Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0554.002 2014-2016Murashige, Laura From: Cory Harden <333cory@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2015 6:03 PM To: Wille, Margaret; Ilagan, Greggor; Paleka, Daniel; Kanuha, Dru; Council Testimony; Chung, Aaron; David, Maile; Poindexter, Valerie; Onishi, Dennis; Eoff, Karen Subject: Bill 116 ag tourism PC Nov 17 Attachments: ISSUE agricultural tourism 2015 11-17 PC.docx `CD D Co attachment is identical comments on Bill 116 re. agricultural tourism for Hawai'i County Council Planning Committee, 3 PM Tuesday, November 17, 2015, Qna E from Cory Harden, Hilo 333cory@gmail.com 959-7747 Thank you to Margaret Wille for introducing this bill. Let's ensure that it supports agriculture, not just tourism, by adding these provisions: Definitions The "agricultural products" definition should include "other apiary products (royal jelly, bee pollen, beeswax, etc.)" Allowed actitivies These should be added to the "not allowed" list: dances, mechanical amusement rides, dirt bikes, all -terrain vehicles, and other off road motorized vehicles Who needs approval Approval should required for major AND minor ag tourism; and for ag products processing facilities No approval should be needed for roadside stands—but parking, loading, and turn-arounds should be safe Approval process Site inspection should be required to get a permit If a permit isn't approved in 30 days, it is automatically denied Sensitive areas No ag tourism should be allowed in sensitive special places like Waipio Valley and 4 -wheel -drive areas Health and safety Operator must ensure access for firefighters, ambulance, and police Operator must clearly designate hazardous and private areas that are off-limits to visitors Operator must document compliance with State Department of Health standards (restrooms, sewage disposal, etc.) Operator must make good faith effort to keep visitors from trespassing on neighbors' land A GG4 JZ Comm. No. ®� Ref. Ref. Date NOV 17 2015 Animals must be kept safely and humanely, and adequately confined Roads Operator must have County -approved dust control plans for ag site and roads used For roads not clearly government-owned, operator must pay extra community association road fees and have a County -approved plan for road repair (ag tourism puts wear and tear on rural roads; many are substandard and ownership is unclear) Permit applications must state if buses, vans, and/or passenger vehicles will be used Parking lots must have clearly marked loading/ unloading zones Operator must put up road signs to direct visitors, so they don't drive around lost and disturb neighbors Neighbor impacts Property size and number of operations per neighborhood should be limited Facilities (including tents and canopies) should not exceed 1,000 square feet Operation must be compatible with character of neighborhood (no oversize, elaborate buildings in rustic areas) Operator must inform neighbors of proposed ag tourism via letter and a lot sign Major operations should not have more than 200 visitors a week Ag tourism should only occur five days a week Ag tourism noise should not go beyond property line Enforcement There should be user-friendly ways for neighbors to raise concerns about ongoing operations Enforcement should be done by the Planning Department The County should specify penalties for violations Operator must provide tax records (Schedule F, General Excise Tax declaration) on request Permit fees and fines should be sufficient to fund enforcement and put in a separate revenue account Expenditures for inspectors should be a separate line item in the finance director's operations budget Taxes Property values for ag tourism properties should be based on facilities used for ag tourism Property taxes for neighbors should not go up Cory Harden 874 Kulaloa Road Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 959-7747 comments on Bill 116 re. agricultural tourism for Hawai'i County Council Planning Committee, 3 PM Tuesday, November 17, 2015, Kona from Cory Harden, Hilo 333cory(a),amail.com 959-7747 Thank you to Margaret Wille for introducing this bill. Let's ensure that it supports agriculture, not just tourism, by adding these provisions: Definitions The "agricultural products" definition should include "other apiary products (royal jelly, bee pollen, beeswax, etc.)" Allowed actitivies These should be added to the "not allowed" list: dances, mechanical amusement rides, dirt bikes, all - terrain vehicles, and other off-road motorized vehicles Who needs approval Approval should required for major AND minor ag tourism; and for ag products processing facilities No approval should be needed for roadside stands—but parking, loading, and turn-arounds should be safe Approval process Site inspection should be required to get a permit If a permit isn't approved in 30 days, it is automatically denied Sensitive areas No ag tourism should be allowed in sensitive special places like Waipio Valley and 4 -wheel -drive areas Health and safety Operator must ensure access for firefighters, ambulance, and police Operator must clearly designate hazardous and private areas that are off-limits to visitors Operator must document compliance with State Department of Health standards (restrooms, sewage disposal, etc.) Operator must make good faith effort to keep visitors from trespassing on neighbors' land Animals must be kept safely and humanely, and adequately confined Roads Operator must have County -approved dust control plans for ag site and roads used For roads not clearly government-owned, operator must pay extra community association road fees and have a County -approved plan for road repair (ag tourism puts wear and tear on rural roads; many are substandard and ownership is unclear) Permit applications must state if buses, vans, and/or passenger vehicles will be used Parking lots must have clearly marked loading/ unloading zones Operator must put up road signs to direct visitors, so they don't drive around lost and disturb neighbors Neighbor impacts Property size and number of operations per neighborhood should be limited Facilities (including tents and canopies) should not exceed 1,000 square feet Operation must be compatible with character of neighborhood (no oversize, elaborate buildings in rustic areas) Operator must inform neighbors of proposed ag tourism via letter and a lot sign Major operations should not have more than 200 visitors a week Ag tourism should only occur five days a week Ag tourism noise should not go beyond property line Enforcement There should be user-friendly ways for neighbors to raise concerns about ongoing operations Enforcement should be done by the Planning Department The County should specify penalties for violations Operator must provide tax records (Schedule F, General Excise Tax declaration) on request Permit fees and fines should be sufficient to fund enforcement and put in a separate revenue account Expenditures for inspectors should be a separate line item in the finance director's operations budget Taxes Property values for ag tourism properties should be based on facilities used for ag tourism Property taxes for neighbors should not go up