HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-02 HearingTranscript - PD Initiated GP LUPAG MAP 14
WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I
HEARING TRANSCRIPT
JULY 2, 2015
Planning Director Initiated Amendment to Map 14 of
A regularly advertised hearing on the
the County of Hawai‛i General Plan LUPAG Map
was called to order at 9:01 a.m. in the
County of Hawai‘i Aupuni Center Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i with
Chairman Myles Miyasato presiding.
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Myles Miyasato, Charles Heaukulani, Gregory Henkel, Donald
Ikeda, and Raylene Moses.
ABSENT & EXCUSED: Donn Dela Cruz.
ALSO PRESENT: Duane Kanuha (Planning Director), Danny Patel (Deputy Corporation
Counsel for the Windward Planning Commission), Daryn Arai (Planning Program Manager),
and Sarah Hata-Finley (Commission Secretary).
And approximately 8 people from the public in attendance.
INITIATOR: PLANNING DIRECTOR (GPA-14-002)
An amendment to Map 14 of the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) Map of the
County of Hawai‛i General Plan (adopted by Ordinance No. 05-025, amended by Ordinance
Nos. 06-153, 12-89, and 14-087) by changing the land use designation for portions of Kea‛au
Village and immediately surrounding area as follows:
Low Density Urban to Medium Density Urban
A-1: encompassing a contiguous area of
approximately 475 acres from approximately 0.3 miles northwest (makai) of the intersection of
Kea‛au-Pāhoa Bypass Road and Highway 11 (Volcano Highway) to and including the area in the
vicinity of Ulupono and Milo Streets, extending south of Kukula Street and then in a westerly
direction to the boundary of the Kea‛au Ag Lots Subdivision to the Highway 11-Old Volcano
Highway intersection along the Old Volcano Highway leading to the Village core.
Important Agricultural Land to Medium Density Urban
A-2: encompassing the
triangular area of approximately 112 acres from Kukula Street-Kea‛au Bypass Road intersection
south to the Kea‛au Bypass Road-Kea‛au Pāhoa Road intersection, and then approximately to the
northeastern corner of the Kea‛au Ag Lots Subdivision.
MIYASATO: Under new business item on the agenda--Initiator Planning Director, amendment
to Map 14.
ARAI: Good morning, Mr. Chairman, Commissioners. The first and only item on today’s
agenda is a Planning Director initiated request to amend the General Plan Land Use Pattern
Allocation Guide Map for that particular area in the vicinity of Kea‛au Town.
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EXHIBIT A
And, if I may direct your attention to the presentation on the screen--first of all, why amend the
Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map for Kea‛au Town?
It was predicated on a County Council Resolution No. 464-14 that was issued in July 18, 2014,
where the Council requested the Director to initiate an interim amendment to the Land Use
Pattern Allocation Guide Map in the vicinity of the Kea‛au Regional Town Center as defined by
the Puna Community Development Plan based on findings that:
(1)The County of Hawai‛i General Plan LUPAG Map designations for the Kea‛au Regional
Town Center area are inconsistent with the objectives, actions, and land use
recommendations of the Puna CDP.
(2)There are inconsistencies between the existing zoning designations and the LUPAG Map
designations in the vicinity of Ulupono and Milo Streets, and I’ll show you that later as
we go through some additional slides.
(3)In order to meet the objectives of the Puna CDP and to facilitate future land use
entitlements and enhance the role of the Kea‛au Regional Town Center, including the
Puna CDP’s statement that zoning for residential development and associated
neighborhood oriented services may occur within the LUPAG alternate urban expansion
areas, the General Plan should be more closely aligned to the Puna CDP.
(4)Inconsistencies between the LUPAG map and the Puna CDP recommendations, growth
within the Kea‛au Regional Town Center has been primarily confined to a core in which
specific settlement patterns have not yet been fixed and which is currently designated
Medium Density Urban on the LUPAG Map, with limited opportunities in the Low
Density Urban area for higher density residential units and retail and office commercial
uses to support the regional town center in Kea‛au.
For these reasons, the County Council through this specific resolution expresses support of the
amendment because it supports the Kea‛au Regional Town Center principles and designation
adopted in the Puna CDP and determines the development of the Kea‛au Regional Town Center
will serve the interest of the public by stimulating growth through sustainable principles that will
provide for improved public infrastructural systems and facilities, direct and indirect
employment, and a continued sense of place outlined herein, in the Puna CDP, and in the
General Plan.
Public informational meetings on the Council resolution and its directive to the Department were
th
held on February 11, 2015 in Kea‛au and the following day, February 12, in Kona. During the
Kea‛au meeting, some concerns were expressed by the public, among others, focused on the
overly broad nature of the proposed urban expansion designation as defined in the Council
resolution, that could allow industrial uses within the village town center and in close proximity
to existing residential uses and schools, creating an issue of compatibility between these uses.
Based on those comments received during the workshops and public and agency review period,
the Planning Director recommends that the proposed LUPAG Map amendment identify a
medium density urban designation that would be more appropriate as it would expand upon the
existing medium density urban designation that encompasses the existing commercial area in
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EXHIBIT A
Kea‛au town while limiting the potential for potentially incompatible industrial uses within the
town center.
This figure here is taken directly from the Puna Community Development Plan, and this is
Highway 11 to your right toward Hilo, to the left toward Volcano. This road here where I’m
pointing at is the Kea‛au Bypass that heads on its way down to Pāhoa. The large purple area you
see here is the Kea‛au—I’m sorry—the Shipman Industrial Park. And, the Kea‛au commercial
core is located at the intersection of Kea‛au-Pāhoa Road and Highway 11.
As you can see here, it outlines regional uses. This is the area on the mauka side of Highway 11,
and Kea‛au Park is roughly in this vicinity here. Off to your left is Kamehameha School
Complex here. And, the dark red colors shown here is the Gateway project that doesn’t exist on
the ground but for which zoning has already been established. And again, you have the other red
area here represents the Kea‛au, existing Kea‛au commercial core.
The map actually shows the preliminary outline or boundaries, perimeter boundary, of the
Kea‛au Regional Town Center, and you can see it where it basically goes on the mauka side of
Highway 11 around Shipman Industrial Park and then along the Pāhoa Bypass, and then makes
its way back along the, the eastern boundary of Kea‛au Ag Lots.
This figure here is the existing General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map with makai
basically to the, to the top of the map mauka to the bottom. The dark gray represents Industrial
lands. This particular area is Shipman Industrial. This other gray area here is in the vicinity of
the HELCO power plant. The cross hatch here is Urban Expansion. Urban Expansion is a type
of designation that the County Council, through its resolution, asked the Director to, to take a
look at as part of this proposed LUPAG Map amendment. The yellow represents Low Density
Urban uses which is typically single family residential types of uses. And the orange here, which
basically comprises roughly 52 acres of land, encompasses the existing Kea‛au commercial core.
I’m now gonna switch over to the proposed map. This map represents that particular area by
which the proposed amendment will change the General Plan LUPAG Map classification from
Low Density uses to Medium Density, and that is represented here. That comprises
approximately 475 acres. And, there’s a little segment here of approximately 112 acres located
in the vicinity of Kea‛au High School. And, that area will go from Important Agricultural Lands
to Medium Density Urban.
And, once again, right here, the existing medium density urban area that encompasses the Kea‛au
Village, Kea‛au Town Center core—commercial core I should say. And, this proposal would
simply expand that medium density throughout the area bordered by the Pāhoa Bypass, off to the
right by the Kea‛au Ag Lots, Highway 11 at the bottom of the map, and abutting against the
existing Industrial designation that surrounds the power plant.
The desig—you may see here—hopefully, you can see here, the existing subdivisions in the
vicinity of the town core. Those areas will remain Low Density Urban. So, by looking at this
map, you can understand some of the concerns by the community with the original Council
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EXHIBIT A
expressed Urban Expansion designation that could possibly accommodate industrial type of uses
and the concern that such industrial type of uses in such close proximity to these established
residential areas could create a conflict between those uses.
Just to clarify some of the designations that I, I referenced. Low Density Urban includes
residential units with unit density of about 6 units per acre with ancillary community and public
uses and neighborhood convenience type of commercial uses. Typical zonings allowed within
the Low Density area is single family, RS; Double Family, RD; Open; Limited Commercial—
I’m sorry—Limited Neighborhood Commercial or CN; or Village Commercial, CV.
Important Agricultural Lands designation, I’m sorry, are those lands with better potential for
sustained high agricultural yields because of soil type, climate, topography, or other factors. And
zonings allowed within the Important Agricultural area is Agricultural; Family Agricultural;
Important Agricultural; and Open.
And, again, just for reference, the current area designated Important Agriculture is in the vicinity
of Kea‛au High School.
Those classifications I mentioned earlier are being requested to be amended to a Medium
Density Urban classification that would allow for village and neighborhood commercial and
single family and multiple family residential uses and related functions with a unit density not to
exceed 35 units per acre. And, typical zonings allowed within Medium Density include Single
Family; Double Family; Multiple Family; Residential-Commercial Mixed Use Districts, RCX;
Neighborhood Commercial; Village Commercial; Project Districts; and Open.
Just for reference, excuse me, just for reference purposes, this is a map depicting the existing
zoning pattern in the vicinity of the Kea‛au Town area. The dark green represents Agricultural,
minimum lot size 20 acres. The white area here is the Shipman Industrial Park which is
currently designated Industrial. Off to your right is the lighter green color which is Agriculture –
1 acre, minimum lot size. This is Kea‛au Agricultural lots. The yellow colors here represent
single family residential uses, encompassing the existing subdivisions within the Kea‛au, Kea‛au
Village core. And, the other white color here, and I’m sorry that didn’t come out well, is the
existing commercial zoned lands that encompasses the Kea‛au commercial core.
Now, what we tried to do was sort of like overlay the, the proposed LUPAG Map amendment
Map that’s—you have in your Background Report—overlay it with an aerial shot of the Kea‛au
Village, and I’m always impressed that we can do these kind of things nowadays. But, you can
see Kea‛au-Pāhoa Bypass up near the top of the map. This is Highway 11 to the left toward
Hilo; to the right toward Volcano. And, you can see Kea‛au Ag Lots off to your right here,
lower right. And, again, you see the existing single family dwellings within the town center
itself. And the cross hatch, once again, represents that area that we are proposing to go from
Low Density Urban to Medium Density Urban. And, off to your right here, is, you can see just
under the cross hatching, is the Kea‛au High School complex, and in this particular area, we’re
asking for an Important Agricultural Land amendment to Medium Density Urban.
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EXHIBIT A
So—so, with that, we are asking the Commission for a favorable, favorable consideration of this
proposed LUPAG Map amendment as presented, and I would like to draw your attention to a
letter that we just received yesterday from HMSA dated June 25, and it is a letter in support of
the proposed amendment request.
So, with that, I stand ready to answer any questions that you may have.
MIYASATO: Commissioners, any questions for staff. No? Thank you. Do we have anyone
wishing to testify on this agenda item? If not, Director, you have any comments?
KANUHA: The only comment I have is that Daryn Arai did a heck of job putting this together.
He put in a lot of time. Spent a lot of time with the community. Spent a lot of time with the
major landowner in the area. And, you know, I can’t say enough about what a great job he did in
putting this together. Thank you.
MIYASATO: Thank you. Is there any questions for the Director. If not, can I have a motion to
close public testimony?
IKEDA: Move to close.
MOSES: Second.
MIYASATO: I have a motion and a second to close public testimony. All in favor?
COMMISSIONERS: Aye.
MIYASATO: Any opposed? I call a close to public testimony on this matter. Commissioners,
any discussion? If not, I’ll accept a motion.
MOSES: I move that a favorable recommendation be forwarded to the County Council on the
application for General Plan Amendment, Docket No. GPA 14-002, pursuant to the Planning
Director’s findings and recommendation which shall be adopted.
IKEDA: Second.
MIYASATO: I have a motion by Commissioner Moses, a second by Commissioner Ikeda. Any
discussion on the motion? You can call the roll.
ARAI: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioner Moses?
MOSES: Aye.
ARAI: Commissioner Ikeda?
IKEDA: Aye.
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EXHIBIT A
ARAI: Commissioner Heaukulani?
HEAUKULANI: Aye.
ARAI: Commissioner Henkel?
HENKEL: Aye.
ARAI: And Mr. Chairman.
MIYASATO: Aye.
ARAI: Mr. Chairman, favorable motion carries with five aye votes.
MIYASATO: Thank you.
The discussion ended at 9:17 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah Y. Hata-Finley, Secretary
Windward Planning Commission
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EXHIBIT A