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Home My WebLink AboutREP PC 041 04/01/1997 1996-1998 • , REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DATE: April 1, 1997 Re: C-218 PLACE: Councilroom TIME: 2:35 p.m. Chair and Members Hawaii County Counci] Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Bill No. 67, transmitted by Mayor Stephen K. Yamashiro per Communication No. 218, dated March 13, 1997, regarding the change of zone request by James McCully at Keaau, Puna, Hawaii, TMK: 1-6-03:5, reports as follows: Bill No. 67 amends Section 25-8-22 (Puna District Zone Map), Article 8, Chapter 25 of the Hawaii County Code, by changing the district classification for approximately acres 17.042 of land from the Agricultural (A-20a) to Family Agricultural (FA-3a) zoned district and approximately ]4.234 acres of land from Agricultural (A-20a) to Limited Industrial (ML-20) zoned district. The subject property is located approximately one mile east of the Keaau Town Center at the end of Milo Street in the vicinity of the Puna Sugar Company Mill site where the applicant intends to develop 14 industrial lots ranging from 20,000 square foot to ane-acre sized fee simple lots on the industrial zoned area of the subject property and to create approximately five 3-acre lots on the remaining 17± acre agricultural zoned area of the subject property. The applicant's overall objective is to develop a mixture of industrial and agricultural lots to service the needs of the community and the region in the Puna District. The applicant is concurrently requesting a State [,and Use Boundary Amendment for this 14+ acre portion of the subject property that fronts the private section of Milo Street. Access to the subject property is propused to be by the proposed Keaau By-Pass Road which would serve as the principal access via the extension of Milo Street. Legal access to the subject property is from the Old Volcano Road, a county maintained road which has a 50-foot right-of- way with a 20-foot wide pavement. Milo Street which intersects the Old Volcano Road, has an existing 18-foot wide pavement with 4-toot wide rolled asphaltic-concrete curb sidewalks along its southern side. Although Milo Street extend further to the east fronting the subject property, the County owned portion of Milo Street extends approximately 1,800 feet from the Old Volcano Road to a private road lot (TMK: L-6-2:98) owned by W.H. Shipman, Ltd. The applicant presently does not have easement rights over this roadway lot. This roadway lot identified as TMK: 1-6-2:98 will be eventually conveyed to the State as part of the Keaau bypass road project. PC REPORT NO.: 41 PC-41 Page 2 April 1, 1997 Water would be available upon the installation of water improvements which includes extending the existing 12-inch county water line along Milo Street approximately 500 lineal feet to the subject property. The subject property does have access rights via several private gravel roadway lots (old railroad alignment) that is accessed from the Old Volcano Road. These roadway lots are also owned by W.H. Shipman, Ltd. Soils within the subject property have been classified as "C" or Fair for agricultural productivity by the Land Study Bureau`s Detail Land Classification System and portions within the subject property are not classified and other portions are classified as "Prime Agricultural Lands" by the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii (ALISH) system. According to the Department of Health, a portion of the subject property is located within 1,000 feet of a drinking well. Therefore, no cesspool or septic system, except for air aerobic package treatment system, would be allowed to be installed within the 1,000-foot radius of the water well. Surrounding properties consist mainly of formerly cultivated sugar lands, the HELCO power plant, vacant lands, small agricultural operations and residences. To the northeast of the subject property is the existing AMFAC Tropical Products tropical fruit packing facility and papaya puree processing facility, to the east is the old Puna Sugar Mill operations site where HELCO operates a power plant, across Milo Street to the south is a proposed Greenhouse Specialists' operation and to the southeast is the existing Pacific Floral Exchange business. Adjacent and to the east of Pacific Floral Exchange is the proposed school site for Hawaii Christian Camping Association. The only existing industrial zoned lands in the Puna District are located off Highway l 1 at the Shipman Industrial Park, approximately .7 miles from the subject property. Approximately 488± acres of land was approved as General Industrial effective August 19, 1986. There are presently a total of 88 lots subdivided with the average lot size ranging from one half acre to three acres. According to the Real Properly Tax Ofticc records, approximately two-thirds of the lots have been sold in fee. Existing uses include heavy equipment construction baseyards, building supplies baseyards, paving construction baseyards, distributor warehousing, supermarket warehousing, industrial/manufacturing baseyards and other uses. Allied Aggregates leases one of the larger lots for its existing quarrying operation. East Hawaii 's industrial zoned lands and activities are primarily located in the City of Hilo at the Hilo harbor, airport and the Kanoelehua Industrial areas. Since 1971, the area ofthe ofd Puna Sugar mill has been designated as Industrial Area and during the 1989 General Plan Comprehensive Review other lands in t]~e vicinity were redesignated to Industrial. Other industrial uses in the area have been established through the Special Permit process. PC REPORT NO.: 41 PC- 41 Page 3 April 1, 1997 Because the subject property was formerly cultivated in sugar cane, no endangered or threatened species of flora or fauna nor any archaeological sites are anticipated to be found. The subject property has no severe geological or topographical problems which cannot be properly rectified or which would render the land unusable. Your Committee concurs with the following reasons by the Planning Commission and the Planning Director for recommending a favorable consideration for the change of zone request: 1. The zone request confr~rms with the goals, policies and standards of the General Plan. 2. The zone request is consistent with General Plan Land Use pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) Map which designates the area for Industrial Area. 3. All essential services and utilities, including water, wastewater and roadways will be provided. Your Committee raised its concerns regarding the State's proposed overall traffic pattern for the proposed Keaau bypass road especially in relation to its turning movements on to Milo Street. Based on the applicant's Traffic Impact Analysis, prepared by M & E Pacific, Inc. dated September 1996, the proposed Keaau bypass road is not expected to have an adverse traffic impact on the neighboring roadway system. The proposed Keaau bypass road will help decrease traffic on the existing roadways and traffic operations are expected to remain the same. The Traffic Impact Analysis states that the Keaau bypass road would divert over half the traffic traveling on the Keaau-Pahoa Road and Mamalahoa Highway between Hilo and Puna as forecasted in the Traffic Impact Analysis Report for Keaau-Pahoa Road, Keaau Town Section, prepared by Barton-Aschuman Associates, Inc. dated 1993. The Keaau bypass road will also provide another outlet for the Milo Street residents to the roadway system. It was assumed that one-third the traffic currently entering/leaving Milo Street on Old Volcano Road would be diverted to the bypass road. Milo Street would cross the bypass road and go further makai. The State DOT also indicated that the intersection should not be signalized with no turning movement restrictions. Your Committee approved Bill No. 67, but later reconsidered it at the end of the agenda. Your Committee then amended Bill No. 67 by including conditions and language used consistently in similar industrial and agriculturally zoned bills such as complying with Chapter 205, HRS, and the standard archaeological conditions. Other amendments relating to roadway improvements included the following: PC REPORT NO.: 4 ~ • PC- 41 Page 4 April 1, 1997 1. Amended Condition C by rewording language to clarify intent; 2. Amended Condition F by including language that curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements within the industrial zoned area of the subject property shall be constructed prior to final subdivision approval; 3. Added a new Condition that the applicant shall reserve such right-of--way portion(s) for the State upon the determination of the require right-of--way for the Keaau bypass road and upon completion of its right-of--way subdivision; and 4. Amended Condition I by adding language for more clarity. Your Committee on Planning is in accord with the intent and purpose of Bill No. 67, Draft 2, and recommends that it pass first reading. CES AYES NOES A&E EX Respectfully submitted LE:ITHEAD-TODD X C~MMl'1"1'EE pT~E,.yft/A1~Jj~tt {~j TYLER ~ ~~"~J' ~////q ~i J CHUNG X Z{~G/!~' ~L; BLS REYNOLDS x '~p~Y JE N LEITHEAD-TODD, CHAIR SANTANGELO sMITH x PC REPORT NO. 4 t YAGONG ARAKARI E.o.m. x ADOPTED: ANR Z 3 I ~~~r