2014-54 -VLRP Transmittal - Laserfiche WebLink

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Volcano Long Range Plan (VLRP) is a vision and the process for the community development of Volcano. The action plan is tiered to the 2008 Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP). The 2014 VLRP, prepared by a subcommittee of the Volcano Community Association, is the culmination of a community planning process started in 1985, intensified during the 1990's, and revived again after County approval of the PCDP. Volcano is known as the settled area from Volcano Golf and Country Club subdivision to the west and Kahauale'a Road to the east. It lies between 3,000 and 4,000 foot elevation, above the area cleared by Hawaiian occupation and sugar planters. The Volcano community is one of the very few communities in the Hawaiian Islands located in a mostly intact native forest and woodland with abundant native birds. Volcano is situated between protected natural areas, including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, designated by the United Nations as an International Biosphere Reserve, and rain forest in Hawaii Natural Area Reserves and Forest Preserves. Volcano is the gateway community to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, providing a rural, forested setting for entrance to the national park and needed services for park visitors. Volcano is therefore a potential natural addition to the International Biosphere Reserve as a designated Transition Area. There are well over 100 historic structures in Volcano Village, the first settled area of Volcano. Although a few abandoned structures have deteriorated, many are proudly maintained by residents who have preserved their historic fabric and landscaping. Currently, the commercial district of Volcano is tastefully delimited on a portion of the Old Volcano Highway parallel to but not visible from the Highway 11 corridor. Many of these commercial activities are housed in historic structures and blend into the surrounding historic neighborhood. The two major planning challenges addressed by the VLRP are: • Managing growth while protecting the native forest and wildlife, maintaining native forest cover and bird habitat in the face of inevitable build-out, insensitive forest clearing, non-adaptive building and landscape design, and further subdivision of lots. • Preserving and perpetuating the unique architectural and other historic features of the commercial district. This plan would establish a Special Overlay District that would maintain the forest canopy while still ensuring a high quality rural living environment for property owners, residents, and visitors. Further, the plan would designate a Historic District in the central part of the Village, where 4