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I. INTRODUCTION <br /> Hope Dia-mend Ministries ("applicant") is requesting a Special Permit to establish a church <br /> and supporting infrastructure on the 1.0-acre subject parcel identified as TMK (3) 9-2-008: <br /> 019. The subject property is located at 92-8988 Ginger Blossom Lane within the Hawaiian <br /> Ocean View Estates (HOVE) subdivision in Ocean View, Kau. The parcel is approximately <br /> 300 feet south from the intersection of Ginger Blossom Lane and Sea Breeze Parkway <br /> (Figure 1). <br /> Hope Dia-mend Ministries is a nonprofit corporation 501(c)3 that has provided church <br /> services to the Ocean View community for many years. The church offers weekly worship <br /> services, bible study, and prayer sessions, with an emphasis on music-based worship. The <br /> church also does many community outreach events in the Ka`u District, some of which <br /> include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. During Thanksgiving, Hope Dia-Mend <br /> Ministries distributes 50-70 turkeys and food baskets to community members.At Christmas, <br /> they serve hot meals and provide gifts of necessities like clothes and food. For Easter, they <br /> organize a festive egg hunt for children, complemented by hot meals and giveaways of <br /> essential items. The applicant wishes to establish a permanent church facility on the subject <br /> property with the mission to reach the unreachable, touch the untouchable, love the <br /> unlovable, and believe in the unbelievable. <br /> Under the Special Permit request, the applicant intends to construct a 600 square foot <br /> partially enclosed pavilion for church services, a gravel driveway, thirty-eight(38)parking <br /> spaces, a shipping container for storage, two (2)portable bathrooms, a water catchment tank <br /> for fire suppression, and a separate potable water tank. The applicant is requesting to use <br /> temporary tents for a maximum of eighteen (18) months, while the pavilion is being built to <br /> prevent further disruption of services. <br /> The Special Permit request proposes three (3)weekly services: Sunday service, Tuesday <br /> night Bible study/prayer, and Wednesday night worship practice.A typical Sunday service <br /> schedule includes opening prayer, worship music, the Pastor's sermon, and closing prayer. <br /> Additionally, Sunday school will be offered for children. Tuesday night Bible study/prayer <br /> night focuses on studying scripture and building one's relationship with God. Wednesday <br /> night worship practice is dedicated to the volunteer musicians who perform music during <br /> Sunday service. <br /> In September 2022, Hope Dia-mend Ministries received a Notice of Complaint letter from <br /> the Hawaii County Planning Department (PD) regarding the unpermitted use of the property <br /> as a church.After the warning letter was issued, the landowner ceased to hold any further <br /> church services on the site. This was acknowledged by the Planning Department in a letter <br /> dated October 14, 2022 (Exhibit A). However, on March 15, 2023, the landowner received a <br /> Notice of Violation and Order, from PD stating that the Department was still receiving <br /> complaints from the community regarding the ongoing unpermitted activity on the property <br /> (Exhibit B).A Daily Fines Letter was also received on July 24, 2023, even though no church <br /> service had been held on the property since receiving the initial warning letter(Exhibit C). <br /> In addition, all information regarding active services has been removed from the church <br /> website. <br /> 4 <br />