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Home My WebLink AboutLUPAG FAQ 5/2016LUPAG Frequently Asked Questions 1. What is LUPAG? LUPAG is the acronym for the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide in the Hawai'i County General Plan. The LUPAG is a broad, flexible design tool to guide the direction and quality of future developments in a coordinated and rational manner. It indicates the general location of various land uses in relation to each other. State land use boundary amendments, changes in zone, project districts, subdivisions, planned unit developments, use permits, variances, and plan approval must be consistent with the General Plan. LUPAG designations can be revised through either a General Plan Interim Amendment or the General Plan Comprehensive Review, which is completed approximately every ten years. 2. How do the LUPAG designations relate to County Zoning? The LUPAG designations guide decisions related to future land use. For example, any proposed rezoning must be consistent with the LUPAG. However, County zoning determines a parcel's current permitted land use and development entitlements. 3. What does it mean if a LUPAG designation is changed for a particular parcel? The LUPAG designations do not change a parcel's underlying County zoning or State Land Use District and therefore do not affect a parcel's permitted uses or entitlements. A change in the LUPAG designation simply changes the guidance for future land use decisions, particularly relating to rezone requests (generally initiated by the property owner). The County would likely support a rezone request that is consistent with the LUPAG designation. 4. Is the Hdmdkua CDP Official Land Use Policy Map the some as the LUPAG Map? No — they are not exactly the same. The CDP Land Use Policy Map serves two purposes. First, it serves as the official land use policy for the Hamakua CDP planning area. However, if there is a direct conflict between the CDP and the General Plan, the General Plan (including the LUPAG) shall be controlling. Second, the CDP Land Use Policy Map serves as a guide to future LUPAG amendments. The General Plan authorizes CDPs to make recommendations regarding amending the General Plan — including its maps. The Hamakua CDP is using its Official Land Use Policy Map as the tool to recommend LUPAG amendments. These LUPAG amendments require further action after the CDP is adopted through a process involving public hearings before the Planning Commission and the County Council. 5. LUPAG Important Agricultural Lands Designation vs. State Important Agricultural Lands (IAL): It is important to recognize that the current General Plan uses the term "Important Agricultural Lands" as one of its agricultural categories, but there is no correlation to the State's Important Agricultural Lands designation from Hawai'i Revised Statues §205-41 through 52. The LUPAG terminology is expected to be revised in the upcoming General Plan Comprehensive Review to avoid confusion concerning these two, unrelated land use designations. Hdmdkua CDP May 2016 www.hamakuacdp.info hamakua@hawaiicounty.gov General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide (LUPAG) Map Categories AGRICULTURAL DESIGNATIONS RURAL 11mportant Agricultural Land: Important agricultural lands are those with better potential for sustained high agricultural yields because of soil type, climate, topography, or other factors. Important agricultural lands were determined by including the following lands: • Lands identified as "Intensive Agriculture" on the 1989 General Plan Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide maps. • Lands identified in the Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawai'i (ALISH) classification system as "Prime" or "Unique" • Lands classified by the Land Study Bureau's Soil Survey Report as Class B "Good" soils. (There are no Class A lands on the island of Hawaii) • Lands classified as at least "fair' for two or more crops, on an irrigated basis, by the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service's study of suitability for various crops. • In North and South Kona, the "coffee belt", a continuous band defined by elevation, according to input from area farmers. • State agricultural parks. Because of the scale of the Land use Pattern Allocation Guide maps used to designate Important Agricultural Land, the location of these lands should be verified by more detailed mapping when considering specific land use decisions. Extensive Agriculture: Lands not classified as Important Agricultural Land. Includes 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, machine tillability and climate. Other less intensive agricultural uses such as grazing and pasture may be included in the Extensive Agriculture category. Some areas that meet the criteria for important agricultural lands on an irrigated basis only were included in the "Extensive Agriculture" category due to their remoteness from potential sources of irrigation. Rural includes existing subdivisions in the State Land Use Agricultural and Rural districts that have a significant residential component. Typical lot sizes vary from 9,000 -square feet to two acres. These subdivisions may contain small farms, wooded areas, and open fields as well as residences. Allowable uses within these areas, with appropriate zoning, may include commercial facilities that serve the residential and agricultural uses in the area, and community and public facilities. The Rural designation does not necessarily mean that these areas should be further subdivided to smaller lots. Most lack the infrastructure necessary to allow further subdivision. 1 See page 1, item #S for a clarification on the difference between LUPAG ImportontAgricultural Lands and the State of Hawaii Important Agricultural Lands. Hamakua CDP May 2016 www.hamakuacdp.info hamakua@hawaiicounty.gov URBAN DESIGNATIONS Low Density Urban (LDU): Residential, with ancillary community and public uses, and neighborhood and convenience -type commercial uses, overall residential density may be up to six units per acre. Medium Density Urban (MDU): Village and neighborhood commercial and single family and multiple family residential and related functions (multiple family residential -- up to 35 units per acre). High Density Urban (HDU): General commercial, multiple family residential and related services (multiple family residential -- up to 87 units per acre). [Note: there is no HDU in the Hamakua Planning Area] Industrial Area: These areas include uses such as manufacturing and processing, wholesaling, large storage and transportation facilities, light industrial and industrial -commercial uses. URBAN EXPANSION AREA (UE) Allows for a mix of high density, medium density, low density, industrial, industrial -commercial and/or open designations in areas where new settlements may be desirable, but where the specific settlement pattern and mix of uses have not yet been determined. [Note: the only UE area in the Planning Area is predominately located in a coastal area in O'okala currently owned by the State of Hawai'i. RESORT DESIGNATIONS Resort Node: These areas include a mix of visitor -related uses such as hotels, condominium -hotels (condominiums developed and/or operated as hotels), single family and multiple family residential units, golf courses and other typical resort recreational facilities, resort commercial complexes and other support services. Only Major Resort Areas are identified as Resort Nodes on the LUPAG Map. Resort Area: These areas include a mix of uses such as hotels, condominium hotels (condominiums developed and/or operated as hotels), and support services. Intermediate Resort, Minor Resort, and Retreat Resort Areas are identified as Resort Areas on the LUPAG Map. CONSERVATION AREA OPEN Forest and water reserves, natural and scientific preserves, areas in active management for conservation purposes, areas to be kept in a largely natural state, with minimal facilities consistent with open space uses, such as picnic pavilions and comfort stations, and lands within the State Land Use Conservation District. Parks and other recreational areas, historic sites, and open shoreline areas. Hpmpkua CDP May 2016 www.hamakuacdp.info hamakua@hawaiicounty.gov