+- Punaweb Forum (http://punaweb.org/forum)
+-- Forum: Specialized Group Forums (http://punaweb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Land Use Working Group (http://punaweb.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Thread: S.L.A.W. Sub group draft recommendations 1/9/07 (/showthread.php?tid=4342)
S.L.A.W. Sub group draft recommendations 1/9/07 - Rob Tucker - 01-09-2007
Puna Community Development Plan
DRAFT Suggestions for Land Use Work Group Report, 1/9/07
Land Use Preservation Subgroup and Agriculture and Natural Resources
Basic Issue: Maintaining and Restoring Forests, Trees, and Foliage are Key to Preserving Land, Air, and Water
Puna is one of the largest and fastest growing communities on the Big Island. The tens of thousands of lots created in the 1950’s and 60’s, without adequate energy, water, or waste disposal systems and accessed only by poor-quality private roads, have serious infrastructure shortcomings. Similar deficiencies in energy, water, waste disposal, and transportation facilities plague the community gathering places, commercial sites, and village centers that have arisen haphazardly. All of these deficiencies have contributed to a serious crisis in health care services.
The 2005 General Plan states that “The land, water, air, sea, and people shall be considered as essential resources for present and future generations and enhanced through the use of economic incentives (2, ECONOMIC, Policies, 2, 3). Without proper stewardship of the land, air, and water, human resources are significantly diminished. Using the quality of land, air, water, and human resources as a guide for all development considerations would contribute greatly to the continued recognition of the island of Hawaii as the “Land of Aloha,” a major healing destination.
Air quality is becoming the world’s number one health issue. If we can’t breathe, nothing else matters! Immediate action to maintain and plant trees, including along road easements, in urban areas, and on public and private lands, is essential not only to our comfort, but to our survival.
Private development, monoculture agriculture, government agencies, greed, and ignorance of the consequences have decimated much of Puna’s rainforest. This suicidal destruction is exaggerated by the world’s most active volcano, which pours forth tons of volcanic carbon sediment daily.
The fossil fuels we burn to move along our modern roadways contribute heavily to deadly carbon dioxide build up. Trees planted along highways greatly reduce the carbon dioxide responsible for global warming. They also provide important economic assets as tourist attractions, open space, esthetics, soil stabilizers, erosion prevention and sediment entrapment.
Current speculation building proposals risk destruction of the very qualities that are being promoted to lure people to “luxury” living on a fragile ecosystem and inadequate infrastructure at all levels.
The following goals, objectives, and recommendations are related to multiple documents being prepared for the PDCP; it is hoped that the final PCDP will consider and attempt to reconcile all land-use related documents.
Mission: “Malama Aina”
Puna Community Development Plan (DRAFT)
Goals Related to Overall PCDP
Process Outcome Goals – “What”
1. Contribute to a clear, concise, well-illustrated, “living” Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) that reflects and perpetuates community values, including community collaboration, in all recommendations and proposals impacting the land, air, and water
2. Ensure a PCDP that is “of, by, and for the people” and that empowers future generations to make the best decisions for the âina
Process Action Goals – “How’
1. Ensure that Working Groups have a sincere and authentic community role as full partners in implementing approved recommendations, including identification and acquisition of funding
2. Establish a non-hierarchical and participatory structure for ongoing Community participation in implementing any resulting plan
3. Identify resources to assist in focusing on culturally appropriate and available approaches, including awareness of the interconnected topics of po`okela (economy), mâlama âina (ecology), and ho`ohanohano (social equity and cultural heritage)
4. Develop a process to keep sincerity and validity in plan development and implementation, including keeping PCDP participants informed about relevant planning documents
5. Focus on simple, “doable” activities that benefit the land and its stewards
Land Stewardship Legislative and Policy Agenda Goals
1. Amend and/or revise the 2005 General Plan elements related to Land Use to reflect a strong stewardship ethic
2. Ensure strict adherence to protective land zoning; prohibit amendments that would change zoning for culturally and scientifically significant land, agricultural land, and/or conservation land, except in cases of extraordinary community need
3. Restrict “Smart Growth” and other development elements, such as health care facilities, schools, libraries, historical and cultural centers, nature and environment educational centers, parks, post offices, “park and ride” systems, farmer's markets, fire and police stations) to places that are NOT old or middle-aged growth native forest, NOT practical for agricultural or farming use, and NOT on sacred grounds and other places with cultural significance
4. Keep industrial and non-essential commercial development below Mountain View, allowing only “Smart Growth” and structures to meet basic human needs above Highway 11 mile marker 15
Objectives Related to Overall PCDP
1. Identify and assess key Land Use issues or concerns
2. Track and provide comments on proposals related to Land Use, including, but not limited to:
A. Proposals for commercial development and/or zoning; village centers, etc;
B. Ordinances to change State Land Use and LUPAG to ensure consistency with the PCDP;
C. New or existing ordinances or rules that need to be enacted or amended; and
D. Budgetary items related to operational and CIP requests to implement PCDP priorities
[Action note to guide recommendations: The above four points involve a legislative strategy and an advocacy role in shaping the agendas and actions of the County Council Committees on Planning, Finance, Intergovernmental Relations and Public Works, Public Safety and Parks and Recreation, and Environmental Management.]
3. Support viable existing programs to preserve trees and open space and to establish planting corridors to sequester carbon dioxide, stabilize soil, prevent erosion, entrap sediment, retain soil via root systems (example: palm trees at ocean edge), and maintain the natural beauty of Puna (for residents and tourists)
4. Develop a strategy for getting the County Council to pass an ordinance related to forest preservation and reforestation within 18 months or sooner (Part of Land Stewardship Legislative and Policy Agenda Goals?)
[Legislative action note for 3 and 4: It is likely that the three Council members representing parts of Puna will support planting corridors in their District.]
5. Provide incentives for organic agriculture, such as establishing sustainable agricultural parks and programs in which land owners can offer unused portions of their usable agriculture land to interested individuals
[Example for recommendation: In areas such as Mountain View, where blight hit anthuriums in the 70’s, many farmers and landowners are retired, and lands are overgrown. People interested in agriculture could help developers who have already gotten approval to build on productive agricultural lands come into compliance with zoning requirements. The recommendation could ask the Country to help by limiting liability and offering tax breaks to cooperating landowners.]
6. Reevaluate (and, if desirable, revise) existing codes and then require adherence to these codes, with no possibility of “after the fact” rezoning
7. Maintain or create zoning codes to provide disincentives for buying land with the intent to subdivide and resell
[Proposals for provision(s) will need to provide for dealing with ‘zoning’ and ‘subdividing’ separately, because they are in different chapters in the County Code.]
8. Identify actions that need to be taken while the PCDP is approved, enabling legislation is being passed, funding is identified and pursued, and other necessary actions are taken to implement PCDP recommendations
A. Temporarily “pause” rezoning that would permit non-agricultural development on agricultural lands, subdividing parcels for higher density, or expansion of military establishments, so that physical and health care infrastructures can be improved to support current and projected resident, military, and tourist levels
B. Prohibit speculation building, especially on agricultural lands, in rural areas, and over natural landscapes
C. Develop appropriate penalties for clearing properties pin to pin
D. Prohibit theft of precious natural resources (maile, hapu’u, ‘ohi’a, etc) from private and public lands, with appropriate exceptions for native gathering rights (regulated by the State of Hawaii)
1) Maile: Prohibit harvesting maile from the forest for commercial use; provide permits for harvesting sustainable mail farms, with permission and without killing the plants
2) Hapu’u: Prohibit harvesting hapu’u (it takes 100+ years for a hapu’u to grow to 6’
E. Require permits to transport significant amounts of cut maile, hapu’u, ‘ohi’a, and other precious natural resources
F. Work with the Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Exceptional Tree Ordinance, and the related Arborist Advisory Committee, to establish incentives and disincentives (such as requiring the County to replace trees cut down in error, thereby creating jobs for people able to do this work) related to cutting down mature trees that are helpful to the environment (exceptions include tree farms and commercial forestry plantations)
G. Develop a strategy for getting the County Council to pass within 18 months (or sooner) an ordinance related to forest preservation and reforestation
H. Require environmental education, via educational programs and print materials, prior to approving permits to cut and or transport precious natural resources
Resource Documents Related to Land Use
1. Space Preservation Committee and Save Our Land Citizens’ Committee recommendations and priorities, including biannual payments (March and September) to the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund (see appendix)
2. Open “Recommendations for a Puna Tree Preservation Ordinance,” 5-page draft, 1-2-07
3. Volcano Community Association, “Building in the Forest” and “Preliminary Resource List”
4. Warshauer, Rick, 967-7476, “Biosphere Reserve Buffer Zone: A Starting Point,” items 1-10, VCA Voice, January 2007
DRAFT Land Use Work Group Report Appendix
Open Space Preservation Committee, Save Our Land Citizen’s Committee
Residents Voted “YES” 2% for Open Space because:
· If we don’t save our treasured lands NOW, they may be lost forever.
· Maui and Kauai’s citizens dedicate regular funding that has already preserved their treasured natural areas and cultural sites.
· 2% will come from existing tax revenue; these funds can attract matching Federal and State funds.
· Preserving land that supports tourism and important agricultural lands provides sustainability and strengthens our local economy.
· Undeveloped lands do not make demands on an overburdened county infrastructure or services.
Implementation: Utilizing the 2% will help to protect the properties recommended for preservation by the Open Space Preservation Committee. The Commissioners unanimously support the 2% solution and recommended lands to protect our:
· Watersheds to protect drinking water
· Beaches and coastal areas
· Floodplains and properties prone to erosion, landslides and volcanic activity.
· Native Hawaiian historical and cultural areas
· Native forest areas
· Coastal lands that buffer waters and reefs from runoff and pollution
Private Properties Recommended for Purchase
· Kawa Bay
· Waipio Lookout Point
· Pohue Bay
· Maulua Gulch
· Punalu’u Beach Park and adjacent lands- Mahukona, Kamano, Kou, Hihiu, Kamoa
· Cape Kumukahi
· O’oma (makai of Queen Kaahumanu Highway)
· Keamuku
· Queen Emma Estate-coastal parcel-Mauumae Beach
· Puapua’a
· Keei Beach
Properties to be acquired through Partnerships
· Cibolo Bay
· Kealakehe Regional Park
· Kahena Ditch Road
· Lalamilo Farm Lots- Waimea
· Forest Reserve Honaunau and South Kona
· Ka’u Coast
· North American Properties: Kaapana,Olelo Moana, Kaohe
· Kamoa point
· Reish (Lapakahi State Historical Park Area)
· Makalawena
· Old Kukuihaele Quarry and
Breakwater
· Hokuula Battleground
· Kahoe
· Ka’u Forest Reserve
· Gordy (Lapakahi State Historical Park Area)
· Ninole- K’au,
· South Kona Forest Reserve,
· Botelho Ranch
· SC Ranch
· KK Ranch
· Keanakolu Koa Forests
· Ka Lae/ South Point
· Cohen (Lapakahi State Historical Park Area)
· Puu Oo Ranch Piihonua
· Ka’u-Great Crack (southwest Rift of the Kilauea Volcano)
Prepared by Save Our Land Citizens’ Committee; contact Debbie Hecht (Coordinator) at 989 3222 or hecht.deb@gmail.com