HomeMy WebLinkAboutNorth Kohala CDP Action Committee recommendationsWilliam P. Kenoi
Mayor
Duane Kanuha
Director
Bobby Command
DeputyDirector
West Hawaii Office
745044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740
Phone (808) 323-4770
Fax (808) 327-3563
East Hawaii Office
Pauahi Street,Suite 3
Hilo, Hawai'i 96720
Phone (808) 961-8288
Fax (808) 961-8742
County of Hawaii
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
North Kohala Community Development Plan Action Committee
May 11,2015
Mr.Duane Kanuha
Planning Director
Hawaii County Planning Director
101 Pauahi Street,Suite 3
Hilo,Hawaii 96720
SUBJECT: Comments for the Comprehensive Review of the County of Hawaii
General Plan
Dear Mr.Kanuha,
Please find attached the results of our Investigatory Subcommittee formed to review the County
General Plan that was approved at our May 11, 2015 North Kohala CDP Action Committee
meeting.We hope you will consider our recommendations and incorporate them in the next Plan.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
John Winter,Chair
North Kohala Community Development Plan Action Committee
Enclosure: North Kohala CDP AC—Review of General Plan
www.cohplanningdept.com Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer planning@co.hawaii.hi.us
North Kohala CDP AC
Report of Investigatory Subcommittee to Review the County General Plan
John Winter, Jon Adams, Joe Carvalho, Keone MacKillop
As a general impression the Plan is well written and addresses a broad spectrum of County needs,desires,
responsibilities,and projects. Most sections outline an appropriately broad set ofPolicies, Standards, and
Courses of Action,but the wording is often quite vague ("Encourage...","Support...","Investigate...",
appropriate...", "Assist in...","Strive for...","Ensure..."etc.). It is difficult for us to ascertain what actual
options the County offices can actually employ in each instance. Even when more definite terms are used
Implement...","Designate....", etc.),results are difficult to evaluate. This is what the Annual Reports are
for,of course,but the 2009 report was the last one completed!
From our perspective the Community Development Plans(CDPs)are included only as an afterthought in the
next-to-last chapter on Implementation. We believe they should be integrated throughout the entire Plan
document. The Implementation section needs to be updated as well.
Before we delve into details, several over-arching issues of great importance to residents of the County need
concentrated development and support. We hope they are stressed in the next Plan.
1. Energy Sustainability.There have been important changes at the PUC that may have profound
effects on energy generation and transmission on the Big Island. It is tragic that HELCO generates
over 75%of the electrical power from imported oil. The island has a potential for renewable energy
generation as high as any place on Earth and it could become an example of good energy practices
for the rest of the county(and the planet),while concomitantly reducing user costs significantly.We
have tremendous wind and solar potential and sit atop one of the most dynamic geothermal hotspots
on Earth. "Free"wind and solar energy could provide significant energy,and geothermal sources
could provide the necessary"dispatchable"baseline energy,adjustable to meet demand during slack
periods (e.g. low winds at night). This is a security issue as well. Parker Ranch is presently taking a
leading role in researching renewable options. The transmission grid also needs renovating and
conversion to a smart grid as well.The County should set this as very high priority.
2. Solid Waste.The East Hawaii Landfill is substandard and at the end of its lifecycle. Green waste
composes a significant proportion of waste carried to and filling our landfills while farmers clamor
for more easily available mulch and compost. The County should expand its efforts to implement
robust island-wide green waste to compost/mulch facilities and community waste reduction and
recyclingprograms.Find a way out of the"Put-or-Pay contract at the West Hawaii Landfill. This
costs the County unnecessarily and nobody should be allowed to chargefor notputting enough stuff
in the landfill!We should be minimizing input!
3. Water Supply. Many Big Island areas have ageing water distribution facilities, some inherited from
the old sugar plantations. Line ruptures are not uncommon in North Kohala and"spaghetti lines"
from meters to homes) can be longer than Vs mile, crossing several properties in some cases. In
addition, DWS limits their authority to residential potable water supply and not to agricultural water.
Agricultural water in the Kohala Ditch has potential that exceeds present distribution capacity in
North Kohala because many distribution lines were damaged in the 2006 earthquake and not replaced.
The County should expand a program to upgrade the distribution infrastructure and find ways to
assure that agricultural water is distributed to agricultural producers.
4. Public Access.Hawaiians once enjoyed access to many shoreline and mauka areas that are now off-
limits due to private property restrictions. The County should expand its efforts to open areas to
Public Access.
5. High-Speed Internet. The World Wide Web and streaming services are rapidly becoming an integral
part of everyday life to the people of Hawaii.Access to high-speed internet is becoming more or a
basic need than a privilege and speeds of 10 mb/sec are becoming the new baseline. Yet many areas
on the Big Island are presently beyond the reach ofadequate service. The County should expand its
efforts to ensure that DSL cable reaches all areas.
6. Pest Control. Coqui frogs and little red fire ants threaten the lifestyle and property values of Big
Island residents. The County should renew and expand its efforts to combat these pests.
DETAILED COMMENTS.
Chapter 2. Economic
p. 2-22,2-23 North Kohala
Another important source of income and employment is tourism and its related service industries.
Chalon International, Inc. (later renamed Surety Kohala)developed plans for a 240-unit resort and
residential development adjacent to Mahukona Harbor. Adverse economic conditions and other
impediments including foreclosure eventually led Surety to abandon the resort project.The property is
presently the only property zoned Resort although development of the land is still subject to anincompletesubdivision.For the present almost all tourist activities in North Kohala are limited to
daytime activities rather than accommodation. Activities that relate directly to tourism include zip-lines,
ATV tours,hikes and ditch kayak rides. Many residents of this district work in tourism relatedjobs in
the adjoining districts of South Kohala and North Kona.
From NKCDP Sec. 2.3: The district's economy has been struggling since the Kohala Sugar Company
closed in 1975. Almost one-third of the workforce now commutes to South Kohala to work in the hotels
and resorts located there. The search for viable businesses must continue to enable this community to
remain vibrant. Many would like to see diversified agriculture encouraged in the region.
From NKCDP Sec. 2.3: The other major issue related to economics in North Kohala is property values.
The median residential sales price for 2006 for Kohala was $721,000,the highest in the County
compared to $417,000 for the island overall). With housing prices being so high,and economic
opportunities so few,there is a significant need for affordable housing in the district.
Courses of Action:
Support increased distribution and availability of Kohala Ditch water to agricultural producers.
Kohala is a rural area and should be maintained as such. Thus,development should be directed to
more urban areas. (NKCDP p.13).
Increase affordable housing opportunities in North Kohala(NKCDP p. 14, Sec. 4.3).
Assist in the further development of agriculture,including forestry and aquaculture activities.
Necessary capital improvements that will aid agriculture, such as water, should be given priority for
funding. (from N. Kona section).
NKCDP Sec.4.1: ...economic strategies such as large-scale residential or industrial development are
not supportive of the goal of protecting Kohala's rural character.Many residents see diversified
agriculture as one of the best options for creating jobs and local businesses, since it utilizes Kohala's
natural resources(fertile soils, availability of water),helps increase the community's self-sufficiency,
and protects its rural character.
3.Energy
See #1 main point above for energy sustainability
p. 3-2: North Kohala now also has a wind farm at Upolu with sixteen 660 kW turbines capable of
generating a total of 10.56 MW.
Do we still have a State Energy Coordinator? What does he or she do? HNEI too?
Improve the grid to overcome HELCO's (somewhat arbitrary)cap on%renewables on any sub-grid.
Many residents in Kohala,wishing to generate their own grid-tie power,have been denied permission
by HELCO on the basis that they cannot tolerate over 14%renewable on that sector due to the aging
nature of the grid.
Have any of the bulleted points on p. 3-4 been implemented to completion?
Geothermal. Include new Hualalai exploration if approved. Expand BI capacity!
Biomass conversion should not include green waste unless it is available in excess of ag.mulch/compost
needs. Big Island soil health is a priority.
Policies:
Do more than"Encourage"the development of alternative energy sources. Encourage projects that
stabilize alternative energy production such as wind and hydro projects. Set specific goals and
timelines.
Do NOT"Encourage the development and use of agricultural products and by-products as sources of
alternative fuel"if they can be utilized as compost or mulch.
Net metering should be realistic. HELCO's present program has exchange rates that undermine
potential benefits. HELCO should pay back for energy received at a rate approaching the rate at
which they sell.
4. Environmental Quality
Intro,p. 4-2: We still need baseline data for pollution conditions. Can UH Hilo help?Funding?
Volcanic gases are 99%H20,CO2 and SO2. The rest is essentially HS,CO,HCl, and HF. There is
effectively no silicon, sodium,potassium,aluminum,titanium and iron. Delete these.
p. 4-3,4-4:
Include roadside herbicide in the agricultural chemical pollutants. Also,there are some pesticide
mixing sites from the sugar mills that are now toxic sites. One such site was recently discovered in
Hawi with toxic levels of arsenic and dioxin in the soil. Herbicides (including Agent Orange)were
used to clear sugarcane when the plantations sold out. What remains in the soil?
Is there a projected timeframe for the State's rules prohibiting installation of cesspools?
Dogs should be included in noise pollution.
Goals and Policies are awfully vague.
5.Flooding and Other Natural Hazards
p. 5-3: Any progress improving the accuracy of Flood Insurance Rate Maps?
p. 5-4: Add 2006 earthquake. Also add Hawaii studies on Sea Level Rise. Storm frequency and severity
may also increase with climate change. Droughts?
p. 5-8: Puna-Restrict development in areas below and close to the SE Rift.
p. 5-13, 5-14. North Kohala. In Dec. 2014 a heavy rainfall event toppled trees in Niulii gulch,
temporarily damming it. The dam gave way somewhat catastrophically, damaging downstream
structures and Keokea Beach Park.
Keokea Beach Park is also susceptible to tsunami damage.
The grassy picnic and camping area at Mahukona Beach Park gets heavy tourist and resident use.Several times high surf has inundated the area,eroding soil and damaging tables and barbeques leaving
areas of bare dirt A seawall to protect the Mahukona picnic/camping area is desirable.Fill behind the
seawall to raise and level the area is also desirable.
6. Historic Sites
p. 6-1. 11,500 archeological and historic sites with 5%of the island surveyed. When will the remaining
95%be surveyed??
p. 6-2. How fully is PASH implemented?
p. 6-3,6-4: How many of the Policies have been implemented/completed?Progress?
p. 6-9 North Kohala: Update Table 6-4 of sites?
Add to Courses of Action(a): NK-CDP p. 36-7 Strategy 1.7. Implement a Policy for a Cultural and
Historical Preservation. The NKCDP Action Committee is working to create a subcommittee for this.
NKCDP Strategy 1.3.Down-zone identified State-owned parcels that have special cultural and/or
scenic value.
7.Natural Beauty
p. 7-2,Policies. Add bicycle access to the list.
p. 7-9,7-10 North Kohala. Place the more distinctive windward before leeward in intro.Develop the particularly striking nature of Pololu and the view. Hiking to the beach there attracts many visitors, as do the adventure activities (zip-line, ATV tours,ditch kayak rides).The views east of Halaula are
excellent, improve/protect them.
NKCDP Strategy 1.9. Establish a View Plane Protection Program to identify and protect areas of
significant beauty along the Kohala Mountain Road and Akoni-Pule Highway corridor
Is Table 7-9 complete?
Coordination between the County and State is needed to upgrade the viewing of the valley wilderness
area from the rim of Pololu Valley. The current lookout is too small with no room to expand and too
dangerous for pedestrians. The lookout continues to be the#1 destination of visitors.
Trees?Banyans in Hawi?Monkeypod before Aamakoa?
8.Natural Resources and Shoreline
The Policies are excellent,but vague. Results for k,m,o, q,r, s,u w and x?
Guidelines for n,p,v,w?
Public Access needs more development: shoreline and mauka-makai.NKCDP Sec.4.2.
Interest in improving opportunities for public access has brought about intense and continuous
pressure from the community though the CDP Action Committee to not only finalize approval of
already County-granted accessways which are not in place,but to strongly encourage the County to re-write portions of Chapter 34 and Planning Department Rule 21 in such a way to be more
responsive to the needs of residents of all districts.
Currently Chapter 34 does not take into consideration successions of subdivisions eg,one landowner subdivides a large tract of property to 5 lots,then a succeeding landowner subdivides
again to 3 lots,circumventing the requirement for mauka-makai public access in subdivisions 6 or
more lots.
The NKCDP calls for the establishment of a County coordinator of public access to oversee the
specific unresolved issues of public access and to allow for better public and user input into all
decisions regarding public access.
The most district specific public access issue is the establishment of the Ala Loa as a single historic
site designation and the continued effort to locate and preserve the trail for preservation and public
access.
What about District-specific needs?Viewing area at Pololu, seawall at Mahukona, etc.
NKCDP Strategy 2.1. Provide for substantive community input to the County Planning Department and
the County Council in order to fmalize and accept priority shoreline access easements.
9. Housing
Any results for all the Policies p. 9-10, 9-11?
p. 9-20,21,22,North Kohala:
p. 9-22: Under Profile:
Please work with the NKCDP Subcommittee on Affordable Housing to describe properly the
number of affordable and self-help housing units in the district.
DWS has imposed a moratorium on new water commitments in North Kohala,refusing to add
water meters for newly created lots. Applications to subdivide lots are therefore denied by the
Planning Department based on this water unavailability. This decision by DWS has met with some bitter resentment from residents wishing to subdivide their lots as well as from developers,
realtors, and prospective new additions to the community.
Promote affordable housing in North Kohala?NKCDP Chapter 4.3 summarizes the need.
Promote housing for the elderly.
Support agricultural worker housing and zoning variances.NKCDP p.62-4
Encourage rental housing development in the area.
Add"Aid and encourage the development of State lands for housing for all socioeconomic levels
through leasehold or purchase" (as in South Kohala)?
10.Public Facilities
p. 10-2. Policy(e): Add an explanation of how the district CDPs fit in.
p. 10-9 North Kohala:
In the school year 2014-2015,Kohala Elementary School(grades k-5) enrollment is 353,Kohala
Middle school(grades 6-8) is 84 and Kohala High School(grades 9-12) is 256. The existing
facilities is sufficient for the current district needs.
[The Bond library no longer exists] The new North Kohala Public Library opened its doors in 2010.
It was the first library in the state to earn Leed Gold certification. It has a full range of services,
including books(22,000 volumes),dvd's,music, and on-line computer access.
Any thoughts on Fire and Police?
p. 10-12: Civil Defense
Has the County developed a database of disaster events yet?
HCCDA had implemented a Community Emergency Response Team(CERT)program with 18 teams
in communities and businesses island-wide. Over 450 residents have been trained to respond to and
prepare their neighborhoods for emergencies.
p. 10-14 Policies:
Expand,train,and equip Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).
An operating island-wide Ham radio repeater network for HCCDA emergency net. All CERTeams
need to reach this to report in.
p. 10-16,North Kohala: Hisaoka Gym at Kamehameha Park is an emergency shelter. AED locationsatFD,hospital and in Hawi town.NK CERT has 31 active members trained in emergency response.
p. 10-20 North Kohala Gov't Operations: Add Senior Center and Intergenerational Center?
p. 10-22. Hospitals. Giovana and Gino are reviewing.
p.10-23, 10-24. Solid Waste. Boy is Hawaii missing their goals!
What is in the County Solid Waste Management Plan?
p. 10-24 Residential Pay-As-You-Throw User Fees are likely to contribute to illegal dumping in rural
North Kohala gullies.
Policy(f)recycling is BIG. (g)green waste too. Do these! Be specific. See#2 on p. 1 of this
document.
A compost facility should join the mulch facility at Puuanuhulu.
p. 10-28,29 North Kohala (G&G reviewing Hospital)
Solid Waste.The single chute at the North Kohala transfer station at Ka'auhuhu has the largest volume
of any single chute in the county. Green waste constitutes over 50%of the material going into that chute
in this agricultural area and inappropriately travels to the West Hawaii Landfill at Puuanuhulu. Kohala
farmers and gardeners had to travel an hour south to Puuanuhulu to get mulch,but mulch is now brought
up to the County Yard at the top of Hoea Rd.North Kohala still needs a green waste chute to reduce input to the land fill and recycle it into more useful products.Ka'auhuhu Transfer Station is also used on
the weekend for Hi-5 redemption and has a community-built "reuse" center staffed by an employee of
Recycle Hawaii. The transfer station is outgrowing the present site and should be relocated,preferably
to State-owned lands west of Hawi. The NKCDP Strategy 4.1 (p. 72-3) states,"Repair and relocate the
Solid Waste Transfer Station."
E-waste disposal is available once a month and household hazardous waste is twice a year,both in
Waimea. Get a hazardous waste drop-off in North Kohala. Residents must drive to Waimea with used
batteries etc. if they want to dispose of hazardous material properly. Most simply throw it away at
Ka'auhuhu.
11. Public Utilities
11-1 Goals should include lower electric rates and energy independence based on renewables. See #1 on
p. 1 ofthis document.
p. 11-4.Water.Policies are great,particularly(c)Improve and replace inadequate systems and (j&o)
improve and expand agricultural water. Do these!
p. 11-8. North Kohala Water.Profile.
The North Kohala District obtains water from three wells. Hawi wells No. 1 and 2 serve most of the
area with an average consumption of 0.31 mgd.A smaller well at Makapala produces an average of
0.04 mgd. DWS is negotiating to add a well at Halaula and is encouraged to add another to the west
of Hawi(the Kealahewa well). All of these wells should be interconnected to provide redundancy in
Kohala should any single pump fail.
The Kohala Ditch taps the supply-rich Waimanu and eastern Hawi sector areas and delivers water to
the user-intensive central and western Hawi area(and some of the Mahukona area). Many
agricultural concerns in North Kohala were severely impacted by the disruption ofthe Kohala Ditch
in 2006. The ditch was repaired(at considerable effort and expense),but only part of the earlier
distribution system was restored, leaving many of the previous agricultural water users cut off.The
ditch is at a high elevation above most ofthe Kohala population,capable ofproviding non-potable
water at significant head(pressure). Some of the mauka-makai distribution pipes are still intact.
Others only need creative sources of funding to relieve DWS of expensive pumping costs for water
that does not need to meet safe drinking standards.
Reopening some of the Kohala tunnels as well as some of the existing but unused stream diversions could further enhance supply,perhaps even to the pre-earthquake flows of 23 mgd. Restoring the old
distribution mauka-makai pipes or perhaps creating new ones would result in a robust system of
agricultural water to current and future agricultural users and relieve possible impacts on expensive
potable water. It would also save DWS considerably in pumping costs. Such a project is
recommended in both the WUDP and NKCDP.
p. 11-13. Telecommunications Policies.
Support HCCDA to implement an Emergency Ham radio repeater system that reaches the entire
island.
Set standards so get high-speed(10 mb/s)internet available to all homes.See #5 on p. 1 of this
document.
p. 11-13,4, 5. Electricity.
Update Descriptive Intro. The Big Island can be ENTIRELY alternative. HELCO should be
phasing out fossil-fuel-based generation,not planning new ones.
Policies: See#1 on p. 1 ofthispaperfor need to lower rates, convert to renewables, and upgrade to
a smart grid.
p. 11-18. Sewer Policies. Phase out new cesspool permits.
12.Recreation
p. 12-2: is there a new County of Hawaii Recreation Plan? I see nothing on the web.
Public Access is big in this section and should be stressed/encouraged
p. 12-14, 12-15. North Kohala:
Community park proposed for Kahei area? I've never heard of this.
Profile: Since 1993 the County has relied on conditions to the resort permits at Mahukona to provide
funds for the upgrading of Mahukona and Kapa'a Parks. The resort plans have been dropped and the
County needs to make up for years of neglect ofboth parks. The restroom facilities and pavilion are in disrepair and need to be rebuilt. The picnic and camping area need to be refurbished.Potable water needs to be supplied and the electrical system upgraded. Improvements to Kapa'a Beach Park include
accommodations for camping and passive recreational uses,electric power,potable water,and the
construction of restrooms and additional parking.
Kamehameha Park:
Scoreboard replaced/but too small for main field,will move to Veterans field when
multipurpose scoreboard arrives—on order
Bleacher machine still on order, No date yet.
Hisaoka gym roof replacement is in progress—tbc 4/30
Gateball concession and storage plans ready,need to start—after stage cover
Stage cover plans ready,need to start—tbc 6/30
Ad a brief section on Adopt-a-Park program. Have groups for all County parks in N Kohala.
Courses of Action:
Kapa'a: include power,water, and new pavilion restrooms?
Mahukona: update without Chalon.Pavilion/restrooms,potable water? What about a breakwater
and grading to level behind it?
The county has just acquired a 1 acre parcel near the banyan trees in downtown Hawi. Encourage
the construction of a public restroom and a parking area in this area by the county.
Improve parking and lookout facilities at Pololu.
13.Transportation.
p. 13-2 and 13-5 Policies. Bicycle pathways are highly subordinate.Make a special policy for them.
p. 13-4. Homestead roads is an interesting section. Will someone explain its ramifications for Kohala?
p. 13-11 North Kohala.
General road improvements (list?). NKCDP Strategy 4.6 p. 79-80.
We need more sidewalks and bicycle paths linking Hawi and Kapaau.Maybe linking the schools too?
The Akoni Pule Highway is the only open road linking all of North Kohala following the coast. Pratt
Road parallels the highway on the makai side but is gated and overgrown is several places. Pratt
Road should be prepared to act as an emergency bypass should the highway become blocked
NKCDP Strategy 4.6 p. 79-80).
Action on(c)!
p. 13-20. North Kohala Harbors: do we want to list the Boat Ramp issue?NKCDP Strategy 4.2 p. 73
14.Land Use
Agriculture: p. 14-16: "Agricultural land values have risen beyond their value for agricultural purposes."(!!)
Policies: All are great.
Notice(q)Farm labor housing projects shall be developed in a manner that minimizes the use of important agricultural lands and is consistent with the character of surrounding land uses.
Add a line to encourage a BI slaughterhouse and packing facility?
p. 14-20, 21. North Kohala
Profile North Kohala has substantial rainfall toward the eastern end and some of oldest soils on the
island. It has a rich agricultural heritage dating back hundreds of years. Ranching,macadamia nut,lychee
and nursery production are principal activities and there are increasing numbers of vegetable farms that are
adding to the economy.
There are 67,977 acres of agriculturally zoned lands in the district. Over 14,000 acres within this district
were previously serviced by agricultural infrastructure. This includes the Kohala Ditch irrigation system,that
remains viable and could provide opportunities to more intensively utilize these lands for agricultural
purposes.
The agricultural lands of North Kohala also create much of the feeling of open space that is so important to
the area. A number of legislative resolutions have supported the protection of viewplanes and open space
from the main highway to the sea,most recently Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 146.
14.2.4.4.2 Courses of Action
a)Encourage the maintenance and more intensive utilization of the Kohala Ditch irrigation system for
agricultural production.
b) Support the development of private and State agricultural parks as a means of making agricultural land
available for commercial agricultural activities.
c)In reviewing Special Permit applications,rezonings, and other land use changes in the Agricultural
District,great care should be given to preserve existing view planes to and along the coastline.
Maybe remove line(c)on viewplanes?Why is that under Ag?
d) Limit rezoning of Agricultural lands to development.NKCDP p. 14, 19
e) Concentrate development in mostly urban areas.NKCDP p. 13, 16,26
f) Promote and support a community of diversified agriculture. NKCDP Strategy 1.4. Which
includes:
Re-establish Kohala's agricultural education programs,by working with the School
Community Council,to generate more farmers(both K-12 and higher education).
Secure accessible capital for new farmers, such as a local micro-loan program
Create incentives for start-up agriculture,including implementing changes to the County's
real property tax code
Work with owners of various agricultural water transmission and distribution systems to
provide subsidized agricultural water rates
NKCDP Strategy 1.8 also stresses Important Agricultural Lands
Commercial Development
p. 14-29. North Kohala
I'm not sure what to do/say about Courses of Action(a) and(b). Anything else?
Industrial
p. 14-39. North Kohala
Nothing to suggest.
Multiple Residential
p. 14-44. North Kohala
Encourage programs of affordable housing and the development of more rental housing in North
Kohala. See NKCDP Chapter 4 for a summary.
Single-Family Residential
p. 14-46 Ohana stuff is out-of-date.
p. 14-50. North Kohala
Concentrate development in mostly urban areas. NKCDP p. 13, 16,26
Encourage programs of affordable housing. See NKCDP Chapter 4 for a summary.
What does"Many of the undeveloped residential zoned areas are unsuitable for residential
development because of unfavorable topographic conditions"mean?
Resort
p. 14-53. Intro: Third paragraph from bottom: Perhaps add a description of the variety of short-term
rental opportunities under individual vacation units(e.g.VRBO)?
p. 14-54 Policies (d)-add CDPs.
p. 14-59. North Kohala
Update 14.7.5.5.1 Profile
The district of North Kohala provides overnight accommodations for local travelers. Chalon
International,Inc.,later changed to Surety Kohala,obtained rezoning of approximately 15 acres of
land in 1993 for the development of a 200 to 240-unit lodge hotel at Mahukona. Surety later sold the
property to Kohala Preserve Conservation Trust. Although the project was not completed due to
financial limitations,the area is still zoned Resort. Watkins/Sunderland have created a 16-room, 50-
acre retreat center on the Kapaau coast.
Open Space
p. 14-63. Policy(d): Has this been done?
NKCDP Strategy 1.2. Acquire coastal lands that should be preserved as open space
NKCDP Strategy 1.9 Establish a View Plane Protection Program to identify and protect areas of
significant beauty along the Kohala Mountain Road and Akoni-Pule Highway corridor
Public Lands
p. 14-64 paragraph 1. The numbers don't add up. I think State lands should be 44%,not 34.
p. 14-65 Policies(b)- add CDPs.
15.Implementation
Is it still necessary to outline the creation of individual CDPs?Aren't they already in progress?
p. 15-2 paragraph#4:
The Community Development Plans shall focus on action. The courses of action specified in each
element of the General Plan need greater detail and need to be coordinated by district. The Action
Committees shall provide that detail, advising the Planning Department on the needs in their district.
They shall also act as advocates for the wishes of their constituents,pressing when necessary for their
requests and assuring that procedures are properly followed.
The Community Development Plans shall identify appropriate governmental actions that include: