Laserfiche WebLink
HAMAKUA LAND SALE: KOHOLALELE <br />FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT <br />population based on possible future uses of the lands, as allowed by existing zoning designations <br />for the lands. Based on the most intense development scenario under current zoning, 20 farm <br />dwellings could potentially be built on the site after the sale. The Site is zoned A -40a, allowing <br />dwellings at a minimum lot size of 40 acres. Assuming 20% of the 1040 -acre Site would be used <br />for roadways, the Site could be further subdivided into a total of 20 lots. This hypothetical <br />number of lots also assumes that water is or will become available. <br />Using the average household size of 2.99 for the Pa`auilo CDP, approximately 60 persons could <br />potentially be added to the population of Pa`auilo after the site is sold if the site is subdivided <br />and a dwelling is constructed on each parcel. However, it is not expected that 20 dwellings <br />would be constructed because there are no plans to provide water upgrades to the parcels. <br />4.6.2 Housing <br />There are currently no homes on the site. The homes that exist near the project site are rural lots, <br />accessed from Antone De Luz Road. A more dense concentration of housing (Kuka`iau) exists <br />east of the site along Mamalahoa Highway. <br />The proposed sale of the site itself will not directly affect the existing housing inventory in the <br />area. However, purchasers of the lands could construct farm dwellings on some of the properties. <br />Based on the most intense development scenario under current A -40a zoning, the number of <br />potential farm dwellings that could be built is 20. <br />Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures <br />Sale of the site will not directly affect the housing inventory in the Koholalele area. Although an <br />increase in agricultural activity would be beneficial, the lack of water and infrastructure will <br />probably limit the intensity of such agricultural uses and it is assumed that any need for housing <br />will be reasonably accommodated within the specific parcel or by existing housing in the area. <br />Therefore, no adverse impacts to housing are expected, and no mitigation measures are planned <br />with the sale of this site. <br />4.6.3 The Economy and Employment <br />The Hawaii County General Plan (County of Hawaii 2005a) discusses the economy of the <br />Hamakua District, of which the Koholalele property is a part. Despite the closing of Hamakua <br />Sugar in 1994, the population of the Hamakua region has grown moderately, primarily due to the <br />development of major resorts in the neighboring district of Kohala. The economy has come to <br />depend on cattle, macadamia nuts, and diversified agriculture. There are numerous cattle ranches <br />in Hamakua and several varieties of crops are grown in addition to macadamia nuts. Investments <br />in the timber industry have also been made in Hamakua, including a large eucalyptus plantation <br />and a community -based forestry imitative at O `okala. <br />Specialty crops grown in mauka Pa`auilo near the site include vanilla (Hawaiian Vanilla <br />Company) and `awapuhi (John Paul Mitchell Systems). Other crops grown in the Hamakua area <br />are taro, watermelon, tomatoes, ginger, kava, coffee, and other vegetables. Also important to the <br />recovering economy of Hamakua is the work of the CTAHR Hamakua Research Station located <br />in the area of the site that tests and develops crops and livestock to succeed in the mauka <br />Hamakua environment. <br />4 -10 <br />