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<br /> <br />William P. Kenoi Duane Kanuha <br /> <br />MayorDirector <br /> <br />Bobby Command <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />County of Hawai‘i <br /> <br />PLANNING DEPARTMENT <br />PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE <br /> <br />Aupuni Center 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 <br /> <br />Phone (808) 961-8288 Fax (808) 961-8742 <br /> <br />February 10, 2015 <br /> <br />Duane Kanuha <br />Planning Director <br />Planning Department <br />101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 <br />Hilo, HI 96720 <br /> <br /> <br />Aloha Director Kanuha, <br /> <br /> <br />RE: The Director initiated proposed amendment to Map 14 of the Land Use Pattern Allocation <br /> <br />Guide (LUPAG) Map of the County of Hawaiʻi General Plan (adopted by Ordinance No. 05- <br />025, amended by Ordinance Nos. 06-153 and 14-087) by changing the land use designation for <br />portions of Keaʻau Village and immediately surrounding areas <br /> <br />The Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) Action Committee (AC) appreciates the opportunity <br />to review the above referenced request. The PCDP favors the planned expansion of commercial and <br />industrial development within designated Regional Town Centers and Village Centers that address <br />“community-serving and public uses, such as schools and parks…” and “to promote a more ‘walkable’ <br />community, with access to mass transit as well as to provide a wider range of housing opportunity.” <br />One of the principle tenets of the PCDP document is the village center concept through which <br />appropriate and proper expansion of commercial and industrial areas with the development of <br />community services and infrastructure is achieved. <br /> <br />For the reasons stated below, the PCDP Action Committee cannot support this proposal as presented at <br />this time. <br /> <br />In reviewing the proposed amendment, the fact that the entire area to be changed is being labeled <br />“Urban Expansion” opens it to the widest possible range of urban type uses and densities as defined in <br />the Hawaiʻi County General Plan – Proposed Land Use Pattern definitions. “Urban Expansion Area: <br />allows for a mix of high density, medium density, low density, industrial, industrial-commercial and/or <br />open designations in areas where new settlements may be desirable, but where the specific settlement <br />pattern and mix of uses have not yet been determined.” Granted that further “discretionary land use <br />actions” would be required, the potential opportunity the designation of Urban Expansion provides for <br />industrial uses is of major concern. <br /> <br /> <br />Hawai‘i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer <br /> <br />