HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-10-16 TDIRECTORZONINGCODE
LEEWARD PLANNING COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I
HEARING TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 16, 2009
PLANNING DIRECTOR’S INITIATED
A regularly advertised hearing on the
AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 25 (ZONING CODE)
was called to order at 10:00 a.m. in the
Waikoloa Beach Marriott Hotel, Ali‘i III Room, 69-275 Waikoloa Drive, Waikoloa, Hawai‘i,
with Chairman Rodney Watanabe presiding.
PRESENT: Rodney Watanabe
Brandi Beaudet
Geraldine Giffin
Frederic Housel
Wayne Iokepa
, Deputy Corporation Counsel
Bill Brilhante
BJ Leithead Todd, Planning Director
Norman Hayashi, Planning Program Manager
Phyllis Fujimoto, Staff Planner
Jeff Darrow, Staff Planner
Maija Cottle, Staff Planner
Lani Bowman
ABSENT & EXCUSED:
And four people from the public in attendance
INITIATOR: PLANNING DIRECTOR
Amendment to Chapter 25 (Zoning Code), Hawai‘i County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as
amended) allowing solar energy facilities within the County’s Agricultural zoned district
provided that the property is within the Land Study Bureau’s class D or E soils category.
WATANABE: Agenda Item No. 2. This is a Planning Director initiated amendment to
Chapter 25, Zoning Code. And with that, I believe I’ll turn it over to Maija.
COTTLE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, everyone.
GIFFIN: Good morning, Maija.
COTTLE: This next item is a request, or an amendment by the Planning Director to
amend the Zoning Code in order to allow solar energy facilities within the State Land Use
Agricultural District on soils classified “E” and “D” by the Land Study Bureau. And if I can
direct your attention to the screen. This map shows the Land Study Bureau ratings. And the
areas in dark brown are classified as “Very Poor,” the areas in light brown are classified as “D”
or “Poor;” so those are the two areas that would be affected by this amendment. This next map
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is a little difficult to see; but the areas in green show the State Land Use Agricultural District.
And so the amendment is to allow solar energy facilities in those areas shown in green and also
in the dark brown and light brown areas of this previous map.
And the reason that the Director is initiating the amendment is because the State legislature
recently enacted Act 31, which changed the State Land Use law to allow solar energy facilities in
these areas. So this change that the Director is recommending is to reflect that change in Act 31.
WATANABE: Thank you.
COTTLE: Are there any questions?
WATANABE: Thank you. Do we have any questions of staff? Yes, Mr. Housel.
HOUSEL: Just clarification. This change would allow both commercial and private
solar generation on Ag land?
COTTLE: Yes.
HOUSEL: Okay.
WATANABE: Any other questions? Okay, for the record there is no one signed up from
the public to testify on Agenda Item No. 2. So, I guess we need a motion so that we can discuss
this further, if further discussion is required. Does anyone care to -? Mr. Housel.
HOUSEL: Yes, Mr. Chairman, I’d like to make a motion that the Leeward Planning
Commission approve this amendment.
WATANABE: I believe it’s “forward a favorable recommendation,” yeah?
HOUSEL: Oh, it’s a recommendation -.
WATANABE: To the County Council -.
HOUSEL: Okay, then, that we, that the Planning Commission recommend approval
to the County Council to amend Chapter 25, Zoning Code, to allow solar energy facilities within
the County’s Ag zoned district provided that the property is within the Land Study Bureau’s
Class “D” and “E” soils category.
WATANABE: Thank you. Do we have a second on this?
IOKEPA: Second -.
GIFFIN: I second.
WATANABE: Okay, thank you. If you don’t mind, Geri -.
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GIFFIN: Oh, no, not at all -.
WATANABE: I’ll encourage Mr. Iokepa. So we have Mr. Iokepa as a second, if you
don’t mind.
GIFFIN: No, not at all.
WATANABE: Okay. Do we need any further discussion on this? None? Maija?
COTTLE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The, let’s see, the motion is to send a
favorable recommendation to the County Council. Commissioner Housel?
HOUSEL: Aye.
COTTLE: Commissioner Iokepa?
IOKEPA: Aye.
COTTLE: Commissioner Beaudet?
BEAUDET: Aye.
COTTLE: Commissioner Giffin?
GIFFIN: Aye.
COTTLE: And Mr. Chairman?
WATANABE: Aye.
COTTLE: Okay, the motion passes, five-zero.
WATANABE: Okay, thank you.
The discussion ended at 10:05 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Noriko Sauer, Secretary
Leeward Planning Commission
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