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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD Background Report (PL-SPP-2026-000138)-1- COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I PLANNING DEPARTMENT BACKGROUND REPORT LAURA GREGORY SPECIAL PERMIT APPLICATION (PL-SPP-2026-000138) LAURA GREGORY is requesting a Special Permit to establish a three-bedroom bed and breakfast operation within an existing four-bedroom dwelling on a 3.00-acre parcel within the State Land Use Agricultural District. The subject parcel is located at 73-1711 Hao Street, Kaloko Mauka Subdivision, Kailua-Kona, North Kona, Hawai‘i, TMK: (3) 7-3-025:005. APPLICANT’S REQUEST 1. Request: The applicant is requesting a Special Permit to establish a 3-bedroom bed and breakfast operation within an existing four-bedroom farm dwelling located on the subject property. The existing dwelling consists of approximately 3,718 square feet, including the home and porches, on a 3.00-acre parcel. The proposed bed and breakfast will provide overnight accommodation in three guest bedrooms and will accommodate a maximum of eight (8) guests. The application identifies a fourth detached bedroom/caretaker area for the on-site caretaker/host. The bed and breakfast would operate within the existing dwelling and would not require additional construction, grading, land disturbance, or expansion of existing structures. The application indicates that the bed and breakfast has operated since 2011 and that no additional improvements are necessary to continue operating the bed and breakfast. 2. Staffing/Employees: The bed and breakfast establishment will be managed by the applicant and an on-site caretaker/co-manager. The applicant states that when guests are present there will be a full-time caretaker/host or other designated on-site operator on the building site. The applicant states that she does not have any W-2 employees and utilizes independent contractors and local vendors for cleaning, maintenance, landscaping, tree services, fence repair, and related services as needed. 3. Parking: Off-street parking is available on the subject property. The application proposes approximately 4 to 5 paved parking spaces on the property, depending on vehicle size. Two spaces are reserved for host/operator/caretaker use, and -2- two to three spaces are reserved for guest use. The guest driveway is described as a pull-through driveway, with both ends connecting to Pueo 2. The revised site plan identifies guest parking, host parking, driveway access, the water meter, cesspool, and the B&B area. 4. Hours of Operation / Operational Characteristics: The bed and breakfast will operate as a hosted bed and breakfast within the existing dwelling. The applicant states that guests will not be present without a full-time caretaker or other designated on-site operator present. The applicant states that guests are provided check-in/check-out instructions and directions before arrival, with access provided through keyless entry. Check-in/check-out times are flexible, with typical check-in at 2:00 p.m. and typical check-out at 12:00 p.m. The application states that the bed and breakfast strictly does not allow gatherings or events, including weddings, retreats, parties, receptions, or other gatherings. 5. Reason for Request: The applicant is requesting approval of a Special Permit to allow the continued operation of a hosted bed and breakfast within a portion of the existing farm dwelling. According to the applicant, income from the bed and breakfast helps support ongoing maintenance of the home and property, including invasive plant and tree removal, lawn and garden maintenance, and general repairs. The applicant also states that the property includes retained forest areas and that the bed and breakfast supports continued stewardship and maintenance of the property. 6. Definition of “Bed and Breakfast Establishment”: According to Section 25-1-5 of the Zoning Code, a “bed and breakfast establishment” means any single- family dwellings and/or guest houses, pursuant to Section 25-4-9, which have been permitted on a building site, in which overnight accommodations and only breakfast meals are provided to a maximum of ten guests, for compensation, for periods of less than thirty days. 7. Landowner: Laura Gregory. 8. Supportive Information: A Special Permit is required to operate a bed and breakfast establishment in the State Land Use Agricultural District. The applicant has submitted the attached in support of the request. (Planning Department Exhibit 1 – Special Permit Application dated May 28, 2026, as revised) -3- STATE & COUNTY PLANS 9. State Land Use District: Agricultural. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD) clarified that the subject parcel is not designated as Important Agricultural Lands but is within the State Land Use Agricultural District. 10. General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation (LUPAG) Map: The 2045 General Plan Land Use Map classifies the subject property as Extensive Agriculture. 11. County Zoning: Agricultural-3 acres (A-3a). 12. Kona Community Development Plan (KCDP): The Kona Community Development Plan was adopted on September 25, 2008, by Ordinance 08-131, and amended by Ordinance 19-104 on September 18, 2019. 13. Special Management Area (SMA): The property is not within the County’s Special Management Area. The subject property is approximately 5.5 miles from the closest shoreline. 14. Coastal Zone Management: The entire State of Hawai‘i lies within the Coastal Zone Management area. DESCRIPTION OF SUBJECT PROPERTY AND SURROUNDING AREA 15. Subject Property: The subject property consists of approximately 3.00 acres and is situated in the Kaloko-Mauka Subdivision in North Kona. Existing development includes a farm dwelling that existed at the time the applicant purchased the property in 2011. County Real Property Tax and Building Department information identifies the property as Agricultural and identifies a residential improvement with four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and one half bathroom. All bedrooms have received final Building Department inspections (B2011-0411K-LTS (1 BR) and #015289 (3 BR)). The dwelling and related improvements are located within the already developed portion of the property. The application states that over 75 percent of the subject property is and will remain forested, and that the property is subject to restrictive and boundary covenants associated with Rezone Ordinance No. 95-49. The applicant states that no land clearing or new building will take place for this project. The subject property appears to have been created as part of a post-1976 subdivision. The subdivision map submitted with the application shows the -4- subdivision of Lot 3 of Block 5, Kaloko Mauka Subdivision, Increment 1, into Lots 3-A through 3-G, inclusive, and indicates that the map was approved for recordation on June 30, 2001. The map also identifies forest reserve easement areas and a 100-foot building setback, consistent with the forest-retention and subdivision conditions associated with Ordinance No. 95-49. 16. Surrounding Zoning/Land Uses: The surrounding area is similarly zoned Agricultural-3 acres (A-3a), with Agricultural-5 acres (A-5a) and Agricultural-20 acres (A-20a) zoned lands located farther mauka to the northeast. Conservation- zoned lands are located to the northwest but do not directly abut the subject property. The subject property is located within the Kaloko-Mauka Subdivision, which is characterized primarily by rural residential development on agricultural lots, with limited agricultural and forested/open-space uses in the vicinity. The applicant states that the site is located in a developed subdivision less than 5 miles from KOA airport and approximately 7 miles from the Kailua-Kona downtown district. For additional neighborhood context, a prior Special Permit was approved in 1998 for a 3-bedroom bed and breakfast within an existing dwelling on approximately 3.00 acres in the Kaloko Mauka Subdivision on Apela Place. That prior approval described the surrounding area as Agricultural-zoned lands and found that the proposed use would be confined within the existing dwelling and immediate vicinity. 17. U.S.D.A. Soil Type: The subject property is underlain by Puna and Haplic Udarents soils, 10 to 20 percent slopes, which are not classified as prime farmland and have a capability class of 7s, indicating very severe limitations for cultivation and use mainly suited to grazing, forestland, or wildlife habitat. 18. Land Study Bureau’s Detailed Land Classification System: According to the Land Study Bureau’s Detailed Land Classification system, the subject property is classified as Class E, indicating lands with very poor agricultural capability and generally unsuitable for intensive agricultural use. 19. Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai‘i (ALISH): Soils within the project site are designated “Other Lands” by the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai‘i. -5- 20. Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM): The property is classified as Flood Zone “X,” (Area of Minimal Flood Hazard) according to the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Mapping system. 21. Flora/Fauna Resources: No formal flora/fauna study was conducted as the proposed use will be conducted within an existing structure. The application describes the property as containing native forest and lush undergrowth, including ʻōhiʻa, and identifies fruit-producing trees, native forest, and undergrowth maintained by the applicant. The application further states that over 75 percent of the property is forested and will remain forested, and that the bed and breakfast income supports invasive species removal and maintenance of the retained forested portions of the property. The subject property is subject to forest-related preservation restrictions stemming from Ordinance No. 95-49, which rezoned approximately 22.307 acres in Kaloko, North Kona from A-20a to A-3a. Ordinance No. 95-49 required forest reserve easements and restrictive covenants, including a 60-foot-wide forest reserve easement, a 30-foot-wide forest reserve easement along other lot lines, and a requirement that no less than 50 percent of the total lot area be retained in forest. The application states that the property is approximately 2,600 feet in elevation. 22. Agricultural Use: The subject property is not operated as a commercial agricultural farm; however, the applicant maintains ongoing small-scale agricultural and forest stewardship activities on the property consisting of coffee, citrus, avocado, banana, pineapple, fig, papaya, pepper plants, herbs, vegetables, other fruit-bearing trees, garden areas, and invasive species control. According to the applicant, these plantings and stewardship activities are actively maintained as part of the ongoing care and rural character of the property and will continue in conjunction with the proposed bed and breakfast use. The application does not identify the acreage or square footage devoted to agricultural activity, the number of crops or trees under cultivation, or the quantity of agricultural products produced on the property. 23. Archaeological/Cultural/Historical Resources: No archaeological or cultural study was conducted of the property as the subject property has been previously -6- developed with an existing residence and related residential improvements. The applicant states that no known archaeological or cultural resources have been located on the subject site, and no land alteration or new construction is proposed as part of the request. 24. Public Access: There is no known public access to the shoreline or mountain areas that traverses the subject property. The applicant states that there is no current or planned public access on the subject site. The Makaula-ʻOʻoma Trail is located mauka/northwest of the subject property in the broader vicinity; however, the proposed use will occur within the existing dwelling and is not anticipated to affect public access to the trail or surrounding mauka areas. PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SERVICES 25. Access/Parking/Traffic: According to Hawai‘i County Zoning Code Section 25- 4-51(a)(2), a bed and breakfast establishment must provide one parking stall for each guest bedroom and one stall for the dwelling. The proposed site plan and narrative identify approximately 4 to 5 paved parking spaces on the subject property. Two spaces are reserved for host/operator/caretaker use, and two to three spaces are reserved for guest use. The subject property is accessed from Hao Street/Pueo 2. Pueo 2 is a private roadway adjacent to the subject site and provides access to neighboring homes. The deed excerpt submitted with the application references a perpetual, non-exclusive easement for access and utility purposes over, under, along, and across Easement 2, as granted by ‘Declaration Re Road Maintenance’, dated March 21, 2001. The guest driveway is described as a pull-through driveway with both ends connecting to Pueo 2. No modifications to the existing access are proposed. 26. Water: Potable water to the subject property is provided by County water. The application proposes to utilize the existing water system, and no expansion of water infrastructure is proposed. The site plan identifies the existing water meter and water shutoff. The Department of Water Supply (DWS) reviewed the application and noted that the subject parcel is served by an existing 5/8-inch meter, which is limited to an average daily usage of 400 gallons and suitable for only one single-family dwelling. DWS has no objection to the establishment of a three-bedroom bed and breakfast on the subject parcel; however, the proposed -7- use will require installation of a reduced pressure-type backflow prevention assembly within five (5) feet of the existing meter on private property. The installation of the backflow prevention assembly must be inspected and approved by DWS before the commencement/continuation of water service. 27. Wastewater: The application states that wastewater generated by the proposed bed and breakfast will be handled by the existing permitted cesspool. The New Cesspool Information Card included with the application identifies a cesspool associated with a three-bedroom dwelling. The applicant states that the three- bedroom home aligns with the documentation and that the proposed use will remain within the existing wastewater capacity. The Department of Health provided standard land use comments and stated that project owners are responsible for adhering to applicable standard comments and obtaining proper and necessary permits before commencement of any work. 28. Solid Waste: Any solid waste generated by the proposed bed and breakfast operation will be disposed of through existing residential solid waste disposal methods or by the B&B host. 29. Food Service Operations: By definition, bed and breakfast establishments may only provide breakfast meals to guests. The applicant states that fresh produce may be provided as available for breakfast. The Department of Health provided standard comments regarding food service operations for bed and breakfast uses, including guidance regarding when home-kitchen food service may be exempt from certain food establishment requirements and when food service permitting may be required. The applicant shall comply with applicable Department of Health requirements. 30. Essential Utilities and Services: The subject property is served by existing electrical service and County water. The application proposes to use existing infrastructure and does not propose additional construction, building, or infrastructure expansion. The applicant states that exterior hose bibs, substantial hoses, spray nozzles, and fire extinguishers are available for fire suppression/emergency use. -8- AGENCY COMMENTS 31. State Department of Health: (Planning Department Exhibit 2 – August 5, 2026, Memo). 32. State Office of Planning and Sustainable Development (OPSD): (Planning Department Exhibit 3 – August 4, 2026, Email). 33. Department of Water Supply: (Planning Department Exhibit 4 – August 12, 2026, Letter). AGENCIES – NO COMMENTS/NO CONCERNS 34. Real Property Tax Division, Police Department. AGENCIES – NO RESPONSE 35. Department of Public Works – Engineering Division and Building Division, Department of Environmental Management, Fire Department, State Department of Agriculture, State Land Use Commission, State Department of Land and Natural Resources – Land Division and Engineering Division, and State Historic Preservation Division, State Department of Health- Wastewater Branch. PUBLIC COMMENTS 36. Testimony from Kimberly Crawford (Planning Department Exhibit 5 – October 1, 2026, Email). JOSH GREEN, M.D. KENNETH S. FINK, M.D, MGA, MPH GOVERNOR OF HAWAII DIRECTOR OF HEALTH KE KIA’AINA O KA MOKU’AINA O HAWAI’I KA LUNA HO’OKELE STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH P.O. BOX 916 HILO, HAWAII 96721-0916 MEMORANDUM DATE: August 5, 2026 TO: Mr. Jeffrey W. Darrow Planning Director, County of Hawaii FROM: Eric Honda District Environmental Health Program Chief SUBJECT: Special Permit Application (PL-SPP-2026-000138) Applicant: Laura Gregory Request: To Establish a Three-Bedroom Bed and Breakfast Operation Within an Existing Four-Bedroom Dwelling TMK: 7-3-025:005, North Kona, Hawaiʻi In most cases, the District Health Office will no longer provide individual comments to agencies or project owners to expedite the land use review and process. Agencies, project owners, and their agents should apply Department of Health “Standard Comments” regarding land use to their standard project comments in their submittal. Standard comments can be found on the Land Use Planning Review section of the Department of Health website: https://health.hawaii.gov/epo/landuse/. Contact information for each Branch/Office is available on that website. Note: Agencies and project owners are responsible for adhering to all applicable standard comments and obtaining proper and necessary permits before the commencement of any work. General summary comments have been included for your convenience. However, these comments are not all-inclusive and do not substitute for review of and compliance with all applicable standard comments for the various DOH individual programs. Clean Air Branch 1. All project activities shall comply with the Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR), Chapters 11-59 and 11-60.1. Jeffrey W. Darrow August 5, 2026 Page 2 of 4 2. Control of Fugitive Dust: You must reasonably control the generation of all airborne, visible fugitive dust and comply with the fugitive dust provisions of HAR §11-60.1-33. Note that activities that occur near existing residences, businesses, public areas, and major thoroughfares exacerbate potential dust concerns. It is recommended that a dust control management plan be developed which identifies and mitigates all activities that may generate airborne and visible fugitive dust and that buffer zones be established wherever possible. 3. Standard comments for the Clean Air Branch are at: https://health.hawaii.gov/epo/landuse/ Clean Water Branch 1. All project activities shall comply with the HAR, Chapters 11-53, 11-54, and 11-55. 1. The following Clean Water Branch website contains information for agencies and/or project owners who are seeking comments regarding environmental compliance for their projects with HAR, Chapters 11-53, 11-54, and 11-55: https://health.hawaii.gov/cwb/clean-water-branch-home- page/cwb- standard-comments/. Hazard Evaluation & Emergency Response Office 1. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and Phase II Site Investigation should be conducted for projects wherever current or former activities on site may have resulted in releases of hazardous substances, including oil or chemicals. Areas of concern include current and former industrial areas, harbors, airports, and formerly and currently zoned agricultural lands used for growing sugar, pineapple or other agricultural products. 2. Standard comments for the Hazard Evaluation & Emergency Response Office are at: https://health.hawaii.gov/epo/landuse/. Indoor and Radiological Health Branch 1. Project activities shall comply with HAR Chapters 11-39, 11-45, 11-46, 11-501, 11-502, 11-503, and 11-504. 2. Noise may be generated during demolition and/or construction. The applicable maximum permissible sound levels, as stated in Title 11, HAR, Chapter 11-46, “Community Noise Control,” shall not be exceeded unless a noise permit is obtained from the Department of Health. 3. Construction/Demolition Involving Asbestos: If the proposed project includes renovation/demolition activities that may involve asbestos, the applicant should contact the Asbestos and Lead Section of the Branch at https://health.hawaii.gov/irhb/asbestos/. Safe Drinking Water Branch Jeffrey W. Darrow August 5, 2026 Page 3 of 4 1. Agencies and/or project owners are responsible for ensuring environmental compliance for their projects in the areas of 1) Public Water Systems; 2) Underground Injection Control; and 3) Groundwater and Source Water Protection in accordance with HAR Chapters 11-19, 11-20, 11-21, 11-23, 11-23A, and 11- 25. They may be responsible for fulfilling additional requirements related to the Safe Drinking Water program: https://health.hawaii.gov/sdwb/. 2. Standard comments for the Safe Drinking Water Branch can be found at: https://health.hawaii.gov/epo/landuse/. Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch 1. Hazardous Waste Program - The state regulations for hazardous waste and used oil are in HAR Chapters 11-260.1 to 11-279.1. These rules apply to the identification, handling, transportation, storage, and disposal of regulated hazardous waste and used oil. 2. Solid Waste Programs - The laws and regulations are contained in HRS Chapters 339D, 342G, 342H, and 342I, and HAR Chapters 11-58.1 and 11-282. Generators and handlers of solid waste shall ensure proper recycling or disposal at DOH-permitted solid waste management facilities. If possible, waste prevention, reuse, and recycling are preferred options over disposal. The Office of Solid Waste Management also oversees the electronic device recycling and recovery law, the glass advanced disposal fee program, and the deposit beverage container program. 3. Underground Storage Tank Program – The state regulations for underground storage tanks are in HAR Chapter 11-280.1. These rules apply to the design, operation, closure, and release response requirements for underground storage tank systems, including unknown underground tanks identified during construction. 4. Standard comments for the Solid & Hazardous Waste Branch can be found at: https://health.hawaii.gov/epo/landuse/. Wastewater Branch For comments, please email the Wastewater Branch at doh.wwb@doh.hawaii.gov. Sanitation / Local DOH Comments: 1. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide interpretation of the Department of Health’s Administrative Rules, Title 11, Chapter 50, Food Safety Code, as it pertains to Bed and Breakfast operations. 2. A “Bed and Breakfast” establishment where food is served to no more than six guests, so long as the person in charge obtains food protection certification pursuant to section HAR 11-50-20(c), food operations are limited to those risk categories enumerated in section 11-50-7(e)(1)- (4) (receiving; cold storage, holding, preparation, and thawing, hot storage, holding, and preparation, thermal Jeffrey W. Darrow August 5, 2026 Page 4 of 4 processing) and signage, with lettering no smaller than one inch in height, remains posted at the entrance to the kitchen within the home notifying any consumer that the food served is "Made in a home kitchen not routinely inspected by the Department of Health" shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter except that they shall remain subject to inspection. Other 1. CDC - Healthy Places - Healthy Community Design Checklist Toolkit recommends that state and county planning departments, developers, planners, engineers, and other interested parties apply these principles when planning or reviewing new developments or redevelopment projects. 2. If new information is found or changes are made to your submittal, DOH reserves the right to implement appropriate environmental health restrictions as required. Should there be any questions on this matter, please contact the Department of Health, Hawaii District Health Office, at (808) 933-0917. From: Asuncion, Leodoloff R To: Planning Internet Mail Subject: Special Permit Application (PL-SPP-2026-000138) Applicant-Laura Gregory Establish a Bed and Breakfast Operation [OPSD DTS 202607301640NA] Date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 12:47:04 PM Attachments: Outlook-m0jt3oyp.png Attn: Mr. Kevin Sullivan Dear Mr. Sullivan, Thank you for transmitting the subject Special Permit Application to establish a three-bedroom Bed & Breakfast operation within an existing four-bedroom dwelling, as transmitted by Memorandum dated July 30, 2026. The Office of Planning and Sustainable Development has reviewed the subject Special Permit Application and have no substantial comments to offer at this time. However, we do wish clarify that applicant stated that the subject parcel "... is designated Important Agricultural Lands by the State Land Use Commission. ..." (see page 2, Part I - Introduction - of the Application Packet). In checking with the maps of the Land Use Commission, the subject parcel is not designated as Important Agricultural Lands, but only within the State Land Use Agricultural District. If you have any questions, please feel free to respond to this e-mail or contact me at the number below. Thanks, Leo R. Asuncion Planning Program Administrator Land Use Division 808.587.2846 (main) Leodoloff.r.asuncion@hawaii.gov 19% 14C 1* DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY • COUNTY OF HAWAI`I 345 KEKUANAO`A STREET, SUITE 20 • HILO, HAWAII 96720OEHIAWN,, ' TELEPHONE (808)961-8050 • FAX (808) 961-8657 August 12, 2026 CDH PLANNING DEPT AUG 20 2026 Pry 2:13 TO: Mr. Jeffrey Darrow, Director Planning Department REC'D HAND DELIVERED FROM: Keith K. Okamoto,Manager-Chief Engineer SUBJECT: Special Permit Application (PL-SPP-2026-000138) Applicant: Laura Gregory Request: To Establish a Three-Bedroom Bed and Breakfast Operation Within an Existing Four-Bedroom Dwelling Tax Map Key(3)7-3-025:005 We have reviewed the subject request and have the following comments. Please be informed that there is an existing 5/8-inch meter serving the subject parcel (Account No. 930-08970) which is limited to an average daily usage of 400 gallons and suitable for only one(1)single-family dwelling. The Department has no objection to the establishment of a three-bedroom bed and breakfast on the subject parcel. The proposed use will require the installation of a reduced pressure-type backflow prevention assembly within five(5) feet of the existing meter on private property. The installation ofthe backflow prevention assembly must be inspected and approved by the Department before the commencement/continuation of water service. A copy of the Department's Backflow Prevention handout is attached to help you understand this requirement. Should there be any questions,please contact Mr. Michael Mori of our Water Resources and Planning Branch at 808)961-8070, extension 257. Sincerely yours, Keith K. Okamoto, P.E. Manager-Chief Engineer MM:dfg Enc. copy— Ms. Laura Gregory DWS Cross-Connection Section Water, Our Most Precious Resource . . . 2(a WaiA pane. . . The Department of Water Supply is an Equal Opportunity provider and employer. Backflow Prevention WHY backflow prevention Backflow prevention is required by Federal (Safe Drinking Water Act), State of Hawaii (Water System Standards) and County of Hawaii Department of Water Supply (Rules and Regulations) to protect the public water system from contamination. HOW to prevent backflow A Backflow prevention assembly prevents the undesirable return of water from the consumer premises, which may contain contaminants or pollutants, into the public water system. WHO needs to install a backflow prevention assembly? A consumer who meets any of the following conditions is required to install a backflow prevention assembly. Agricultural Activities Note: The installation of a backflow prevention assembly does not automatically constitute approval for agricultural rates. Auxiliary water sources including, but not limited to, reclaimed water, swimming pools, catchment tanks and ponds. Construction Activities Commercial Activities Government Facilities Irrigation/sprinkler systems Non-Residential facilities including, but not limited to harbors, churches and community parks Master meters —multi dwelling on one meter Any residential facility having any of the above or other potential hazards (ex. Pressurized system) REQUIREMENTS for installation and maintenance A consumer who is required to have a backflow prevention assembly needs to hire, at their expense, a licensed plumber to install an approved backflow prevention assembly. The operation, maintenance and periodic testing of the backflow prevention assembly will be the responsibility of the consumer. The installation will have to be inspected and approved by the Department of Water Supply. CONTACT for inspections or questions Please contact personnel at the Cross-Connection Control section, phone number 961-8670, for inspection and approval once the backflow prevention assembly has been installed or should you have any questions. BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY TYPICAL INSTALLATION AS OF JANUARY 4, 2014 ALL NEW BACKFLOW ASSEMBLY INSTALLATIONS SHALL BE LEAD FREE DNS APPROVED BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY T ; . L.I I iYIhI REQU HEIGHT IREMENT I L) Iff L SEE TABLE 4"PROPERTY LINE FINISHED GRADE S OR FLOORJ 1 Q TO CUSTOMER'S EQUIPMENT M 5; E ETR {I HEIGHT REQUIREMENT TABLE SIZE (INCHES)H (INCHES) 3/4 TO 1-1/2 18 2T03 24 4 TO 6 30 8 TO 10 36 NOTES: 1. AT NO TIME SHALL THE BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY BE LESS THAN THE REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED IN THE ABOVE TABLE NOR MORE THAN 48" ABOVE AFOREMENTIONED GRADES. 2. A DWS-APPROVED BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY SHALL BE INSTALLED AFTER THE WATER METER PRIOR TO ANY TEES AND BRANCHES. 3. THE BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY SHALL BE LOCATED WITHIN 5' OF THE METER ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. IF OVER 5', CONCRETE ENCASE PIPE BETWEEN WATER METER AND BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY TO AVOID POTENTIAL CROSS CONNECTION. 4. THE BACKFLOW PREVENTION ASSEMBLY SHALL BE INSTALLED BY THE CONSUMER AND INSPECTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY PRIOR TO ACTIVATION OF WATER SERVICE. 5. REFER TO DIVISION 100, SECTION 107.1, OF THE WATER SYSTEM STANDARDS 2002, FOR ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND TYPE OF BACKFLOW PREVENTER NEEDED. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED CLARIFICATION, PLEASE CALL THE CROSS-CONNECTION SECTION AT 961-8670. REVISED NOVEMBER 2013 From:Kim Crawford To:Planning LPC Testimony Subject:RE: PL-SPP-2026-000138 — Laura Gregory Date:Thursday, October 1, 2026 10:28:43 AM RE: PL-SPP-2026-000138 — Laura Gregory Aloha Leeward Planning Commissioners, I am submitting testimony regarding the two Special Permit applications currently before you for additional bed and breakfast operations within Kaloko-Mauka Subdivision. My concern is not limited to either property individually. I am asking the Commission to lookat the cumulative pattern of non-residential and visitor-serving uses being allowed within Kaloko-Mauka and what that pattern means for a community that remains primarily residentialand agricultural in character. Kaloko-Mauka already accommodates visitor and commercial activity. Mountain Thunder Coffee operates a working agricultural business with visitor tours on Haʻo Street. Kona CloudForest Sanctuary also brings visitors into the area for guided experiences. B&Bs have previously been permitted within the subdivision, and other commercial Special Permitapplications have come before the Commission. Now two additional B&B Special Permits are being considered at the same time. At some point, these applications cannot continue to be evaluated as though each exists in isolation. Every additional visitor-serving use means additional people who do not live in theneighborhood traveling into and out of Kaloko-Mauka. Nearly all of that traffic eventually has to interact with the limited road network serving this community. The intersection of Kaloko Drive and Māmalahoa Highway is especially concerning. This concern is not new. During consideration of another commercial Special Permit inKaloko-Mauka in 2025, residents raised concerns with the Planning Department about increasing traffic and safety at this intersection. The Planning Department's own reportreferenced State plans to signalize the intersection and add turn lanes. Those improvements have not happened. There is still no traffic signal and no dedicated turn-lane improvement addressing the difficulty of entering Māmalahoa Highway from Kaloko Drive. To my knowledge, there isalso no near-term construction date that residents can rely upon. That matters. We should not continue approving additional traffic-generating uses based on infrastructure improvements that have been discussed but do not yet exist. We are seeing similar road-safety pressures elsewhere in this same part of North Kona.Kaiminani Drive, another major mauka-makai residential road connecting into Māmalahoa Highway, has recently required additional traffic-calming measures. These communities arealready dealing with roads that were built around residential use while the intensity of development and traffic around them continues to increase. Before approving additional visitor-serving uses within Kaloko-Mauka, I believe theCommission should require a clear accounting of the cumulative traffic being generated by existing commercial and visitor uses, existing B&Bs, these proposed B&Bs, and otherapproved Special Permits—not simply the projected trips generated by each application individually. There is a larger land-use issue here as well. These are agricultural parcels within a residential/agricultural community. A Special Permit issupposed to be an exception. But when Special Permits repeatedly allow B&Bs, professional offices, visitor attractions and other non-residential uses throughout the same agriculturalcommunity, we need to ask when the accumulation of exceptions begins changing the underlying character of the area. Kaloko-Mauka should not slowly become a commercial and visitor accommodation districtthrough individual Special Permits without ever having the larger community conversation about whether that is what this area should become. I am also asking the Commission to recognize the environment these decisions are being madewithin. Kaloko-Mauka is not simply vacant agricultural land available for additional economic uses. It sits within the upper slopes of Hualālai and an important part of Kona's mauka landscape andwatershed. The surrounding forest and agricultural lands have ecological and groundwater functions that deserve recognition when cumulative development and increased intensity ofuse are considered. Protecting this place does not mean nothing can ever happen here. It means growth should remain appropriate to the capacity and character of the place. Two additional B&Bs may appear relatively small when considered separately. But they arenot occurring separately. They are being proposed within a community that already accommodates visitor-serving businesses, existing B&Bs and other commercial uses, using thesame neighborhood roads and the same primary connection to the highway. That cumulative impact matters. I respectfully ask the Commission to evaluate these applications in the context of the existing concentration of visitor and commercial uses within Kaloko-Mauka; existing and previouslyapproved B&Bs; the actual current capacity and safety of Kaloko Drive and its intersection with Māmalahoa Highway; the fact that previously discussed intersection improvements havenot been constructed; impacts to the residential and agricultural character of the community; and the cumulative pressure being placed on this upper-Hualālai environment. We should not continue increasing the intensity of use first and hope that the infrastructurecatches up later. Mahalo for your consideration.