HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0745.012 2010-2012 comments on Bill 266, draft 3 re.agricultural tourism
for Hawai'i County Council hearing 6 PM Tuesday, September 4, 2012, Hilo County Building
by Cory Harden, PO Box 10285. Hi|o, Occupied Hawaii 96721 808'988-8985 mh@in\erpau.n*1
Thank you to Brenda Ford for proposing this hearing, and to Council members for unanimously approving
it. As you know, other counties plan to use our regulations as a model, so we need to take care.
I think our goals should be raising food locally as much as possible and keeping country, country. And we
want to avoid raising the price of land to where farmers can't afford it.
For porspectivn, note that in Italy "Veneto farmers must obtain licenses to participate in aghtouhnrn The
farm operator must have two years of farming experience (also necessary to receive government
funding), complete 100 hours of training, and pass an oral exam The training includes courses on law.
farm management, financial accounting, hygiene and sanitation, transporting and processing food
produc1s, and hoapitu\i1y, all of which can be adapted to address specialty products of the orea . tin Italy]
farmers are encouraged to promote traditional culture, social customs, and foods..."
But note also that "U.S. producers do not have the same long history on which E.U. farmers are basing
linkages to regional and local foods: most U.S rural areas are much less densely populated; and the E.U.
system is laden with bureaucracy, regulation, and paperwork that would not be welcomed by U.S
farmers."
Keeping Farmers on the Land:Agritourism in the European Union, Roxanne Clemens,
rclernensaiastate.edu, Center for Agriculture and Rural Development, Iowa State University,
httpl4*vmmoand/ay/ahe.odulinwa_ag_n*vinvwlsunn/ne(_04/artinle4.asp/]
For Hawaii County, permit applications should include proof of:
• Legal road access
• Adequate road and site access for fire. annbu|anco, and police
• Ability and plans to repair wear and tear on roads, or proof the County or State are responsible
• Plans for signs clearly designating the site
• Designated loading/unloading areas in parking lot
• Plans to control dust
• Measures to prevent trespass and theft on neighbors' property
• Adequate smoke detectors and exits in buildings guests will use
• Adequate confinement for any animals
• Clear designation of areas off-limits to visitors
• Adequate restrooms and sewer services
• General liability and product liability insurance
• Compatibility with character of neighborhood
Regulations should include:
• Requiring approval for all agritounsm operations, major and minor
• Requiring a site visit from County Planning before plan approval
• Requiring the operator of the tourism business to be the ovvner, openato/, or occupant of the farm
• Requiring notice of proposed agritourism to neighbors by letters and signs
• Avenues for neighbors to raise concerns and contest proposed agritourism
• Minimum property size
• Minimum gross sales for agritourism
• Counting as aDhtouhsm revenue: revenue from selling items that include agricultural products
grown or processed by the associated agricultural activity or agricultural processing facility Bill
266, draft 3(b) on p. 7
• Building size limits appropriate for the site and neighborhood
• Limits on number of operations in each neighborhood
• Limits on number of visitors and number of vehicles per day, not per week or year
Comm. N
Ref. To:
Ref. Date SEp 0 4 2012
• Simple noise limits (e.g. if you can hear it from a certain distance, it's too loud)
• Required annual evidence that agriculture income is greater than agritourism income (e.g.
Schedule F, general excise tax declaration)
• Provisions (but not automatic approval!) for what to do if a proposal isn't reviewed in 60 days
• Fees to fund enforcement
Helpful websites--
http://sfo.ucdavis.edu/agritourism/planners/
http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/toolbox/cwp/view.asp?a=38,Q=605944
http://www.co.lancaster.pa.usttoo lbox/lib/toolbox/agritourism quidelinessmall7 (2).pdf