Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-05-12 KCDP Minutes Final KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1 ACTION COMMITTEE 2 COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI 3 FINAL MINUTES 4 May 12, 2026 5 Call to Order 6 Chair John Pelletier called the meeting of the Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) 7 Action Committee (AC) to order at 12:02 p.m. The meeting was held in person at the West 8 Hawaiʻi Civic Center – Building G and online via the Zoom platform. 9 The full YouTube video of this meeting can be found here: 10 https://youtu.be/MPNgUn08EaQ?si=TuU9QntFSAukWJwy 11 Roll Call 12 Members Present (in person): 13 • John Pelletier, Chair 14 • Nancy Pisicchio, Vice Chair 15 • Charles Young 16 • Charla Thompson 17 • Raymond “RJ” Kirchner 18 Members Present (via Zoom): Shane Palacat-Nelsen 19 Members Absent: Roselyn Molina 20 Planning Department Staff Present: 21 • Janice Hata 22 • Maryam Palma 23 • Kawelo Kalili (via Zoom) 24 There were approximately eight members of the public in attendance (three in person 25 and five via Zoom). 26 Approval of Minutes 27 Chair Pelletier requested approval of the April 14, 2026 draft meeting minutes at 28 approximately 12:05 p.m. Vice Chair Pisicchio moved to approve the minutes, and 29 Committee Member Young seconded the motion. There being no discussion or 30 corrections, the Committee voted unanimously to approve the April 14, 2026 draft meeting 31 minutes. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 02:47] 32 KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of May 12, 2026 2 Public Testimony on Agenda Items 33 Chair Pelletier called for public testimony on agenda items at approximately 12:06 p.m. 34 [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 03:41] 35 Josephine Keliʻipio testified regarding Bill 66 and the Draft General Plan 2045. She 36 referenced testimony and discussion from the May 4, 2026 County Council Planning 37 Committee meeting, expressed concern that the 2045 draft includes too many actions 38 compared with the 2005 General Plan, raised concerns about map errors and Planning 39 Department capacity, and questioned whether amendments would be allowed after 40 adoption. She stated that General Plan 2045 is poorly written, contains mistakes, and 41 should not be adopted without an amendment process. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 42 04:32] 43 Chair Pelletier acknowledged written testimony from Eugene Elmer in opposition to Bill 66 44 and written testimony from Leslie Cook urging a veto of Bill 66. [SEE YOUTUBE 45 TIMESTAMP 07:02] 46 Third-Party Reports; Government Officials 47 Pursuant to Hawaiʻi Senate Bill 405 (2025), signed into law as Act 72, the AC may receive 48 and discuss information from third-party reports by any government official not included 49 in the publicly noticed agenda, but may not make decisions on matters raised through 50 such reports until a later meeting with proper notice. Chair Pelletier called for third-party 51 reports from government officials. No third-party reports were presented. [SEE YOUTUBE 52 TIMESTAMP 07:19] 53 Business 54 1. Hawaiʻi County Council Bill 66 (Draft 2): The AC will discuss Bill 66 (Draft 2), 55 including updates from the May 4, 2026 meeting of the County Council Policy 56 Committee on Planning, Land Use, and Economic Development. The AC may take 57 action, including the consideration of submitting testimony to the County Council. 58 This item was called to order at approximately 12:10 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 59 07:33] 60 Chair Pelletier asked whether there was additional public testimony on Bill 66. No 61 additional public testimony was provided. Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen 62 reported that he had attended part of the May 4 Council committee meeting and 63 understood that Council members had emphasized the importance of public process 64 and the process followed for General Plan 2045. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 08:00] 65 Vice Chair Pisicchio summarized the outcome of the Council committee discussion. 66 She stated that the Committee had previously submitted testimony supporting General 67 Plan 2045 and opposing the proposed 2026 substitute document, and that the Council 68 committee vote was 5-4 in favor of moving forward with the 2045 plan and rejecting 69 KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of May 12, 2026 3 consideration of the 2026 proposal. She stated that amendment procedures for the 70 2045 plan remained unclear, but she believed the County should move forward 71 because the general plan comprehensive review had been underway for many years 72 and because the 2045 draft contains tools that may support implementation of the 73 Kona CDP. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 09:22] 74 Committee Member Kirchner stated that, without an updated general plan and without 75 a current Community Development Plan, the County effectively lacks planning 76 direction and land use decisions may be driven by those with the most influence. He 77 stated that the proposed general plan should be supported because the County needs 78 written rules for land development. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 13:19] 79 Committee Member Young stated that the AC should remain consistent with its prior 80 position of supporting the plan and acknowledging the many years of work that had 81 gone into it. Committee Member Thompson stated that she had concerns about 82 General Plan 2045, including whether certain safeguards, infrastructure language, and 83 community protections were sufficiently clear, but that she was more comfortable 84 moving forward if there is an amendment process and if the CDPs continue to have 85 influence. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 14:17] 86 Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen stated that he supported the motion and reiterated 87 his prior position. He spoke as a Native Hawaiian and generational resident of 88 Nāpōʻopoʻo, stating that Kanaka are connected to the environment and that he 89 believed General Plan 2045 was the plan currently before the County that supports 90 that connection. Vice Chair Pisicchio stated that the 2045 plan places stronger 91 emphasis on cultural preservation than the 2005 General Plan. [SEE YOUTUBE 92 TIMESTAMP 21:00] 93 Vice Chair Pisicchio moved that the Kona CDP AC recommend that the Hawaiʻi County 94 Council adopt Bill 66, Draft 2, General Plan 2045. The motion stated that the last 95 comprehensive review of the General Plan was completed with the adoption of General 96 Plan 2005; that the Planning Director initiated review of General Plan 2005 by public 97 notice on February 6, 2015; that the review resulted in 2025 meetings before the 98 Windward and Leeward Planning Commissions, which voted to forward a favorable 99 recommendation to the County Council; that the AC hopes the Council will approve 100 General Plan 2045 before the upcoming election; and that the AC believes the 101 document contains visions, objectives, policies, actions, and implementation tools that 102 align with the Kona CDP. Committee Member Kirchner seconded the motion. [SEE 103 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 23:47] 104 Chair Pelletier stated that Council discussion had helped address some concerns 105 about whether the general plan could be used for government overreach, and he 106 stated that long-range planning is at a standstill until the general plan is completed. 107 Committee Member Thompson asked whether the Kona CDP would continue to have 108 influence under the plan, and Vice Chair Pisicchio stated that the CDP is included in 109 KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of May 12, 2026 4 the 2045 plan. Committee Member Thompson stated that this made her more 110 comfortable because the CDP provides an important safeguard for community 111 planning. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 25:47] 112 The Committee voted unanimously to submit the testimony at an upcoming Council 113 meeting. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 27:41] 114 Following the vote, Committee members continued discussing concerns raised by the 115 public, including use of the word “stakeholder,” interpretations of landowner rights, 116 and the limits of government authority. Vice Chair Pisicchio stated that she 117 understands stakeholders to include residents and others with kuleana to the island, 118 while others may interpret the term as referring to outside special interests. Committee 119 Member Kirchner stated that government already has eminent domain powers subject 120 to just compensation and that the General Plan does not change those constitutional 121 requirements. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 28:05] 122 This item concluded at approximately 12:34 p.m. 123 2. Hawaiʻi County Council Bill 147, Relating to Transient Accommodations: The AC 124 will discuss Bill 147 and its potential implications for the Kona CDP. The AC may take 125 action, including the consideration of submitting testimony to the County Council. 126 This item was called to order at approximately 12:34 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 127 31:59] 128 Chair Pelletier called for public testimony on this item. 129 Jason Masters, Chair of the Kaʻū Community Development Plan Action Committee, 130 testified as a private individual. He expressed concern that the bill’s definitions of short-131 term vacation rental, transient vacation rental, hosted use, and bed and breakfast were 132 confusing and could make enforcement more difficult. He stated that the code should 133 clearly identify what is being regulated and who is responsible. [SEE YOUTUBE 134 TIMESTAMP 33:23] 135 Kalei Kailikini testified via Zoom regarding short-term rentals. She stated that 136 government should not regulate short-term rentals because people use them to earn 137 income and should be able to support themselves. She also raised concerns about 138 housing costs, fixed-income residents, Maui fire-related rental impacts, hotel interests, 139 and the need for decision makers to hear different perspectives. [SEE YOUTUBE 140 TIMESTAMP 39:11] 141 Chair Pelletier presented an overview of Bill 147. He explained that the bill would revise 142 definitions and regulations for transient vacation rentals, including distinguishing 143 between hosted and unhosted rentals. He stated that, under his understanding of the 144 bill, transient vacation rental would be the broader umbrella term, hosted rentals would 145 replace or modify the existing bed-and-breakfast framework, and short-term vacation 146 KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of May 12, 2026 5 rentals would refer to unhosted whole-unit rentals. He noted that hosted rentals would 147 become allowable uses in many residential zones, while unhosted rentals would 148 continue to be allowed in certain districts and would be expanded into commercial 149 neighborhood districts. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 46:59] 150 Chair Pelletier stated that his proposed testimony focused on unhosted short-term 151 vacation rentals in multifamily residential and commercial neighborhood districts. He 152 stated that Kona has the largest concentration of vacation rentals on the island and 153 that allowing unhosted rentals in multifamily residential zones contributes to housing 154 pressure, particularly for condominiums and other higher-density housing that could 155 otherwise support residents near employment and services. He presented zoning and 156 CDP excerpts regarding affordable housing in the urban core and housing near major 157 employment centers, and stated that the AC should ask that unhosted short-term 158 vacation rentals be removed as an allowable use in multifamily residential and 159 commercial neighborhood districts. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 53:40] 160 Committee Member Kirchner raised concerns about allowing the same vacation rental 161 use across multiple zoning districts and questioned the purpose of zoning if multifamily 162 residential districts are treated similarly to resort districts. He stated that allowing short-163 term rentals in multifamily residential zoning reduces the supply of long-term rentals 164 and drives up long-term rental costs. He further stated that removing short-term 165 rentals from multifamily residential zoning would make future multifamily zoning more 166 acceptable to the public because it would be more clearly tied to housing for residents 167 rather than investor-owned vacation rentals. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 55:28] 168 Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen described changes in Kealakekua Bay, stating that 169 very few generational residents remain and that vacation rental activity has affected 170 village life, cultural resources, shoreline resources, and community management 171 efforts. He stated that regulation is needed and that visitors using residential areas as 172 resorts can create impacts on local communities. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 173 01:00:33] 174 Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen moved to support the proposed testimony, and 175 Vice Chair Pisicchio seconded the motion. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 01:02:50] 176 Committee Member Thompson asked about the permitting process for bed-and-177 breakfast uses and discussed neighborhood impacts from vacation rentals based on 178 her own experience. Committee members discussed nonconforming use certificates, 179 grandfathering of existing uses, whether grandfathered uses can be phased out, and 180 whether the County could limit existing short-term vacation rental approvals upon 181 transfer or sale of a property. Committee Member Kirchner asked staff whether 182 Corporation Counsel could provide guidance on whether grandfathered short-term 183 vacation rental use could expire upon sale of a property. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 184 01:03:28] 185 KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of May 12, 2026 6 Committee Member Young proposed an amendment to add language indicating that 186 the AC’s testimony was identifying this concern “among other things,” so that the 187 testimony would make clear that the AC may have additional concerns about Bill 147 188 after further review. Vice Chair Pisicchio seconded the amendment. Committee 189 Member Young also described enforcement concerns based on vacation rental 190 impacts in Volcano, stating that unpermitted or poorly regulated rentals can create 191 neighborhood conflicts and that enforcement capacity is critical. [SEE YOUTUBE 192 TIMESTAMP 01:11:34] 193 Chair Pelletier stated that the testimony would be amended to include the “among 194 other things” language and that the Committee could continue reviewing other parts 195 of Bill 147 at a future meeting. Vice Chair Pisicchio stated that the bill is complex and 196 that the hosted-rental provisions also warrant further discussion. [SEE YOUTUBE 197 TIMESTAMP 01:22:34] 198 The Committee voted unanimously to submit the amended testimony at an upcoming 199 Planning Commission meeting if Bill 147 is scheduled. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 200 01:23:34] 201 This item concluded at approximately 1:26 p.m. 202 Public Testimony on Matters Not on the Agenda 203 Chair Pelletier called for public testimony on matters not on the agenda at approximately 204 1:26 p.m. No public testimony was provided. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 01:24:08] 205 Proposed New Business 206 This item was called to order at approximately 1:27 p.m. Committee members discussed 207 placing Bill 147 back on the next agenda, and possibly Bill 66 if additional Council action 208 occurs. Committee Member Thompson stated that she hoped to provide a Tree City USA 209 update and had reached out to potential presenters regarding Tree City USA, tree 210 standards, and procedures. Committee Member Young requested that the Holomua 211 Marine Initiative and aquarium fish collecting be placed on a future agenda because those 212 matters affect Kona residents even though they are largely within State jurisdiction. [SEE 213 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 01:24:41] 214 Announcements 215 Chair Pelletier announced upcoming Mālama ʻAimakapā Community Workdays at Kaloko-216 Honokōhau National Historical Park. Workdays were scheduled for Thursday, May 14, 217 June 11, July 9, and July 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. He stated that volunteers had 218 recently helped remove invasive plants and that the area is also a good place for 219 birdwatching. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 01:26:09] 220 KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of May 12, 2026 7 Chair Pelletier announced Holomua Marine Initiative talk story sessions scheduled for 221 Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Yano Hall, and Thursday, May 222 21, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Hawaiʻi Big Game Fishing Club. [SEE 223 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 01:27:30] 224 The Planning Department is seeking applicants for the Kona CDP Action Committee. The 225 application can be found on the Mayor’s office website at: 226 https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and-commissions 227 Vice Chair Pisicchio announced that several members had participated in training 228 regarding legislative changes to the Sunshine Law affecting CDP Action Committees, 229 including the ability to receive testimony on matters not on the agenda. She stated that 230 the training was useful and thanked staff for organizing it. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 231 01:28:16] 232 The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026. 233 Adjournment 234 Chair Pelletier adjourned the meeting at 1:32 p.m. 235 These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona 236 Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 237 Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning 238 Department by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing CDP@hawaiicounty.gov. 239