2016-04-21 Leeward Exh F (Amend SPP 77-20 & SPP 378)

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the history of the property as a vegetable processing facility and because of the ongoing permitted ice cream use, Lalamilo Farms has ample refrigeration, they have ample freezing capacity, they have a certified kitchen and they have a limited retail space. And so what Lalamilo Farms is doing is acting as a hub or acting as a processor for a number of other small farmers who bring their agricultural products to this area to be processed, for value to be added, and for them to be sold to the public. And that’s, that’s really a component of the future of agriculture on this island and in the State of Hawai‘i. The bottom line is if you are going to make money in agriculture, you know, if you are going to support agriculture, you have to help farmers make money at agriculture. And by increasing the value of the crops they sell, that’s how you, that’s how you help them make money. The bread making, you know, he is, this is a baker who does artisanal breads, he uses a lot of local ingredients. As you see, he uses a wood-fired oven that’s currently outdoors; they’ve agreed to move it indoors. But, you know, looking around and driving around the islands, you know, outdoor ovens, outdoor bread ovens, in Agricultural District has been a use that’s going on a long time. As I’m familiar with the Kona Historical Society, they have an outdoor oven where they create bread products that they sell to the public as part of their, as part of their operation. It’s a historical use of land in the Agricultural District on the Bid Island and in Hawai‘i. So what we are asking for is we are, you know, we will accept the Special Permit as drafted. In other words we will accept it as drafted, because one thing that Lalamilo Farms does not need is more process, you know; they do not need more hearings, more applications, more violations. They need to go on with their work. So we will accept the permit as drafted even if these bread and honey and bakery have to be permitted uses under Special Permit. But we are asking you to consider looking carefully at the law and finding those uses to be permitted uses in the Agricultural District. And, so that’s really the basis of our position here. We thank the Planning Department for, you know, its kōkua in reaching a resolution. We thank the intervenors for reaching a resolution. And we are willing to live with, like I said, we are willing to live with these other uses being permitted by Special Permit. But, you know, there is really no reason to unduly restrict agricultural uses and post-harvest processing. If we are really going to go forward as a viable agricultural community, we have to innovate, and that’s just what’s happening here. Aloha. UNGER: Thank you. YEH: My turn? UNGER: Your turn. YEH: Thank you. I’m not going to argue vehemently because we have come to a resolution. But I don’t think that the issue of what is a permitted use is settled, as Mr. Vitousek has indicated. The law talks about being a producer. The law talks about accessory uses. But if one were to take that notion, then one could say on any important Ag land you can just plant any sort of a processing facility, any bakery, and those kind of uses; I don’t think the law goes that far. Nevertheless, we’ve heard that under the auspices of the Special Permit, which has been applied for, you are not asked to make any sort of declaratory ruling here today as to those arguments. 6 EXHIBIT F