2024-10-29 . 11-01 Steve Shropshire Testimony GP 2045

Home

How the project supports the Hamakua Community Development Plan SECTION 3: PREFERRED LAND USE & SETTLEMENT PATTERNS Pupukahi i holomua “Unite to move forward" 3.1 Land Use & Settlement Patterns This section of the CDP guides future land use development and permitting to be consistent with CDP objectives and policies. Specifically, to reduce rural sprawl and infrastructure costs, it focuses future residential development in existing villages and towns and seeks to preserve large productive agricultural lands for agriculture by accommodating rural-residential development close to these urban centers. It directs new residential development away from coastal areas and encourages the clustering of developments to leave natural buffer areas. It plans urban areas with appropriately-scaled densities that complement the rural character of the area. It provides guidance to the Planning Department on change of zone and variance priorities, and stipulates the types of areas and regulatory processes that are appropriate for industrial development. It also directs the County to engage communities interested in town-level planning. 3.1.1 Community Objective Of the Community Objectives adopted by the Steering Committee (see Section 1.7.1 Community Objectives, above), the following are related to the preferred settlement pattern: Objective : Direct future settlement patterns that are sustainable and connected. Honor Hamakua’s historic and cultural assets by concentrating new development in existing, walkable, mixed-use town centers while limiting rural sprawl. Objective : Protect and nurture Hamakua’s social and cultural diversity and heritage assets, including sacred places, historic sites and buildings, and distinctive plantation towns. Objective : Protect and restore viable agricultural lands and resources. Protect and enhance viewscapes and open spaces that exemplify Hamakua’s rural character. 3.1.2 General Plan Settlement Framework The General Plan articulates the overall County’s preferred settlement pattern in section 14.1:The future improvement and development objectives are directed toward making urban and rural centers more efficient, livable, and safe. Growth should be encouraged in terms of renewing older areas or extending existing areas. The creation of new urban and rural centers should be initiated only when it is in the public interest and must be accompanied by commitments from both government and the private sector for the development of basic community and public facilities and services. Infrastructure costs less when new residential areas are located near existing highways, water and sewer lines, and employment centers.