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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0324.001 2002-2004 •~v o• M1 Harry Kim ~o~•~ Patricia G. Engelhard Mayo. ~ Director +'F oF'M~'M ~epkry Ohdc~r~ (CDUlltp Of ~AfUdI'[ '03 SEP 23 APl 9 34 covi~ DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION COUN1~' ~ ~r NAV`lAll 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6 • Hilo, Hawaii 96920 (808) 961-8311 • Fax (808) 96]-8411 Memorandum To: Gary Safarik, Chairman, Hawaii County Council Committee on Parks & Environmental Management cc: Curtis Tyler, Council Member, Hawaii County Council Ivan Torigoe, Deputy Corporation Counsel From: Pam Mizuno, Deputy Director Date: September 22, 2003 Re: Comm. 324, (Res. 95-03) ACCEPTING THE DEDICATION OF A 3.994 ACRE PARCEL AND A 3.923 ACRE PARCEL, MORE OR LESS (FOR PARK PURPOSES) FROM MACHADO ACRES ASSOCIATION I would like to apologize for not being prepared to answer all of the questions posed by Council member Tyler and your other colleagues, in regards to the above item that was on the Parks & Environmental Management agenda on 9/3/03. Our Park Planner, James Komata was able to research the items and has provided the following information for Council's review. FLOOD PLAIN The Change of Zone Application states that the subject parcels are located in an area designated Zone X as applies to the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) which would indicate that they have been determined to be outside the 500 year flood plain. I inquired with Kelly Gomes of the Department of Public Works(DPW) - Engineering Division as to whether the subject parcels are in a recognized flood plain. In reviewing their current maps, he concurred that the subject parcels are in an area designated Zone X. Comm. No. Ret. To: Ref. L`ata__S~~? 2.5..~~ HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Insofar as I was able to research, there are no currently existing documents that attest to the presence or absence of any hazardous materials, or any such investigations or studies for that matter, within the subject parcels or the greater MAS area. Historical Tax Maps do confirm that there was a former 20-foot wide railroad Right-Of-Way (ROW) that used to track through a portion of what is currently the MAS. The exact alignment of this former ROW differs on successive historical tax maps. The former ROW, although not labeled as such, appears to be depicted on the final subdivision maps submitted to the Planning Department in 1971 and 1972. The former ROW does pass through what is now one of the subject parcels (2-4-60:001). In a letter dated June 24, 1998 from the Department of Health's District Environmental Health Program Chief, Mr. Aaron Ueno, generated in response to the rezoning application, it is stated that "the Health Department found no environmental health concerns with regulatory implications in the submittals." This is the only document in the files that has any relation to health issues. Much of the documentation in the Planning Department's files that speak to the issue of historical uses of the current MAS area reference long term agricultural use either as sugar cane fields or for grazing of cattle. The Change of Zone Application also references similar historical uses of the area. There are no documents that specifically mention any railroad activities in the greater MAS area. To the best of my knowledge, there are no studies currently being conducted on the presence of hazardous materials within the subject parcels. POLICY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF PARK SITES Referencing the County of Hawai'i's Recreation Plan dated 1974 as it applies to the development of park sites, I found the following guidelines/recommendations would apply to the future development of the subject parcels by the Department of Parks and Recreation into a formal park site. The minimum area for a neighborhood park is 4 acres and the recommended guidelines associated with this type of park is as follows: Description A neighborhood play area, primarily for children under 15 years of age, offering minimum recreation facilities for the surroundin nei hborhood area. Location Center of nei hborhood and ad'oinin an elements school where ossible Facilities Comfort station, toilets, ark caretaker's stora e Activities Basketball, volleyball, softball, tetherball; children's play area; passive area if available The minimum area for a community park is 4-8 acres and the recommended guidelines associated with this type of park is as follows: Description Community recreation area for all age groups. In rural areas, park would serve an entire community, depending on size and population. Should accommodate both active and assive activities. Location Center of community or several neighborhoods, and may not be located next to a school. Facilities Recreation building with multi-purpose room, office, storage, restrooms and park caretaker's stora e. G mnasium where not serviceable from a district ark Activities Basketball, volleyball, softball, football (baseball, if space available; children's play area; icnic/ assive area. In addition, I have asked Deputy Corporation Counsel, Ivan Torigoe, to be present when this item again appears on the Council Agenda. Please call me at ext. 8542 is you have any further questions.