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Chapter 4: Waimea Town Plan
<br /> Strategy 1.2 Acquire Critical Open Space Areas—Some of the pu'u lands may need to be acquired
<br /> — either by the County through the recently formed Open Space Commission or by a non-profit
<br /> entity like the Hawai'i Island Land Trust. Some of the visually important small farm and small ranch
<br /> lots in East Waimea may also be priorities for acquisition in order to ensure their continued use for
<br /> farming or ranching —either fee purchase or acquisition of conservation easements. Depending on
<br /> the disposition of the land owner, "downzoning" or special overlay districts may not be the best
<br /> strategy to use for preserving critical open space areas, as these measures can lead to legal
<br /> challenges and litigation. Acquisition of the fee interest or of conservation easements for critical
<br /> open space parcels can therefore be, in some cases,the best approach. Of course, the constraint for
<br /> this strategy is the availability of acquisition funds. See the Action Program—Acquire Critical Open
<br /> Space Areas in East Waimea for details.
<br /> Strategy 1.3 Protect important cultural and historic sites, structures, and landscapes — Waimea
<br /> Town has a wealth of cultural and historic resources, from pre-contact Hawaiian culture, from the
<br /> heyday of the paniolo era, and from more recent times. A list of some of these sites and resources is
<br /> located in section 2.5.1 of this CDP. Many of these sites, structures, and landscapes should be
<br /> protected and preserved as important elements of Waimea's heritage and sense of place. The
<br /> "Waimea Concept Plan" graphic identifies only a few of these important resources: the Waimea
<br /> Field System to the west of the Lalamilo Farm Lots, the Pukalani Complex, including the Breaking
<br /> Pen, Carriage Barn, Pukalani Stables, Blacksmith Shop, and Pu'u Hihale Corral near Waimea Town
<br /> Center, the pu'u mauka of the Town, and the Racetrack Complex near the Parker Ranch
<br /> Headquarters. These identified sites are not meant to be "officially protected" sites, but are
<br /> identified as important examples of Waimea's history. There are many other important historical
<br /> properties, including the Anna Ranch, the churches of "Church Row," the old Lindsey house, and
<br /> the Parker Ranch houses at Puopelu, to name a few. Overall, Waimea needs to establish an official
<br /> "historic district," at the state and/or federal level, to preserve and protect its cultural and historic
<br /> heritage. A Waimea historic district could honor Hawaiian culture, paniolo traditions, agriculture,
<br /> and natural resources. Access to grants and other funding sources is possible by establishing such a
<br /> special historic district designation.
<br /> Strategy 1.4 Encourage small-scale farming through expanded tax credits —There has been much
<br /> talk of late about the need for "food security" for Hawai'i, and the need to expand diversified
<br /> agriculture. However, recent statistics from the state Department of Agriculture indicate that the
<br /> number of farms, farm acreage, and farm workers is declining in Hawai'i. This trend appears to be
<br /> especially acute for animal products, including dairies, chicken and egg farms, and pig farms. If
<br /> farming, including small family farms and part-time farms, is to continue to be an important part of
<br /> the region's food production and economy, incentives for farming are needed. These incentives
<br /> could include County real property tax incentives and state farm income tax credits. The State
<br /> Legislature is currently considering a number of incentives for farming, including tax credits, loan
<br /> guarantees, and a provision allowing on-site housing for farm workers.
<br /> Strategy 1.5 Expand the Lalamilo Farm Lots — The Lalamilo Farm Lots were originally subdivided
<br /> and made available to farmers in the early 1960's and were intentionally isolated by locating them
<br /> sufficiently distant from town. At that time, there were 27 lots, ranging in size from 15 to 57 acres,
<br /> and totaling approximately 550 acres. This development was created with the intention that no
<br /> individual lot would have less than 15 arable acres to produce truck-crops for local and export
<br /> markets. Today, there are approximately 35 farm operations active here, employing about 150 full-
<br /> time and some part-time workers. Of the 35 farm lots, 32 are now owned in fee, and 3 are still
<br /> leased from the State. These farmlots are an important asset not just for Waimea, but for the entire
<br /> State due to the unique climatic conditions of the area and the irreplaceable irrigation system.
<br /> There are a hundred acres or more of state-owned land located between the existing farm lots and
<br /> the historic "Waimea Field System" that could be developed for expansion of farming activities.
<br /> Assuming a minimum farm lot size of 15 acres, this expansion area could provide about 7 new farm
<br /> South Kohala CDP November, 2008
<br /> FINAL Page 69
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