Important questions about the PCDP

[oink]

I read the following section in the original plan but I was unclear on the location referred to on the other side of Hwy 11. What land between Mauna Loa and Ohia are they talking about?

quote:

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Volcano Community Village Center
As suggested by the Volcano Community Association, the village center in Volcano is split into two locations. The larger of the two sites, along the Old Volcano Highway between Haunani Road and Wright Road, is within the historic core of Volcano. It is roughly 43 acres
and entirely within the State Urban District. Portions of this site have County commercial zoning, but the community association’s Vision 2020 Update proposes the creation of a Rural Commercial (CR) district with specific design guidelines to respect Volcano’s historic character. The description of the CR zoning resembles the criteria for a village center.

The second, and smaller, portion of the village center would be at a presently undeveloped site on the other side of Highway 11 between the Maunaloa Estates and Ohia Estates subdivisions. This portion of the village center is intended for more service-oriented businesses. While this site does not contain historic structures, businesses should not be prominently visible or have direct vehicular access to Highway 11. Instead, access to the second portion of the village center would be via a parallel right-of-way remnant of the Old Volcano Highway.

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I'm interested in exactly where it refers to as it could affect my decision to build on my lot in Ohia.

I hope this question isn't too far off topic. It's an important question to me about the PCDP.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[JWFITZ]

Good f'ing luck oink. I've already been threatened with complaints and legal action if I build a dugout canoe.

[Rob Tucker]

Jay, I have a slightly different take on the end of the "frontier"

Puna was endowed with over fifty thousand lots in the early sixties. There is no legal mechanism to deny the owners of those properties the right to build.
It is that preexisting condition which will cause the death of the frontier. The PCDP does not remove one of those lots. It does aim to prevent the creation of another ten thousand.

We who are here today to attend the here and now can either work together to chart the next decade or sit back and let whatever happens happen. Many of us have seen the result of unchecked development before.

So Jay, I don't know where you live but I assume your property is surrounded by mostly empty jungly lots. Now imagine them all full of people, pets, ATVs, TVs, above ground pools. Bye, bye frontier.


Punaweb moderator

P.S. I haven't specifically checked the local definaition of "Agriculture" but I believe it generally considers woodworking to be an agricultural pursuit.

[JWFITZ]

I have seen development too. I have seen community development plans overridden again and again and again.--if you have the money to get the variances and easements. Any developer capable building such has the money to leverage such "favors." Favors in Hawaii are cheap. There are those who can afford to build on the beaches in Malibu, irregardless of the fact it's utterly illegal. The beaches are GATED, mind you, a clear violation of federal law. Don't tease me for a moment to think they cannot pull that here.

To my mind, the only development interests that the PCDP will impact are real people, of average intentions, and of average means. It will impact them severely. Of those who are not of average means, it will not impact them at all.

[Rob Tucker]

Yeah, well we are about to see if history repeats itself here. It may be that privilege and power row the same boat and the rest of us swim or sink.

It would be a shame if, ten years from now, you say - Damn! it's a shame that community plan was defeated.

Is the plan perfect? No. But it may be our last and best shot and it can always be amended. I think the powers that be are surprised and a bit shocked. They are not used to persistent advocacy from Puna. Thay does not mean we will prevail. It is quite iffy.

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[JerryCarr]

I live in HPP, the population of which is variously estimated at from 8,000 to 14,000 residents. If I or any of the rest of my fellow HPP residents want to buy groceries, we have to get on a dangerous and crowded highway and burn expensive and irreplaceable petrol to do it. The Puna CDP at least provides a framework for changing that with the village center concept. In the case of HPP, several 20 acre parcels of land have been set aside for this, but the powers that be in the county government have never zoned them for such purpose.

How many communities the size of HPP have no grocery store, no police station, no schools, and no service businesses to speak of? A long history of zoning by Hilo-based interests has kept things this way. Do I wish we could retain the frontier aspects of life in Puna? Yes, in a way, but it is already mostly gone where I live. If we want to save what little is left and make the best accommodation to the emerging reality of life here, we have to have self-determination. The Puna CDP is our best hope for that.

Cheers,
Jerry

[oink]

What land between Mauna Loa and Ohia are they talking about?
Rob? Anyone?

I think I found the answer. I believe it's an editing error on the final draft. I think it should have read "land between the Mauna Loa/Ohia Estates neighborhood and the Royal Hawaiian Estates/Hawaiian Orchid Island Estates neighborhood".
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[Rob Tucker]

I'm not sure. I don't live near there and don't have time to research it right now. It is likely that it is not a specific property but a general area that is identified for commercial zoning if and when the community desires.

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[Guest]

An important question that I have yet to see answered....

Is when/where can we see the 50+ amendments that have been made?

I know this doesn't lay in the hands of anyone on PW.... But I would like to see these amendments that have been recently made.

I actually really was trying to say this at the meeting with Aunty Em when I was asking "Is this the latest copy of the FOPF Draft".

I should have clarified and asked if this was a final copy of the amendments that have been made so far.

*edit* geez my grammar sux

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Rally For the Plan

[Rob Tucker]

I reply to Damon's question above this was posted yesterday on a county web site. It is a 38 page "summary" of the amendments and we now have a bit over 24 hours to digest and understand this stuff and the implications. It is from Larry Brown in the Planning Department:

Aloha Rob and PCDP Participants,

In response to the request below, the link below will provide access to a consolidation of all the amendments to the Draft Puna CDP that have been proposed for introduction to the County Council Committee on Planning by the Planning Commission, Councilmembers Emily Naeole and J. Yoshimoto and Planning Director Chris Yuen as of today. Only three of the amendments listed in this document are not included in the various Communications posted on the hcrc.info website and previously referenced in my emails to the Steering Committee and PCDP Participants. The three new amendments are those being proposed by Councilmember J. Yoshimoto, which are in response to Director Yuen’s proposed amendments regarding Kea`au Regional Center and Industrial Zoning (see Item Nos. 53, 54 & 57).



Link: http://www.hcrc.info/community-planning/...y.pdf/view.


I could point out that a week or so ago we (FoPF) met with Chris Yuen (Director of Planning) and were told there would be no more amendments. We replied that we did not think that was true and that other amendments were in the works. Council Member Yoshimoto's amendments appeared since that meeting. Once again we were right and the pros were wrong.

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