09-08-2010, 04:46 PM
Excuse me Bob.... where did I say there was no commercial zoning?
But to address the heart of your question:
I think it is fair in a general sense. Hilo and Puna have, as a current guesstimate, approximately similar populations. Hilo has 2,000 acres of commercial zoning. Puna has less than fifty. On that basis I have made the statement in the past that prior to the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) the plan for Puna consisted of three words: "Drive To Hilo".
More specifically the twenty acre parcels you refer to are in HPP. HPP is the largest subdivision and is amongst the best organized. It was subdivided by the Wattamuls (Oahu) who acquired the land from Shipman. The Wattamuls may have had more foresight than the others but the fact remains that the zoning is not there - the land is.
Puna has lightly been served by capricious spot zoning and special use permits (SUPs). SUPs are subject to many random constraints of both use and time. The habit of spot zoning and SUPs plays unfortunately to a community plan and plays fortunately to those who have friends at council or hire former council members to run their paper. It is not planning and it is not handled evenhandedly.
So HPP is in a more fortunate position having blocks of AG zoned land available for commercial zones. It is within the parameters of the PCDP to make sense of those blocks of land, with the concurrence of the residents, and offer local business opportunities.
The current battle over amending the PCDP is focused on just a few issues - perhaps four. One of those is the call for "floating zones". Floating Zones are opposed by Shipman Ltd and CoH. Floating Zones, once located (perhaps on one or more of those 20 acre parcels) would speed and instruct investment much more fluidly and fairly than spot zoning or SUPs. Floating zones would reduce the favoritism and disparity in treatment of applications. Some like things just as they are.
I don't know if this is a full answer but I am tired, it's been a long day and it is time to go to bed.
Aloha
But to address the heart of your question:
I think it is fair in a general sense. Hilo and Puna have, as a current guesstimate, approximately similar populations. Hilo has 2,000 acres of commercial zoning. Puna has less than fifty. On that basis I have made the statement in the past that prior to the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) the plan for Puna consisted of three words: "Drive To Hilo".
More specifically the twenty acre parcels you refer to are in HPP. HPP is the largest subdivision and is amongst the best organized. It was subdivided by the Wattamuls (Oahu) who acquired the land from Shipman. The Wattamuls may have had more foresight than the others but the fact remains that the zoning is not there - the land is.
Puna has lightly been served by capricious spot zoning and special use permits (SUPs). SUPs are subject to many random constraints of both use and time. The habit of spot zoning and SUPs plays unfortunately to a community plan and plays fortunately to those who have friends at council or hire former council members to run their paper. It is not planning and it is not handled evenhandedly.
So HPP is in a more fortunate position having blocks of AG zoned land available for commercial zones. It is within the parameters of the PCDP to make sense of those blocks of land, with the concurrence of the residents, and offer local business opportunities.
The current battle over amending the PCDP is focused on just a few issues - perhaps four. One of those is the call for "floating zones". Floating Zones are opposed by Shipman Ltd and CoH. Floating Zones, once located (perhaps on one or more of those 20 acre parcels) would speed and instruct investment much more fluidly and fairly than spot zoning or SUPs. Floating zones would reduce the favoritism and disparity in treatment of applications. Some like things just as they are.
I don't know if this is a full answer but I am tired, it's been a long day and it is time to go to bed.
Aloha
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
Punaweb moderator