PD BACKGROUND REPORT (PL-SPP-2023-000052)

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The applicants are committed to obtaining all required permits for their operations. Upon approval of the Special Permit request, the applicants will pursue all necessary building permits from the Department of Public Works. This will include permitting of the new bathhouse, obtaining a Change of Use permit for the unpermitted fourth bedroom in the dwelling, and obtaining the necessary building permits for the existing campsite structures. Initial consultation with a local architect has indicated that permitting of the campsites may require some retrofitting of the existing structures. Upon approval of the Special Permit, the applicants will engage with a design professional to conduct a thorough code review and submit building permit applications to the Department of Public Works—Building Division to permit the campsite structures. The applicants' goal is to provide alternative and rustic overnight accommodations for guests. If obtaining building permits for the existing camping structures requires improvements that are too difficult or expensive to be feasible, then the structures will be permitted and used as open pavilions. The applicants will provide six (6) separate platforms on which guests will utilize temporary pop-up tents for camping. Additionally, all new wastewater improvements will be designed by a licensed engineer and receive approval from the Department of Health prior to construction. 3B. Subject Property Description The subject site, identified as TMK (3) 2-8-012: 022, consists of 2.0 acres and zonedA- 20a. The parcel is located at 28-1435 Old Mamalahoa, approximately 1 mile north of its intersection with Highway 19. Access to the site is via an existing paved driveway off Old Mamalahoa Highway. The Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) designates this land as Important Agricultural Land(Figure 4); however, the Land Study Bureau classifies most of the soils as "E", or very poor, with a small eastern section of the site designated as "C", or fair (Figure 5). According to the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii (ALISH), the subject site is classified as prime farmland (Figure 6). The U.S. Department of Agricultural Natural Resource Conservation Service has designated the soil type for the subject site as Hilo hydrous silty clay loam with 0 to 10 percent slopes (2mcly) and 10 to 20 percent slopes (2mclx). Both soil types are formed from ash fields over lava flows, are well drained and are in a medium runoff class. The Hilo hydrous silty clay loam with 0 to 10 percent slopes is considered prime farmland, however, soil with 10 to 20 percent slope on the property are not. In Figure 7, symbol 901 represents Hilo hydrous silty clay loam with 0 to 10 percent slope (prime farmland) and 903 represents 10 to 20 percent slopes (not prime farmland). The western portion of the parcel is currently used as a livestock pasture for grazing cows and sheep. Overall, the site is not suitable for intensive agricultural activity because it is very long and narrow and has a steep elevation incline. 9