PD RECOMMENDATION REPORT (PL-SMA-2021-000003)

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RKumuHouSMA03-10/19/2021 COUNTY OF HAWAII PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION WAIKOLOA LAND COMPANY SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA USE PERMIT APPLICATION NO. PL-SMA-2021-000003 Upon careful review of the applicant's request against the guidelines for granting of a Special Management Area Use Permit, the Planning Director recommends that the applicant's request be approved. Since this recommendation is made without the benefit of public testimony, the Director reserves the right to modify and/or alter this recommendation based upon additional information presented at the public hearing. This approval recommendation is based on the following: The applicant requests a Special Management Area Use Permit to allow the development of 25 single-family residential lots and related infrastructure improvements within approximately 7.3 acres of land, identified as sub area L2 of"Area A" of the proposed Kumu Hou at Waikoloa (Kumu Hou) project. The conceptual plan for sub areas L2 of"Area A"is shown in Figure 9 of the application and shows 25 single family lots that buyers will be able to develop custom dwellings on over time. The 25 single family lots will connect to the existing Waikoloa Beach Resort via proposed easement over the adjacent Ainamalu residential subdivision being developed by JPL Hawaii, LLC. The overall Kumu Hou project consists of 1,164 multi-family residential timeshare units, 25 single-family residential lots, new golf clubhouse and driving range, community center(s), convenience commercial center, about 126 acres of open space areas, about 3 acres of public parks and paths, and a brackish water well for irrigation. . Most of the land encompassing the proposed Kumu Hou project area is currently part of the King's Golf Course (King's Course) situated mauka of the Kings Highway Foot Trail (King's Trail). According to the applicant, demand for golf at the King's Course has significantly diminished over the last 20 years despite an overall increase in resort visitor traffic. This trend and the extended closure of the resort/golf courses during the Covid-19 -1-