2017-09-25 South Kohala Community Development Plan Action Committee Minutes - FINAL

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www.hiplanningdept.com southkohala@hawaiicounty.gov Page 2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Chair Mueller moved to approve the minutes of the June 26, 2017 meeting as submitted. Second by Committee Member Harris. The motion to approve the minutes as submitted passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay. Committee Member Robertson moved to approve the minutes of the July 24, 2017 meeting as submitted. Second by Committee Member Gordon. The motion to approve the minutes as submitted passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay. BUSINESS: 1. General Plan Comprehensive Review: Long Range planning staff April Surprenant and Kevin Sullivan presented the proposed strategy for the new format of the General Plan update and how the outline and content of such would affect island-wide Community Development Plans (CDPs) in their future revisions. The proposed strategy involves identifying common values and policies within the various regional CDPs and, as appropriate, incorporate them into the updated General Plan. The purpose of the presentation was to explain the strategy and prepare the Action Committee for what is to come in the future as the Planning Department seeks community input to discuss which specific items would be appropriate to uplift/promote to the General Plan. A benefit of this strategy would include increased consistency between the General Plan and the CDPs which could improve policy implementation island-wide. This will also allow subsequently updated CDPs to have an increased focus on the issues which directly and uniquely impact their region. Committee Members asked how the described General Plan update strategy would affect the South Kohala CDP. Planning Department staff explained that uplifting policies from the CDP into the General Plan would not alter the existing CDPs in any way; rather, certain values, goals and policies would be restated in the General Plan, possibly with slightly different phrasing when appropriate as an island wide statement. Staff said that during the future South Kohala CDP update, if changes are proposed it would be a matter of seeking public input for each specific change and ensuring that community values are represented. Planning staff also explained that the General Plan would contain the overarching topics, however the specific application of a topic could be refined and addressed in more detail within a particular CDP as appropriate to unique aspects of the regional planning area it encompasses. Staff described the benefit of having such values and policies reflected in the General Plan as a parent document of the CDP. Planning Director Yee briefly spoke to address concerns of aggregating regional (CDP) topics into the General Plan, reiterating the importance of maintaining community character and values. Planning Director Yee affirmed the importance of maintaining community character and values, and explained that aggregating values and policies common to all CDPs into the County’s updated General Plan lays the foundation for future revisions of all the island’s CDP into more regionally distinctive planning and implementation tools. Action Committee members discussed projects currently underway in the district and wanted to know how they may be effected by the General Plan update including: the Waimea Town Center Expansion, anchialine pool conservation, and general protection of cultural sites. They also brought up specific concerns and suggestions for the General Plan update including view planes described in the South Kohala CDP, and requested continuous updates with opportunities for input on the General Plan revision process.