PD Background Report Ackerman Ranch (PL-SPP-2023-056)

Home

The proposed event venue meets this criterion of the KCDP by proposing to use the land in a manner intended to showcase the natural beauty of Kona while creating new event hosting options for visitors and residents, employment opportunities for the community, and diversity in agricultural pursuits. Approval of the special permit request will allow the applicant to showcase its ranch while also diversifying its use in a manner that is sustainable and poses little impact to the land. Further, the request is not for a change of zone, which would allow many different possible uses. By seeking a Special Permit, the land will remain in agricultural zoning and the proposed operations will be limited to what is defined within the Special Permit request. Based on the above, it would seem logical to allow the proposed use on the subject property by way of a Special Permit. 3D. Surrounding Zoning and Land Uses The County zoning of the project area is A-5a and A-la. Surrounding properties to the north are zoned A-5a, properties to the south and east are zoned A-5a and A-la and properties to the west are zoned A-Ia. The Mamalahoa Bypass Road runs adjacent to the parcels on the mauka (east) side. The properties to the northwest and just east of the Mamalahoa Bypass are also owned by the Ackerman Ranch. The properties directly to the north are ranch lands as well, owned by the Palika Ranch Family Limited Partnership. The properties to the west and south of the subject site are part of the Haleki`i-Onouli subdivision and include a variety of Hokuli`a Community Services such as a wastewater treatment plant, municipal water facilities, maintenance facilities and golf facilities as well as several large vacant parcels. A bit further south is the Hokuli`a Phase 1 Subdivision consisting of several approximately 1-2 acre parcels. These parcels contain a mixture of vacant land and single-family dwellings, with the nearest dwelling sited more than 1,300 feet from the project area. Thus, the project area is aptly located, relatively private and surrounded mostly by ranch land and with excellent access from the Mamaloahoa Bypass Road. 3E. Flood Insurance Rate Map The Federal Emergency Management Agency's Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) (Figure 7) designates the area of the proposed development to be in Zone X (areas outside of 500-year flood) and there are no drainage ways in the project area. 3F. Archaeological Resources The subject properties were part of the overall Hokuli`a historic preservation compliance work. The entire 1,540-acre Hokuli`a project area(including the subject parcel)was subjected to an Archaeological Inventory Survey (AIS)by Hammatt et. al. (1997). 16