PD Background Report Ching (PL-REZ-2023-044)

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COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT COUNTY REZONING REQUEST (FA-3a to A-5a) SHAWN AND STEPHANIE CHING WAIKOEKOE, HAMAKUA, HAWAI'I TAX MAP KEY: (3) 4-7-007: 048 I. INTRODUCTION Shawn and Stephanie Ching ("Applicants") are requesting the downzoning of a 34.559 acre parcel from Family-Agriculture (FA-3a) to Agriculture (A-5a). The subject site is located in the land division of Waikoekoe and district of Hamakua on the island of Hawaii, and it is identified by TMK: 4-7-007: 048. More specifically, it is "sandwiched" between the south side of the Old Mamalahoa Highway and a Homestead Road commonly referred to as Waokele Street or Vierra Road ("Waokele Street"), approximately Y2 mile southeast of the Hawaii Belt Highway/Mud Lane junction. (Figure 1) If approved, the Applicants intends to subdivide the 34.559 acre parcel into six (6) lots, consisting of a minimum of five (5) acres each. The Applicants plan to retain at least four (4) lots for their family and possibly sell the remaining two (2) lots to persons interested in truck crop farming and/or other agricultural activities consistent with the site's proposed A-5a zoning and State Land Use Agricultural designation. II. PROJECT LOCATION As noted earlier, the subject site is essentially "sandwiched" between the south side of the Old Mamalahoa Highway and Waokele Street, about '/2 mile southeast of the Hawaii Belt Highway/Mud Lane junction. The Kamuela Lakeland Subdivision is located proximate to the subject property. A portion of the Waimea Vacationland Subdivision, with lots ranging between 8,000 to 10,000 square feet, and the 1-acre Pu'ukapu Acres Subdivision are situated proximate to the subject property. Other rural/residential subdivisions in this area include the Kamuela Lakeland and Wailani Ranchos. All of those subdivisions are zoned A-1a. (Figure 2) III. LAND USE ENTITLEMENT HISTORY The former owner of the subject property wanted to subdivide the subject property into 11 lots, retaining eight (8) for family members_ As such, the then owner requested and received approval to have the subject property rezoned from Agriculture (A-20a) to Family-Agricultural (FA-3a). 1