Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PC 033 06/22/1999 1998-2000 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DATE: June 22, 1999 Re: C-325/Bill No. 88 PLACE: Councilroom TIME: 1:39 p.m. Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Bill No. 88, transmitted by Mayor Stephen K. Yamashiro per Communication No. 325, dated May 21, 1999, regazding the change of zone request by Glen and Melitta Hodson, at Kapalaalaea 2nd, North Kona, Hawaii, TMK: 7-7-7:29, reports as follows: Bill No. 88 amends Section 25-8-3 (North Kona Zone Map), Article 8, Chapter 25 (Zoning Code) of the Hawaii County Code, by changing the district classification for approximately 5.001 acres of land from an Agricultural (A-Sa) to a Family Agricultural (FA-2a) zoned district. The rectangular shaped lot, owned in fee by the applicants, is located at the end of Nohealani Street mauka of Keauhou Uka Subdivision and approximately 600 feet east of Walua Road-Nohealani Street intersection. On August 9, 1983, the previous parcel owner A & E Enterprises, Ltd., was granted Final Subdivision Approval for their 17.9+ acre parcel, which was zoned Unplanned (U) and Agricultural (A-la). The pazcel was then subdivided into two 1-acre parcels and three 5-acre parcels, of which the subject parcel is a part. The applicants have fanned the subject parcel over the past four years and have hired one full- time employee to help tend to the coffee, lychee, mango, peach palm and white pineapple which aze grown there. Currently, the applicants are constructing a dwelling on the site, but as explained to Your Committee, because of age and failing health, they would like to sell this home because they cannot cope with atwo-story dwelling. They, instead, will construct a smaller one-story dwelling for themselves after the change of zone is approved. The State Land Use classification of the subject parcel is Agricultural The General Plan LUPAG map classifies the property as Extensive Agriculture, which is used for pasturage and range lands. PC-33 PC-33 Page 2 June 22, 1999 The subject property is not within the Special Management Area. The Kona Regional Plan adopted by the Planning Commission in April 1984 designates the proposed Agricultural area as Residential-4 units/acre (RES 4). A portion of the mauka area requested for an Unplanned zoning is designated A-la, while the remaining area between the A-la and RES-4 areas is designated A-Sa. The Kailua-Keahole Regional Plan classifies the parcel as Residential Expansion. The Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service's Soil Survey Report classifies the land as Punalu`u, which consists ofwell-drained thin organic soils over pahoehoe lava bedrock. Runoff is slow and the erosion hazazd is slight. The Land Study Bureau's Soil Rating for agricultural use is Class "E" or Poor. The State Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii (ALISH) does not rate the land. Because the subject parcel has been used as a farm, there are no native fauna and flora visible on the site and there are also no known historic sites. As a precautionary measure, a condition to notify the Department of Land and Natural Resources-Historic Preservation Division should archaeological sites be encountered during the course of development has been included in the bill. The subject parcel is located within Zone X, which is an area determined to be outside the 500-year flood plain. Surrounding properties include RS-l Osingle-family residences and a number of vacant residential lots within the Kuakini Heights Subdivision and the Keauhou Uka Subdivision. Lands to the north and south are within the State Land Use Agricultural District and zoned A-la and RS-10. Some of the mauka lands along the Mamalahoa Highway are used for coffee and macadamia nut cultivation and pastoral use. In 1994 the Planning Director initiated 30 SLU Boundary Amendments from Agricultural to Urban for parcels less than 15 acres in size within the vicinity of the subject pazcel which extend from Kailua-Kona to Keauhou and mauka up to the old railroad right-of--way. The purpose of the amendments is to allocate sufficient land for future urban growth and also to direct urban growth in appropriate areas designated on the County General Plan, and provide for mid-to long-range planning rather than reacting to developer-initiated proposals Access to the subject parcel is via Nohealani Street, which has aright-of--way of fifty feet with a 20-foot pavement. Nohealani Street intersects Walua Road, which has a pavement right-of--way width that varies from 30-40 feet with a pavement width of approximately 14+ feet. Walua Road connects to Akoni Drive, which intersects Kuakini Highway. PC-33 PC-33 Page 3 June 22, 1999 Water is provided by an existing 8-inch waterline that fronts the subject property along Nohealani Street. Since there is no sewer system in the azea, the applicants would be required to dispose wastewater into a septic tank system. All other utilities are available to the subject property. Your Committee amended Bill No. 88 by inserting the condition which prevents the construction of a second dwelling on the subject property. Though not a mandatory condition, some members prefer to instil] this condition on most change of zone requests. Your Committee posed many questions to the applicants, so Mrs. Hodson explained that they have to alter their plans because the 2-story home that is currently being constructed, will not be conducive to her husband's failing health. They would like to sell the home and build a single level easily accessible home on the other lot. Mrs. Hodson also explained that they would like to maintain their farm as is, but is having difficulty doing so because of their age and health problems, so they would prefer to sell a part of the parcel to someone who will maintain the land as they originally intended to and she would maintain the farm on the smaller half of the pazcel. For information purposes only, Nancy Pisicchio, Curtis Tyler and Julie Jacobson voted kanalua twice. Your Committee concurs with the Planning Commission and the Planning Director for recommending a favorable consideration to the change of zone request. Your Committee on Planning is in accord with the intent and purpose of Bill No 88, as amended to Draft 2, and recommends it pass first reading. AvES NOES A & E Ex Respectfully submitted, LEITHEAD-TODD X _ TYLFR x COMMITTEE ON PL ING CHUNG X ELARIONOFF X ~ JACOBSON x Y JEAN LEITHEAD-T DD, CHAIR PISICCHIO X SMITH x PC REPORT NO. 33 YAGONG X ARAKAKI E.O.M. X ADOPTED: JUL ~ 8 1999