Chapter II Planners Guide for Agency Review

Home

The following Land Use Policies speak to the preservation of the preferred land use and settlement patterns in Hamakua, including the relative location of residential, commercial, industrial, rural, and agricultural areas. 4.1 Preferred Settlement Patterns Policy 3: Focus higher density residential (greater than 6 units/acre) and commercial areas in communities that can sustain a higher intensity of uses and where these residential and commercial uses are consistent with the existing town character. This is reflected in the location of "Medium Density Urban" (MDU) areas on the official Land Use Guide Map Smaller villages and towns are encouraged to develop neighborhood -scale commercial uses allowed within the Low Density Urban category. Policy 7: In the official Land Use Guide Map for the Hamakua Planning Area, in the "Low Density Urban" (LDU) and Medium Density Urban (MDU) categories, in those cases where provisions of the zoning and subdivision code are inconsistent with the character of surrounding neighborhoods, variances or PUDs that maintain consistent village/town character shall be encouraged. Policy 9: The Director of Planning shall offer a favorable recommendation to the Planning Commissions, subject to appropriate conditions, only for those proposed zoning code amendments that would further the intent and ensure consistency with the objectives and policies of the Hamakua CDP. (HCC25-2-42 (c) (1) and 25-2-44) Policy 10: Variances from the zoning or subdivision code (including PUDs) shall be carefully considered relative to the Hamakua CDP objectives and policies, and when approved, shall be conditioned to ensure consistency with the CDP. (HCC 23-6, 23-15(c), 23-18, 25-2-51(c), 25-2-54(b), and 25-6-6(b)) Policy 11: When considering waivers to the requirements of the zoning and subdivision chapters of the County Code for consolidation and resubdivision actions in the Hamakua CDP planning area, the Planning Director shall carefully consider how to best further the public welfare relative to the objectives and policies of the Hamakua CDP. Specifically, the Director 1) should confer with all appropriate agencies, 2) shall, if the new subdivision will include lots smaller than otherwise permitted in the subject zone, endeavor to locate those smaller lots in LDU, MDU, or Industrial areas and near existing towns/villages and thoroughfares, and 3) shall require necessary improvements. (HCC 23-6, 23-7, and 25-2-11). 4.2 Rural and Agricultural Lands Policy 4: In order to preserve larger lot agricultural lands for productive agricultural use, allow rural development on lands near urban areas where an intermediate land use between residential and productive agricultural areas is consistent with the surrounding uses and rural character. This is reflected in the location of "Rural" (R) areas Hamakua CDP Land Use Planner's Guide