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Home My WebLink AboutPD Background Report (PL-SPP-2026-000129)1 B.Morrill_SPP.dh.9/28/26 COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI PLANNING DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND REPORT JANE MORRILL SPECIAL PERMIT APPLICATION NO. PL-SPP-2026-000129 Jane Morrill is requesting a Special Permit to establish a one (1) bedroom bed and breakfast within an existing one (1) bedroom ʻohana dwelling unit on a 3.507-acre property within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The subject property is located at 73-1499 Apela Place, on the west (makai) side of Kaloko Drive at its intersection with Apela Drive, Kaloko Mauka Subdivision, Kailua-Kona, North Kona, Hawaiʻi, TMK: (3) 7- 3-024:027. APPLICANTS’ REQUEST 1. Request: The proposed use consists of a bed-and-breakfast operation within an existing one-bedroom detached ‘ohana dwelling, originally constructed in approximately 1991. The Applicant resides full-time in the existing four-bedroom farm dwelling located towards the rear of the property, which serves as the owner-occupied host residence. Accordingly, the proposed use would operate as a bed and breakfast under applicable Hawaiʻi County regulations. The existing, permitted, detached ‘ohana dwelling contains one (1) bedroom, one (1) bathroom, a living room and a small kitchen, and would accommodate a maximum of two guests. The proposed use is intended to remain small in scale, quiet, low-impact, and incidental and subordinate to the principal residential and agricultural use of the subject property. The Applicant will personally manage all hosted accommodations, and no employees are proposed in association with the bed-and-breakfast operation. The resident operator will be present full-time and there will be no events, weddings, retreats, group activities, commercial gatherings or amplified music. Additionally, the Applicant notes that guest parking will be provided on-site and quiet hours will be enforced. 2. Reasons for Request: The requested Special Permit would allow the property owner to generate limited supplemental income to help offset the rising costs of 2 property maintenance, including the upkeep of the existing building, landscaping, utilities, insurance, agricultural improvements, and general stewardship of the land. The proposed use is intended to support the continued care and preservation of the property as an owner-occupied agricultural residence, without changing its primary residential and agricultural character. 3. Hours of Operation: The bed and breakfast will operate daily. 4. Staff: The bed and breakfast will be staffed by the on-site property owners. 5. Landowners: James H. Morrill and Jane Ellen Morrill. 6. Supportive Information: The Applicant has submitted the attached in support of the request: (Planning Department Exhibit 1 – Special Permit Application dated May 10, 2026, and Additional Information dated July 17, 2026). DESCRIPTION OF STATE & COUNTY PLANS 7. State Land Use District: Agricultural. 8. 2045 General Plan Land Use Map: Extensive Agriculture, which are lands that are not capable of producing sustained, high agricultural yields without the intensive application of modern farming methods and technologies due to certain physical constraints such as soil composition, slope, tillable by machine, and climate. These lands are better suited for other less intensive agricultural uses such as grazing and pasture and can support additional residential densities when situated near Urban Growth Areas (UGA). 9. County Zoning: Agricultural-3 acres (A-3a). 10. Community Development Plan (CDP): Community Development Plan: The Kona CDP, originally adopted by the Hawai‘i County Council on September 25, 2008, and most recently amended on September 18, 2019, identifies the property as located outside the Kona Urban Area. 11. Special Management Area (SMA): The subject property is located approximately 4.5 miles from the nearest coastline; thus, it is not located within the SMA. 3 DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECT PROPERTY AND SURROUNDING AREA 12. Subject Property: The subject property consists of approximately 3.507-acres, is generally rectangular in shape, and is located within the Kaloko Mauka Subdivision. The parcel is characterized by gently sloping terrain and is developed with an existing farm dwelling permitted and completed in 1981 and an ʻohana dwelling permitted and completed in 1991. The property contains a mix of cultivated agricultural areas, landscaped plantings, mature trees, and native vegetation. 13. Surrounding Zoning and Land Uses: Surrounding properties are zoned A-3a and FA-3a and are generally developed with low-density residential uses or remain vacant. The nearest neighboring residential structure is located approximately 450 feet west of the proposed permit area. This neighboring property to the west was approved for bed and breakfast use pursuant to a Special Permit granted in 1996. 14. USDA Soil Survey Report: The soil of the project site is listed as having Aʽā lava flows with 10 to 20 percent slopes. This soil type is well drained, has a very low runoff class and is not considered prime farmland. 15. Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM): Zone “X,” determined by FEMA to be an area of minimal flood hazard. 16. Land Study Bureau’s Overall Productivity Rating: The soils within the permit area are classified as “D” which represent land with poor agricultural activity. 17. Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai‘i (ALISH): Designated ‘Other Lands’ by ALISH which are typically used for lower-intensity agriculture, diversified crops, or extensive pasture and grazing lands. 18. Flora and Fauna Resources: No professional floral or faunal survey was conducted for the permit area. Existing vegetation on the subject property includes numerous coffee trees, tropical fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, small ʻōhiʻa trees, hapuʻu tree ferns, and other plant species commonly found within the upland Kona environment. According to the Applicant, Hawaiian hair sheep, as well as common native and migratory bird species, have been observed 4 frequenting the subject property. 19. Archaeological Resources: No archaeological studies were conducted for the project area. To the best of the Applicants’ knowledge, there are no known archaeological sites, historic structures, burial sites, lava tubes, midden deposits, structural remains, or other significant archaeological resources located on the property. 20. Valued Cultural Resources: According to the Applicant, no known traditional or customary Native Hawaiian cultural practices, gathering areas or access rights have occurred on the property. However, the Applicant notes the project will not restrict access to cultural sites nor interfere with traditional practices and that if cultural resources are discovered, appropriate notification and protection measures will be implemented. 21. Public Access: There is no known public access to the mountains or the shoreline that runs through the property. PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES 22. Access/Traffic: Access to the subject property is provided from Apela Place, a privately owned residential street serving six (6) properties, via an existing paved driveway approximately twelve (12) to fourteen (14) feet in width. The shared driveway provides access to both the owner-occupied farm dwelling and the detached ‘ohana dwelling. Existing traffic conditions in the surrounding area are primarily characterized by local residential activity and are generally low in volume throughout the year. The use would be limited to a maximum occupancy of two guests, involve low-frequency guest turnover, be owner-occupied and managed on-site, and would not include employees, parties, weddings, commercial events, or other high-intensity activities. 23. Water: The subject property is serviced by a 5/8-inch water meter and is limited to a maximum daily usage of four hundred (400) gallons. 24. Wastewater: The Applicant states the subject property is served by an existing permitted cesspool wastewater disposal system. According to the Applicant, the cesspool serves both the existing one-bedroom ‘ohana dwelling and the existing 5 four-bedroom farm dwelling. 25. Other Essential Utilities and Services: Electrical and telephone services are available to the subject property. Police services are provided by the Hawaiʻi Police Department, with the nearest station located approximately 7.5 miles away in Kailua-Kona. Fire protection and emergency response services are provided by Fire Station No. 7, located approximately 5.5 miles from the property. Medical services are available at Kona Community Hospital, located approximately 15.5 miles away in Captain Cook. AGENCY COMMENTS 26. State Department of Health: (Planning Department Exhibit 2 – August 5, 2026, Memo) 27. Department of Water Supply (Planning Department Exhibit 3 – August 12, 2026, Letter) AGENCIES – NO COMMENT OR CONCERN 28. State Office of Planning and Sustainable Development: (Planning Department Exhibit 4 – August 3, 2026, Email) 29. Department of Finance-Real Property Division: (Planning Department Exhibit 5 – August 10, 2026, Memo) 30. Police Department: (Planning Department Exhibit 6 – August 25, 2026, Letter) AGENCIES/ASSOCIATIONS – NO RESPONSE 31. Department of Public Works-Engineering Division, Department of Public Works- Building Division, Department of Environmental Management, Fire Department, State Land Use Commission, State Department of Agriculture, State Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, State Department of Land and Natural Resources-Land Division. PUBLIC COMMENTS 32. Testimony from Kimberly Crawford (Planning Department Exhibit 7 – October 1, 2026, Email)