HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0042.053 2004-2006 GOOD EVENING
I AM JIM BELL A PLANNING CONSULTANT WITH
BELT COLLINS HAWAII
TONITE I AM REPRESENTING SIX LANDOWNERS
IN NORTH KONA MAKAI OF HONALO BETWEEN
KEAUHOU RESORT AND HOKULIA- KONA TRUST,
PARIS SR. AND JR., SMITH AND SCHATTAUER
I WILL TRY TO BE BRIEF AS I KNOW THAT YOU
HAVE ALL RECEIVED OUR WRITTEN STATEMENT
FROM PREVIOUS TESTIMONY DATED AUGUST 12,
2002.
OUR REQUEST IS THAT THE PROPOSED
DESIGNATION IN THE UPDATED GENERAL PLAN
BE CHANGED AS IT RELATES TO THE SOME 820
ACRES OWNED BY THE SIX LANDOWNERS
THIS IS A SECTION OF THE NORTH KONA MAP 4
AND IT SHOWS THE LANDS OF THE SIX OWNERS
WHICH WE CALL THE LOWER HONALO LANDS
WE ARE ASKING THAT THESE LANDS BE PUT IN
"EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURE" AS SHOWN HERE
RATHER THAN IN "IMPORTANT AGRICULTURE"
AS SHOWN IN THE PROPOSED GENERAL PLAN
WHY YOU ASK?
Comm. No. 2'53
Ref. To;
Ref. Upte _ JAN
BECAUSE USING THE SIX CRITERIA SET FORTH IN
THE TEXT ON PAGES 345-346 OF THE PROPOSED
UPDATED GENERAL PLAN FOR "IMPORTANT
AGRICULTURE LAND" WE FIND THAT THE LOWER
HONALO LANDS DO NOT MEET ANY OF THE SIX
CRITERIA:
1. THEY WERE NOT IDENTIFIED AS
"INTENSIVE AGRICULTURE" IN THE 1989
(CURRENT) GENERAL PLAN -SEE OUR
EXHIBIT C-2 THAT SHOWS THESE LANDS
WERE CLASSIFIED AS "EXTENSIVE
AGRICULTURE" OR "ORCHARD" IN THE 1989
GENERAL PLAN.
2. THEY WERE NOT IDENTIFIED AS "PRIME"
OR "UNIQUE" BY THE STATE IN ITS
AGRICULTURAL LANDS OF IMPORTANCE
TO HAWAII (ALISH) -SEE OUR EXHIBIT C- 3
WHICH SHOWS THAT THEY WERE
CLASSIFIED AS "OTHER" OR "NOT AT ALL"
WHICH MEANS THEY ARE NOT IMPORTANT
AGRICULTURAL LANDS TO THE STATE.
3. THERE ARE NO CLASS A SOILS AND ONLY
A SLIVER OF CLASS B SOILS ABOVE THE
1,000 FT ELEVATION ACCORDING TO THE
UH LAND STUDY BUREAU -SEE OUR
EXHIBIT C-4 WHICH SHOWS THAT THE SOILS
ARE LARGELY D OR E WITH A LITTLE C AND
A SLIVER OF B.
4. THEY HAVE NO IRRIGATION AND NONE IS
PLANNED AND THUS THEY DO NOT FALL
UNDER THE "FAIR" OR BETTER
CLASSIFICATION OF THE USDA NATURAL
RESOURCE CONSERVATION SERVICE
STUDY OF SUITABLITY
5. THE ONLY LANDS WITH SOIL SUITABLE
FOR GROWING COFFEE IN LOWER
HONALO ARE THOSE WITH HONUAULU
SOILS AND THESE ARE FOUND IN THE B
AND C LANDS ABOVE THE 1,000 FOOT
ELEVATION AND FINALLY
6. NONE OF THE LAND WITHIN LOWER
HONALO IS IN A STATE AGRICULTURAL
PARK.
FINALLY, NONE OF THE LOWER HONALO
LANDS ARE IN COFFEE PRODUCTION AS
SHOWN IN THIS MAP SHOWING THE "COFFEE
BELT".
THE ANALYSIS WITHIN OUR LETTER AUGUST 12,
2002 PROVIDES A MORE DETAILED EVALUATION
OF THE SIX CRITIERIA IN RELATION TO THE
LOWER HONALO LAND. YOU WILL NOTE THAT
WE DIVIDED THE LAND INTO 4 AREAS - 1) BELOW
THE BYPASS ROAD BEING CONSTRUCTED , 2)
BETWEEN THE BYPASS AND THE OLD RAILROAD
RIGHT-OF-WAY, 3) BETWEEN THE RAILROAD
AND THE 1,000 FOOT ELEVATION AND 4) ABOVE
THE 1,000 FT ELEVATION.
REALITY IS THAT EXCEPT FOR THE AREA ABOVE
THE 1,000 FT. ELEVATION THE LOWER HONALO
LANDS ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE
EXCEPT AS RANGE AND PASTURE USE.
RANGE AND PASTURE IS CLASSIFIED AS
"EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURE" IN THE PROPOSED
UPDATED GENERAL PLAN.
THUS WE ASK THAT YOU CHANGE THE
CLASSIFICATION FROM "IMPORTANT
AGRICULTURE" TO "EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURE"
FOR THE LOWER HONALU LANDS BELOW THE
1,000 FT ELEVATION OF MY CLIENTS AS SHOWN
IN OUR EXHIBIT A.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.
ANY QUESTIONS
January 3, 2005