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PROBLEM STATEMENT AND ISSUES ANALYSIS ■ Study Area Downtown Hilo is defined in the County of Hawaii Zoning Code as the Downtown Hilo Commercial District (CDH). It is bound by Kamehameha Avenue to the east, Ponahawai Street to the south, Kapiolani Street to the west and Wailuku River to the north. The multiple - family residential community of Puueo lies to the north and an extended commercial zoned district lies to the south. The CDH district has the qualities of a Village Center with mixed use zoning that allows for a variety of commercial, residential and open space uses. It is a town of short distances — seven blocks wide by six blocks moving uphill. Downtown Hilo is walkable from one end to the other and lined with small shops, restaurants, and cultural and art institutions. It has covered sidewalks and old buildings that are reminiscent of a variety of architectural eras. Although most structures average about 2 -3 stories high, the zoning code allows development up to a height of 120 feet. Downtown Hilo has the beauty of Hilo Bay as its picture window, the powerful summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to Hilo Bay as a backdrop, and soccer fields providing open green space as its entry way. All of what surrounds Downtown Hilo adds to its special and unique character. ■ Barriers to Success An important objective of the Vision Keepers is to initiate the 5 -year Action Plan update of the EDH 2025 Plan in early 2009 with the goal of completion in early 2010. This is the living nature of our plan and what we believe leads us toward long term sustainability. We have identified that our barriers to success fall into two major categories. The process we create and the contextual or content barriers around which we organize ourselves. Process barriers: 1. Since the community first gave input in 2004, new issues have emerged, such as climate change, green building strategies, or healthy communities. There is room in the Plan for new strategies that would address these issues, and warrant more innovative actions. EnVision Downtown Hilo 2025 1 SDAT Application 2009