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+--- Thread: Results of December 30th Land Use WG meeting (/showthread.php?tid=2635)
Results of December 30th Land Use WG meeting - Rob Tucker - 12-31-2006
Olaa Community Center 10a-3p
Attending: Kim Tavares, Pat Conant, Robin Wright, Rick Warshauer, Hannah Hedrick, Rob Tucker, Erica Johnson, Clive Cheetham, Diane Greenough, Kealahilahi Verschuu, Star Newland, Cathi Lux, Jeff Lux, Prema Quadir, Steffany Bath, Judy Stenger, Barbara Kahn-Langer, Pete & Jane Adams, Bill walter, Laurence Pedro, James Weatherford, and others
Coordinator: Rob Tucker; Facilitator: Clive Cheetham
Q: = question C: = Comments
1. Debbie Chang, Planning Department is replaced by Larry Brown.
2. AG WG presentation by James Weatherford. Issues and concerns:
Entrepreneur Ag startup, access to land, less monoculture/ more diversity Q: restrictions on non-AG uses? Q: Methods of Ag subdivision without legally subdividing? State Ag parks. Private leasing of partial parcels. C: MAke govt. people oriented not greed oriented.
3. Transportation WG presentation by Prema Quadir. Issues and concerns:
Trans is operating w/ three subgroups. a. mass transportation b. existing roads c. new corridors. All three will end up assembling one integrated report. Issues:
aesthetics, emergency access, less cars, expansion of public transport, Railroad easement, Hwys 130,11, Govt. Beach Rd. Q: Are all groups using the same format? Every issues identify goal, objective, recommendation. Q: Railroad? - connect Govt. Beach Rd and Railroad corridor throughout. Q: Contact to subdivisions? letters will be going out on county letterhead. Q: Undocumented roads? Underrepresented areas (Kaohe?) Solicit input from whomever in those areas.
4. Cultural/Historic WG presented by Clive Cheetham. Issues & concerns:
Need for a revived Puna Community Council with true authority. Comprised of representatives from different Puna areas. Many shared WG priorities. C: a new district council sounds to good purpose and is sort of referenced in the CDP in encouragement for members to continue on after the submissions. Rob read an email regarding Puna Beach Trail.
5. Natural Resources. presented by NRWG members. Issues and concerns: False AG zones are really native forest. Trying to make recommendations that protect the forest. C: Puna may be too big for one Puna Council. C: Propose a department permitting process that incorporates educating new arrivals on environmental issues. C: Native Forest designation. Q: Could there be a new “default” zone class lower than AG?
6. Mainstreet Pahoa Assoc. presented by Rob Tucker. Issues and concerns:
Protecting the commercial interests of our small towns and preventing commercial sprawl on Hwy. 130. Emily Naeole voted for the first commercial rezone last week. Rob met with her and found her receptive to reconsideration. All Puna people are encouraged to visit Emily (& Bob Jacobson) on our issues. Especially Emily who is new to the task and needs to hear from the public now. Q: How can we get the county to inform us on votes? Register our interests in certain zones and have a POC.
7. Land Use sub group Village Centers & Design Districts -. 14 pages of draft recommendations have been posted on Punaweb. A 2 page summary was distributed. Community input was clear and concise.
Village Centers -VCs are desired to supply local needs and services. Retain Hawaiian character of communities. VCDD is not equipped to advocate precise rezones. Communities need to decide for themselves.
Design Districts - C: “catchment” refers to a population area. Q: Health care facilities in VCs? They are referred to in the recs. Q: Need for infrastructure? Refer to the Public services and Infrastructure WG Q: Underground utilities: lack of recommendations is a developers dream. Ans.: look to design districts to provide local recs.
8. Land Use sub group Biosphere Reserve presented by Rick Warshauer. Issues and concerns: Forest Canopy. Tax incentives provided by Govt. and citizens to keep forest forest. Q: Could Design Districts have language that could include forest preservation? Lots of off isle speculators/investors w/ no concern for local ecology are destroying forest simply to make cheap “improvements” prior to reselling. Very large Volcano geographic area with Volcano Village the most intensive area of small lots surrounded by forest. Q: Stop land speculation? Florida history of deterring out of state speculators. Find owners of multiple lots to seek forest tax break - conservation easements. C: Connectivity of Buffer Zones. Natural Hawaiian species are bugs and birds. Puna is a very, very different ecology than the rest of the state. Talk to County Council members. talk to Emily. Increase setback requirements. Restrict setbacks from dozing. Relax height restrictions to encourage smaller house footprints.
9. Land Use sub group Growth Management presented by Pete Adams. Issues and concerns: Punaweb - use it. Working toward completion of goals and recommendations. Read the drafts and comment. Mission Statement based on the general plan. Maintain Puna rural character. Encourage intensive growth where it already is. Q: Nanawale & HB intensive? yes. lots less than 1 acre. Pahoa, Volcano, Keaau are existing intensive areas to expand. Q: Identify weak ag land?
Q: “Hele-on” internet? Suggest revised tax rates to favor AG not residential. Subsurface water quality. Ban cesspools now. Dilute special tax credits. Treat property evenhandedly - no “quiet” deals. Industrial uses should be provided in existing centers. Q: How to encourage start up agriculture?
10. Land Use sub group Sustainable Land Air Water presented by Hannah Hedrick. Issues and concerns: One final integrated report. Support land needs first (over people?) Working on a mission statement draft. {Note this delivery was too fast to capture - additional data will be posted on punaweb when provided by SLAW}.
11. Open House Discussion: Generally an interesting theory if we had our final report completed and ready to share broadly. Time is short and we want to complete our project on schedule if possible. It is possible. Vote was taken against participating at this time. Can be reconsidered.
12. More communication and input. Always welcome. A heated discussion on “criticism” that much of the community is left out of the process. C: Our WG obligation is to report to the SC. C: No one is turned away. They can come, write, call. Q: Should we publish our recommendations (provide to the press) when we deliver to the SC?
13. Next meeting: Approx. Jan 27th 9-10a to 12-1p at Olaa Community Center (if available.
Aloha and Mahalo to all those steady souls who held out through the five hour meeting.
Happy New Year.