HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0107.009 1996-1998 Keola Childs
75-5648 C Mamalahoa Hwy.
IIoiaa'.-vu, III X6'125
Ph (808) 896-11451 Fax (808) 322-6118
January 28, 1997
Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd, Ch«ir
Camn;ittee on Planning 'RECEIVED
Hawaii County Council nme---___--.. ~ -
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25 Au uni Street Dara___'~'
' ~ '
Hilo, HI 96720 County Council ~ G'
RE: Bill 3%I - GenPial Plan simendn^^nt
Oceanside 1250 Retreat esurt Ijesignation
Dear Chan Leithead-Todd and Members:
Thank ~ ou for scheduling a special com;nitiee meeting in Kona to accept testie~ony and
deliberatr,: on Kona land use matters.
' 1 full y support tl~~e proposed suuendm.nt to the hand Use Pattern Allocation Guide 1VIap
o!~ the County General Plan Co allow fora 'Retreat Resort" allocation in the fi,~e mile belt
b~Cween Keauhrni and Kaawzdoa.
Tare la,~dcwner of this particular prop~sriv, echo wishes to provide a retreat resort f ^iG~y,
is, ~ articular, to be conunended as perhaps the first developer to se.~k out a path and
process of land use approvals for a lodge-type project that directly involves the County
C~~:!ncil raid its processes and sanctions, rather than skirting all written land use policies
fhreugh ,eekii~~ a Special Permit from the Pla~nring Co;umisrion, rs at. exceptional us-~.
I\TOt ~nl`, doCS ti ~!S Ill rthel' demci~: ti Cite Integray n dle ~alll~~^'.'Jn01", I1:-it li, 0Xp1-CSS~ S a
con'idwice that, in .pie end, the deu~ca•ati~; process works.
Since the ~aevelopment plan Ibr tLe 1500 acre development called °Villages at
Hokuka~~.~~" was first announced to the public son;e five years ao, and public
inforn:r.[;on~d meetings wer:, held by !h~~ landowner-develo,~~~r in North and South Kona
- I had at.ended one of these as a citizen in early 1992 -the concept of a "lodge" of
~oughly 100 rooms has always been ;.ey, up frc;t element of ti~eir plan. This us:: was
Slate( and I"~-Slal~d .n lhGll' [Ulline ah~`.llCatlOni and ?uVll'Oninental ;:SSCSStiIC?C
d~~cumentc, and I believe was also identified in the archaeolobieal study and ~,~ir~ ;anon
plan. For economic and practical reasons, [hip io,v-density, clustered, open s~~~..:e -
brsed use - a relruat resort -was seen then, :;::d is seen today, as critical ?-o tiie viability
ar~d S:i~.:CeSS Of th( pl'OpO50d ~~Vl~~t~~?P.i R' IjULl~nan0° dCVCIO~ n10nt.
The development of th:: Villages at Hoinikano project will be a highly valued addition t~;
o~i~ Kon conununity because of the ~xtcn~i ;c public benefits that it will provide to
till: ens of the CenG•a] Kona area: a criticr:ily needed by-pays hig'iway, coast,'- access,
man„ge(: pl'eSel':'_1 tlOn'~i a Signli ~:'lnt P";.. OI Ha'"^".a! aCCha~:; i:iglCa: c:CBS, and n 2.J
mile public coasta~ greenbelt parii, pnval.~ly maintained, which will be unmutch~d in thB
Stan.: of Hawaii ror its IBngth and wi~;th. The 17rst prase of ti:e coastal park is to :,peg
with ,I:B r:,treat resort bcin prohoscd hBr.; today. Comae. Die 0
afls 2(0. ZNG~~
lief. To:Prasent~ed S i' f ~
JAN 2 8 X997
Bil; 37i -General Phu Amendment
Jtuui-.ry 28, 1997
Page 2
As to the amendu:ent of ate Gene::a Plan ::i actor,::^oda[e the dcsignauon of a retr.°at
resort in this locatio,~, I particularly support this as land use policy because it provides a
very powerful statement Ibr t'ae iti~portance of maintaining lo~a densities grid open space
in this t.-an;itional belt between ~V~st :-IawaiPs southern-.Host A~7aia. Resort Ar~•a -
Keauhou -and the rugged, truly rur:~' So~~rh I_un:? legion rennin south frota
Kealake.,ua Bay. A retreat resort c:~uu.r.~nds open space; rte L.5 mile coastal
conservation parkjust below this lode site, the low impact recreational uses planned to
surround to the site, and the cluster of residential c.reas elsewhere in this 1500 acre
pr:~jec. all secure ;his concept.
Finally., I would like to address the General Plae LUPAG map itself. I note that [he
Ge;aeral Plan LUPAG Map is intended to dcy:,;~ the written policies of the General Plan,
au~~ th.a 1989 plan ally tales 90 acre.; for -sort use in South Kona. It is my
undo:s.andi"~ that only half of thaC Yir,:: allocation is depicted on tl1e current LUPAG
map -that being in the Keel - 1-Ionat:nau area.
And, absolutely none of tee land.; in that c~.u-reuCly desionatei~i portion of'he pin::^,ned
allOCahO!: have ai.tllall}i been pCOi~CSed t~G 'lOnll1g iv .iIIOW I'eSUri deVei^•pment.
Inasmuch as the current version of the Ge!:aral Plan is now eight years old, and tl~e
docui,tent calls for its Land Lae Acreage Allocation to be reviewed at ten year intervals,
It to C~tal'1V I'eaSOnab:e CO r8-CValUate and a-slend Wilat V. aS Onl;~ $ Ograta! SI]OC1tICn tc
begin ~~it!;.
Please note that on page l8 of the General Plan, um..ler the Itcsc~rt section, MSG), of is
Statement of Dev::lopment OLjectives. Standards .end Principles, the Plan provides :hat:
"The county shall re-evaluate existing undeveloped resort designated ;~r:d!~~r
r,oned area:; and realiocaie resort desigr.:atra and/or zoned lands inappropriate
;~~cations."
This r-as net a statement that the next ~e~;~ral Plan update should taka that into
account; it says that under the curr~~it General Plan, the county should make this re-
evaiuatiou and re-allocation. t~'ow, eight years into the General Plan, this is bearing
fruit; tht; Plam:ing director has ~:one so, turd is reconunendin~, this minor chango in the:
KCna 11'e<i aC tl]1S i:']le - :i Challge :.G mllV~~ that ]t IS Dail tlllly COIISIStent ti18 acl'eage
alloc~~tion setfor'h in 1989.
This }?ioject will have great value gnu brie; many boneNits to ;hP ~r~orkir.g people of
Kona, ~ s!~...cially those who pioneei::1 :he econo::~y and society ,ve have h::re today.
Please support this amendn~~nt with your favorable vote.
Sincerely,
/ 7%
/ ,
Ke ~.a Childs