2015-06-18 Leeward Exh A (REZ 15-187)

Home

BEAUDET: Commissioner Whittemore. WHITTEMORE: I’m just curious. Could you geographically define for me where the Kona Coffee Belt is? It just seems like a broad brush. KAY: Yeah, you know, I apologize. It’s in the 2012 study. The General Plan isn’t clear. But I believe it starts at 3,000-foot elevation and goes mauka. It’s a band --. WHITTEMORE: I’m curious about the north-south boundaries. KAY: Yeah, I can get the information to you; I don’t have a copy of the study right now, but we can try and find that and get it to you. But I believe that, because it’s for both North and South Kona, it is quite an extensive band going through both Districts. WHITTEMORE: And so I’m assuming that the Department is treating that as sort of, the boundaries in which these kinds of requests, if they fall within that, then they have to, they almost have a negative, immediately a negative connotation with approvals of subdividing. KAY: Relative to the policy or course of action for protecting Agricultural, or Important Agricultural Lands, in the Coffee Belt, yes. WHITTEMORE: Okay. If somebody had approved water to accomplish – I know that the water is a question mark because there is nothing firm in place, although the Water Department has acknowledged availability – does that negate, still, the fact that it’s in the Coffee Belt area? KAY: So water is one of the things that we look at --. WHITTEMORE: One. KAY: -- as part of the overall, more comprehensive policy analysis, right. So we don’t just look at water as the main driving factor; it is a, it is a factor certainly, but, again, the criteria is conformance with the General Plan and also does it create a more appropriate land use pattern. And when we look at changes of zone, we do look at, you know, where have there, where is, has there been a precedent set, and so we are not just looking at this subdivision per se, but really kind of more the surrounding land areas. So should others have water and come in and say, hey, you know, we granted a rezone here, let me try and do it, then we have to look at that as well. So, you know, we are taking a more comprehensive view when we look at changes of zone. WHITTEMORE: Okay, thank you. BEAUDET: Commissioners, any other comments for staff? Questions? CHURCH: Yeah, I’m sorry, but I just wanted to get clarity on something here, and that is that it seems to me that the applicant’s forthrightness on what they intended to do with this has actually compromised their application somewhat, and that either by leaving out what they intended to do or 5 EXHIBIT A