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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0452.010 1996-1998 SEP-32-9T TUE 23:1° pM p, 21 r.... _ - _TCJ;_~Ar?-te~._Ara.V=.rat<1-~-C 1~(a~rrr,aN..__-__---- - _ - _ ~ ro n.:..T -~.Q_N A-~ARM E1zs ~ - f'~ 1,.~ l A NC'C--- - - _ - - ~J - -._.Y___.. ~ - ~zsi%- _~iow.or- ~4~~.ry_~"o~nc_._L._.ST.•a~1c/ w-..--- -~c~~~~c~ y.oc1--~?p'~~5s~_.~?vbrnrf___ fh2__......I. _ - - y-- / _ _ /?in/e m~,T-> bees _ o~ - ~"h ~ --C°`.' c' _ _ - - - - ~~isan~l~~ _ v_ v e _ _ r'? t/c_rf _ ~ [Uren,~y----._.... -.__p.9~ ._~--4~--~--- - - -r I i _ t _ - - ao..~ a - - - - - - - - ~ - ~s_~ , io 2 ~ c./~ ~ s.t._ ~ ,'--''1991""'_' s.e. _r.~.re SEF'-3b-57 iVt be:16 PM p, b2 KOIYA FA,RMTR8' AT.IIIANCE P.0_ BDIi 809 ~ HONRUNRU,HI 96726 James Rrakakl, Chairman HRWR11 CDUNTY COUNCIL ' 25 Rupunl Street Hilo, HI 96728 Dear Chairman: RE:REQUEST BY SERMbUNT ENTERPRISES TO RE-ZONE TWENTY TWU RCRES ! BILL 129 (ORRFT 2) Currently before the Hawaii County Council IS a request by Searq unt Enterprises, DBR Ka'awaloa Orchards to have about twenty two acre of land near Ka'awaloa Road re-zoned from Rgrlcultural-5 acres into the Rgrlculiural Project Olstrlct. There is one home on the property but most of the land is planted In tropical fruit trees. If approved by the Council, the owner would be glUen the g0-ahead to develop a tot8 of seven houses within the property. The current zoning restricts the to sour houses. This Rgricultural Protect District (RPD) is a new form of County zq ing signetl into law in December of 1996 with the approval of the Rmeh ed Zoning Codes, Chapter 25 of the County Charter, The described purpOSe of this RPD, among other things, is stated like this: "This district iii provide a vehicle to satisfy the demand Tor a rural lifestyle on marg nal agricultural land, while decreasing the pressure to develop important agricultural land." Conditions Imposed within the current application for re-zo ing require 85~ of the land to be preserved Tor agricultural purposes f r a minimum of fortg years. ~I SEP-30-9T TUE 03:36 PM P. 03 PRGE 2 We do not feel this specific proposal Is bad. In fact, there are 3 me Teatures to the application which make It superior to what we've segn in previous zoning approvals within the Rgricultural District.. Nonetheless, the Kona Farmers' Rlliance would Ilke to put three concerns on the Record. This resulted from discussions during our most recent p; blic meeting at Kunawaena High School on September Z5, 1997. First: We would Ilke to make certain that covenants placed on the land Is one hundred percent binding, so there is no possible way the current or suture owners can be released from the forty year restric ion. Second: We believe that no approvals should be granted that re- one land from Rgricultural to Rgricultural Project District, justified by the assumption that the land is "marginal agritultura) land". It is our b lief that much of the land in South Kona is "Important Unique RgriCUlt ral land". Therefore, untU our District can be properly reclassified on , oth the State and County levels to reflect this, any re-zoning based oil the above assumption is premature. We want to make certain tls t a precedent is not established by this specific approval, if granted. Third: We believe that reclassification of land into the Rgritult ral Project District should occur as part of a comprehensive Regional ; lan for our area, as mandated by the Hawaii County General Plan. We eel that parcel by parcel, piecemeal re-zoning is not in the best long-t rm Interest of South Kona. Thank you for this opportunity to make our position part of the record. Respectively Submitted by the KDNR FRRMERS' RLLIRNCE STEE~I'ING COMMITTEE: Gus Brocksen, Larry Baird, Paul Hliburn, John Langens ein and Nancy Plsicchio