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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0257.013 2008-2010 Testimony of Mike Isaacs, member of the Steering Committee of the North Kohala Community Development Plan. County Council Finance Committee, Tues. May 5, 2009 Resolutions 105 and 106 NORTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN Adopted: November 5, 2008 Selected elements of the plan related to lands at Pao'o and Kaiholena The key planning implications related to Kohala's natural and cultural resources include: ? Coastal (makai) resources - Kohala's pristine coastline and abundance of marine life should be protected from development and be accessible to residents. The Strategies for achieving the desired Growth Management in Kohala are presented below in summary form. Strategy 1.9: Establish a View Plane Protection Program to identify and protect areas of significant beauty along the Kohala Mountain Road and Akoni-Pule Highway corridor. Strategy 1.2: Acquire coastal lands that should be preserved as open space Background The Kohala Coast consists of one of the most intact "cultural landscapes" in the State of Hawai'i because of its high density of cultural and archaeological sites. This area, located makai of Akoni Pule Highway, is filled with hundreds of fishing village sites, heiau, and,ko'a. Some of this important landscape is subject to the threat of future development because it is privately owned and there are no special land use regulations protecting it. The North Kohala community has identified four such properties, which are privately owned and critical to maintaining the continuous cultural landscape. They are shown in the map below (Figure 6). Thus, it is recommended that those properties be purchased - either in fee or through purchase of conservation easements - by a public entity that can protect them in perpetuity. The County of Hawai'i Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission, or the "2% for the Land Fund" was created in 2005 for the specific purpose of protecting open space through the use of 2% of property taxes (estimated $3.6 million for FY07). The Commission has already purchased two properties, the 1.8-acre parcel at Waipi'o Valley Lookout Point and a 235-acre parcel at Kawaya Bay in Kaj u. In March (2008), the Commission released a report to the mayor identifying five priority parcels for County purchase in coming years. The first four on the list were those four North Kohala properties noted above (shown below in Figure 6). These four coastal properties will be relatively expensive to acquire, and so the preferred strategy may be the purchase of conservation easements. Comm. No.---°~Z~-~S{~~• -l3 Ref. To: Ref. Date MAY 0 220 However, there are still nine properties that were previously identified for purchase by the Commission, and approved by the Hawaii County Council, but not yet purchased. One of the major limitations on completing these purchases is funding. Thus, some North Kohala residents are interested in establishing an "Open Space Bond Fund" in order to provide for more purchasing power in the near term. The basic idea is that the "2% Funds" would be applied to form an Open Space Bond. Recent research indicates that the 2% Fund could cover the principle and interest on a $50 million bond, so that taxpayers would have no additional costs, but more properties could be purchased by leveraging the 2% fund. Another idea is to create a separate "Open Space and Parklands Bond" to be paid by property owners island-wide. Taxpayers would pay a certain amount to the fund, based on the value of their home; so people with more expensive homes would pay more. This money would also be leveraged, which would enable larger amounts of money to be borrowed, in order to acquire properties that match Section 214(2)(d) of the Hawai'i County Code. The effort to preserve the North Kohala coast has been on-going for over thirty years. The preferred outcome is a preserved coastline, free of development for the 12.5 miles between Kohala Ranch and the new Parker development south of Puakea. However, if development were to occur, it shall only be permitted and approved in such a way that would keep houses and other development from being visible in the view plane from the highway to the sea and a policy that requires significant set back from the shoreline to retain its natural character and provide better protection for archaeological sites. The policy shall also require site design that eliminates or minimizes the impact on the view plane from the shoreline going mauka. Action Steps . ? WHO will take the lead - Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission ? WHAT needs to be done - This Commission has already placed these 4 parcels (identified in Figure 6) on their priority list for purchase. Discussions with land owners regarding fee purchase or purchase of conservation easements should begin in the near future. 0 WHEN will actions take place - Timing for acquisition of the fee interest or of the Commission has already chosen 9 other properties around the island for acquisition. ? HOW MUCH will it Cost - The cost of the fee interest or of a conservation easement will be determined through appraisals and negotiations. ? Intended Outcome - Conservation easements for the critical coastal areas identified in the accompanying map would be purchased by the Open Space Commission and protected in perpetuity. Page 31 of the NKCDP is a map showing the location of the 4 parcels identified for public purchase: Kukupahu-Haena, Mahukona, Pao'o and Kaiholena. Key Purchases To Preserve North Kohala Coast Preserving Open Space. Viete Pfanss i ' t 1 Afatural3 Cuftural Resources Sustainable Economic a RecreatrmWActivltl s in perpetuity r 'k :j 1~n ~ ~ ~ j tiff 3 ! 0 _ kS r " 1 / ~ I f e , / ct ~ fif r f t~y~v~'/ tlSr " y s 1'~r' Fi,;I 1:' 1 ,'S 1 ~ \ J"11,t ~t,fr / I ! r { 2. ; M jt rfi,e t 35 49 r 4 i ~ 1 1 t } I ' l . n9' l4 f Y e. l v' ~ d ~ } I Jrt: r~I ~ ~r > i` _x .i C y r11~''ri r ~ ~ / ~ ~p~4L ~e 1. r ® Major Roads lf~ State Lands • ' ' c f~ . `-v,!,,._ `'w x Ldp iA ' I Four Land Purchases Kukuipahu-Ha ena i t t Mahukona pao-O • V i -I 4J tJ L Kaiholerm 1_i t 4 ;,1, Repared By O. Smith Co. forthe Hawaii thlldfire For GIS AnalyslslMapping Bringing G(S To The Community! Management Organization, 501(c}(3), Nmprofit Organizafim Call: (808) 88SOgo0