2025-02-05 Jim McMahon Testimony

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change the essential character of the land and the present use. Allowing spot industrial zoning for the heavy equipment base year in the middle of normally quiet ag. district and far primary roads will have an impact on the parcels adjacent to the roads these vehicles will be using. Other landowners may decide to do the same thing and gradually the rural nature of this area will change. The 4-day festival will also have an impact - especially at night which is normally a quiet time. It will instead become the world's largest open air nightclub. Meanwhile the air will be filled with smoke from the burning effigies and other things. 13. Criteria Section 6-3(b)(5) (G) The request will not be contrary to the General Plan and official Community Development Plan and other documents such as Design Plans. The director in his report lists several goals and policies form the County General Plan and objectives from Hamakua Community Development Plan (HCDP) that would be consistent with the proposed uses. However they are simply stated without any discussion nor are reasons given as to how they are consistent. Because I don't for example see how an event largely imported from the mainland and thus an alien culture is consistent with HCDP objective to "Promote appropriate rural tourism that welcomes guests for an alternative visitor experience. Promote Hawai`i's host culture and Hamakua's heritage, including historic roads and plantation towns, and festivals that celebrate our rich multicultural music, art and agriculture". Another example objective from the HCDP addresses Land Use Policy - Until the General Plan identifies appropriate areas or criteria for Industrial development to occur in the Hamakua Planning Area, industrial uses may be permitted outside LUPAG Industrial designated areas through the following regulatory review processes. • LUPAG Amendment and Change of Zone. If the subject property is located in the State Land Use Urban district, a LUPAG amendment and change of zone request to the appropriate industrial zoning could be considered and evaluated on a case-by-case basis, • Special Use: If the subject property is located in the State Land Use Agricultural or Rural District, and the project type is consistent with a permitted use of either limited- industrial (ML) or commercial -industrial zoning (MCX), the special use permit process would be the appropriate review mechanism to evaluate the specific parameters of the proposal and set any mitigating conditions. Any requests for Industrial uses shall be carefully evaluated for potential impacts and consistency with CDP policies and objectives, HRS 205 (including the land study bureau's detailed land agricultural land productivity rating), and the General Plan. Industrial development shall be located in areas adequately served by transportation, utilities, and other essential infrastructure (General Plan Policy 14.4.3 (e)). The majority of the current Industrial areas in the Planning Area, and especially in North Hilo, are no longer seen as suitable for heavy industry, generally due to their near-coastal (environmentally sensitive) locations (see also Policy 12 and Policy 2). This policy demonstrates flexibility in allowing Industrial uses in appropriate areas until the General Plan appropriately identifies locations for Industrial uses. [Emphasis added]. A heavy equipment base yard is considered industrial use and according to this objective it shall be located in areas adequately