just to back up a little bit, access to these particular areas will be from the Hawaii Belt Road on to Sugar Mill Road; and then for the first portion of the project it will be on Old Mamalahoa Highway; and then to get to the remainder of the project it will be down the continuation of Sugar Mill Road. The lots within the 7,500-square foot area will be utilized for a self-help housing project, targeting families meeting affordable housing income guidelines established by the County. The applicants intend to address the existing demand for affordable housing units in the County as well as in the project area.Hawaiian Island Community Development Group has an existing waiting list of approximately 140 families interested in a self-help housing project in East Hawaii. At the same time, Hawaiian Rainbows Business Development wishes to meet the demand for smaller agricultural lots in this part of South Hilo. Since this application has been distributed to the Planning Commission, we have received numerous letters of support as well as letters of opposition on this particular project. Additionally, we have received several late comment letters. One of them is dated March 21, 2007 from the Department of Transportation and, additionally, we have received two comment letters from the Department of Water Supply, one dated March 30, 2007 as well as April 4, 2007. th The April 4 letter also has an attachment of an additional comment letter from Water Supply to Mr. Steven R. Meek dated February 15, 2007. A condition to bring to your attention is Condition M. This is to address affordable housing. If I can read that to you, “To ensure that the goals and policies of the Housing Element of the EXHIBIT D 3