HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0964.013 2004-2006
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 309
BY DAVID TARNAS,
MARINE AND COASTAL SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL, INC.
PLANNING CONSULTANT TO JACOBY DEVELOPMENT, INC.
JULY 31, 2006
Aloha
Thank you for this opportunity to testify in support of Bill 309, Interim General Plan Amendment E-4,
which amends the General Plan for the makai lands of Kealakehe from "Open" to "Urban Expansion
Area." However, I would like to clarify the State's plans for these lands, so that you can more
accurately reflect that in this bill.
Amendment E-4 of the proposed changes to the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) map, is to
change the area surrounding Honokohau Harbor from "Open" to "Urban Expansion Area." The
Rationale presented is as follows: "The State plans to expand the harbor and have some associated
commercial and golf development surrounding the harbor. The development should include a coastal
open space buffer, but the exact dimensions can be set at the time of zoning."
DLNR, DHHL, and Jacoby Development wrote to the Planning Director explaining the plans for the
area were to include a mixed-use development of retail, commercial, hotel and timeshare, marina
support industrial, with an expanded harbor, a major connector road, and a shoreline park. To make the
"Rationale" under Amendment E-4 more accurate you could add "transient accommodations" after the
word "commercial" as a recognition of the plans envisioned by the state agencies and their development
partner.
According to the General Plan, "Urban Expansion Area" "allows for a mix of high density, medium
density, low density, industrial, industrial-commercial and/or open designations in areas where new
settlements may be desirable, but where the specific settlement pattern and mix of uses have not yet
been determined."
Among the zoning districts consistent with the "Urban Expansion Area" designation include the
"General Commercial District" and the "Commercial Village District." Permitted uses in the General
Commercial District include hotels and timeshares, among many other uses. Permitted uses in the
Commercial Village District include hotels, lodges, and a variety of other uses.
With this in mind, the plans for a new harbor, surrounded by a mixed-use development project,
including hotel and timeshare units along with the other retail, restaurant and commercial uses, is
consistent with the "Urban Expansion Area."
As the Kona Community Development Plan process has indicated, the idea of a mixed-use development
project where people can live, work and play is preferred. DHHL and DLNR are working with Jacoby
Development to plan a mixed-use development project for these lands. Because there is no permanent
residential use allowed on these lease lands, transient accommodations are included. Potentially, the
permanent residential area for worker housing would be mauka in the same or adjacent ahupua'a, and
connected by a shuttle service to the makai lands. In this way the ahupua' a is the area where people can
live, work, play and learn. 1, J~~f t
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Tarnas testimony on Bill 309 p. 1 of 2
DLNR and DHHL both went through a formal multi-year process of gathering community input,
publishing Requests for Proposals, and competitively selecting the preferred developer. Both state
agencies chose Jacoby Development, Inc, and agreed that their adjacent parcels of land could be
developed in a master-planned mixed-use project. This process culminated in a master lease with
DHHL in January 2004 and a development agreement with DLNR in November 2005. As per these
agreements, a master development plan, a core infrastructure plan and a draft EIS are due by this
November.
DHHL and DLNR based their land use plans on the County's General Plan which designated these lands
"Urban Expansion Area," "Resort," and "Open" before it was amended last February 2005. DHHL and
DLNR also based their plans on the Keahole to Kailua Development Plan, which designated this area for
an expanded harbor complex, a connector road, a shoreline park, and a new regional urban center for
Kona, relieving the pressures of urbanization on Kailua Village. Both the DHHL lease and the DLNR
development agreement include hotel and timeshare land use as essential components in the mix of land
uses envisioned for this area. Both agreements prohibit permanent residential on these lease lands.
This harbor-front commercial village with retail, commercial, transient accommodations, and marina-
support industrial activities will be able to provide the necessary financing of the project's substantial
community infrastructure, including a new harbor, a major connector road, a major shoreline park,
community areas, and other infrastructure. This mix of uses will also provide a stable employment base
close to residential growth areas planned for Kona.
These mix of land uses in this new commercial village are all consistent with General Plan provisions
for an area designated as "Urban Expansion Area." The specifics of the mix of uses and density are
matters that would need to be decided during the zoning application process. This zoning application
can be submitted only after the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement being prepared for
the project. The draft EIS is projected for completion by November 2006.
Using smart growth design principles, this collaborative project of DHHL, DLNR and Jacoby
Development, Inc. intends to create a community-friendly place for residents and visitors alike, that uses
the best in transportation planning, environmentally-sensitive and energy-efficient design.
Mahalo for your consideration of this request to pass Bill 309, Amendment E-4 so that planning for this
project can move forward and it can be a part of the solution to the many growth-related challenges
being faced by the Kona community today.
Tarnas testimony on Bill 309 p. 2 of 2