HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0759.000 2000-2002
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Nancy Pisicchio Tel: (808) 326-5684
Council Member Fax: (808) 326-5697
COUNTY COUNCIL
County of Hawai `i
Kona Council Office
77-6399 Nalani Street, Suite 104
September 24, 2002 Kailua-Kona, Hawai `i 96740-8980
TO: James Y. Arakaki, Chair
and Members of the Hawaii County Council
FROM: Nancy Pisicchio
RE: Scenic Corridor Overlay Districts
Attached is a bill amending Chapter 25 of the Hawaii County Code regarding Scenic Corridor Overlay
Districts. This amendment will serve as a policy framework for the creation of Scenic Corridor Overlay
Zones in the County of Hawaii. But, for an individual highway to be designated as a "Scenic Corridor", a
separate Corridor Management Plan and accompanying enabling ordinance would be required to be
approved by the County Council. Such an ordinance would establish standards and conditions specific to
an individual section of highways.
Overlay Zones are a fairly common land-use tool, which provides a mechanism to establish specific,
unified, land use standards and conditions that are applied in addition to the conditions already in place as
defined by the underlying zoning designations. Overlay Zones are adopted for land surrounding airports in
order to establish specific conditions related to airport safety, security, and access. For example, conditions
regarding heights of towers or night lights may be imposed in a region surrounding the airport. They are
also often applied to flood zones for public safety as well as the establishment of linear green belt parks
over flood zones.
But the use of overlay zones encompassing transportation corridors is probably the most common
application across the county. Typically, as one travels along a highway, the zoning designations of the
adjoining properties can range from conservation to agricultural to urban to commercial within a distance
of a few miles. Therefore, an "overlay" zone provides a tool to establish specific standards and conditions,
in addition to the underlying zoning designations, in order to create continuity along the transportation
corridor. The overlay zone extends for a specific length and width, on a case by case basis. Within this
overlay zone, conditions and standards can be established to address such things as landscaping, utility
poles, signage, view planes, building standards, recreation, access, and natural, historic, and cultural
resource preservation.
Thank you for your consideration of this bill. I have included some additional information, which 1 hope
you will find useful. Please feel free to call me at 326-5684 if you have any questions.
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