For Discussion- Special Use Permits

[Rob Tucker]

Looking for ideas and discussion on Special Use Permits in Puna....

[Barbara]

I'd like to know the following:
County Policy re: special use permits, when approved, when revised.
1. Planning Dept. criteria for special use permits.
2. No. of special use permit requests 1ast 2 years.
3. No. of special use permits approved by Planning Dept. last 2 years.
4. Same but denied.
5. Appealed, sustained, overidden...
6. County council votes on these items if relevant.
Does the county have a flow chart of this info?

Is there a chain of accountabiity regarding granting of special use permits?

Looking for some info and dialogue on this issue.
Thanks Rob,
Barbara

[JohnS]

Aloha,

I would like to see these as fundamentally community-based processes.

In other words, it's up to the community surrounding the proposed special use. The county simply verifies community support (or lack thereof) and then issues (or not) the permit.

Example:

Let's say I want to open a laundromat in HPP (one very basic service it would be nice to have closer than Pahoa or Kea'au).

I go to the neighbors/neighborhood of the propsed site. I make my initial proposal, we have some meetings, I take feedback and input on changes that might make it acceptable if it wasn't to start with, modify the proposal. I try and get consent to do this thing. Or I find out that it's simply not going to fly no matter what.

If the latter, I'm done, it's not going to fly, pau.

If I get consent, then it flies, I can do it because the neighborhood supports it, possibly wants it even.

The County's job (if any) is to rubber-stamp the community approval, pat me on the head and say "good job creating a contribution to your community."

Or to enforce community disapproval, if despite being told it won't fly in that community I try and get the County to let me do it anyhow.

It would also be helpful, and wise, to have the County supply relevant and neutral expertise to the community decision-making process. This could include meeting facilitators; engineering, licensing, code and other technical information resources; etc.

John S.

[Barbara]

oes the Planning Commission follow specific criteria for approving and recommending Special Use Permits?

[Barbara]

What criteria does the Planning Commission use to grant special use permits?
See my prior post.

[Rob Tucker]

I have not reviewed it lately but the county planning code has sections on the Special Use process.

http://co.hawaii.hi.us/planning/rules.htm

[kimtavares]

Greetings,

Good topic. One of my favorite recommendations. In light of what happened today regarding zoning changes vs special permits (NOT special USE permit), I have many thoughts on this.

The first thing that must get done is to define that neighborhood or community unit. It's the largest stumbling block. Currently, and to my limited knowledge (I could be wrong) the special permit process only kicks in when development plans deviate from zoning in agriculture and conservation zoning. Conservation has a few other layers of "process" besides and before reaching the special permit requirement.

But for ag, here are two examples. Today's H-130 rezoning issue, I wish people would stop calling it the storage facility issue because the real issue PROPOSED CHANGE OF ZONING FROM AG TO URBAN and COMMERCIAL-INDUSTRIAL MIX could produce any number of businesses without additional approvals). "Storage facility" is only the surface of the issue there, but I'm off track...

And the other is from my experience with the Planning department, regarding an additional building on our Fern Forest community lot, that has already gone through one special permit process, and now a second one is required. It is zoned Ag-3, like all the other lots around here, and so to change use to community center, special permit process kicks in.

Special permit process involves:

Mail out notification to all property owners within 500 feet of the development, of the intent.

Request for public hearing, I think Planning Commission.

Second mail out to same as above, notifying of the public hearing date/time/place.

Signs that are visible on the proposed site to people passing by, for a certain period of time. Then the decision is made.

Personally, I don't understand why we are required to do a second special permit application, since the entire lot was approved as a community center in the first application. All we wanted to do was put up a few more buildings. But it's okay, if that's the process, I'll go with it.

At one time someone who owned several adjoining lots in Fern Forest placed signs on the property "Commerical Pig Farm" coming soon... or something to that effect. There was a small flurry of email from residents who lived nearby, wondering what it was about. I assume this person was going through the process outlined above, but I never confirmed it and I don't think it even happened. I also wonder why it would need the process, since it is agriculture on agriculture land.

So, back to the area of notification, etc...

In as much as it seems the Council is pushing globalization efforts "if its good for the whole county, not just a regional investment", I have to reiterate that localized preferences should be supported in some way.

That leads into another completely different topic, Neighborhood Centers. This concept is the basis or foundation of everything else. Why doesn't Puna have more cohesion? It's because there are insufficeint facilities for Puna to gather at. We need at least four public buildings in Puna, perhaps Pahoa, Keaau, Mountain View and Volcano. These buildings would be the gathering hub community associations, individuals, limited government staffing and ample meeting space - among other things. Once these facilities are in place, so much more good can happen.

Sorry so long,
Kim

[kimtavares]

At Mountain View, it would make more sense to build a bigger better school in a better envirnonment and location well off the highway, and then the old school could become the neighborhood center.