09-10-2010, 09:53 AM
Regional analysis (bolded text was bolded in original; I think these are additions to the GP)
quote:
PUNA
[The Puna district presently has no visitor or overnight accommodations. One acre is zoned Resort, however it is utilized by a drive-in restaurant. Except for a number of scenic attractions along the Puna coastline, the visitor industry has had very little effect on the district.] The visitor industry in the Puna district is primarily comprised of bed and breakfast visitor units. A drive-in restaurant currently occupies the district’s only resort-zoned area of one acre located in Kaimu. The principal visitor [attractions] attraction in the region [are] is the Kalapana Extension of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park [and the Black Sand Beach at Kalapana].
Although resorts have been proposed previously in the Kaimu-Kalapana, [area and other resort developments have been proposed for Kapoho, Pohoiki and Opihikao] Kapoho, Pohoiki, and Opihikao areas, none of these have materialized. These areas are also subject to volcanic activities, subsidence, and tsunami inundation. [Most of these] These areas also lack most of the basic infrastructure improvements necessary for development.
Courses of Action
· The development of visitor accommodations and any resort development in the district shall complement the character of the area [and be consistent with the General Plan].
· Consider the development of small family or 'bed and breakfast' type visitor accommodations and small-scale retreat resort development.
NORTH KONA
The district of North Kona has historically been the focus of resort activity on the Island of Hawaii. The initial development occurred in the Kailua-Kona area with a small number of visitor accommodations. Few of these hotels contained the full range of resort amenities. As the tourism industry expanded, the character of the Kailua-Kona area has changed. [The hotel facilities are now located in both the Kailua area and at Keauhou. Other visitor related uses such as condominiums, single#8209;family dwellings, restaurants and other commercial establishments are located along Ali'i Drive between these two points. The "Kailua Village Design Plan," originally prepared in 1974 and adopted by the County Council in 1976, guides development within the Kailua Village area. The plan needs to be updated and requires more definitive design and landscaping criteria.] Today, visitor accommodations and facilities extend from the Keauhou-Kona Resort at the southern end of the North Kona district to the Hualalai Resort and Kona Village Resort at the northern end.
Keauhou-Kona Resort is master-planned and [has been] developed as a resort/residential community [and] that offers the full range of resort amenities including [a] golf [course,] courses, tennis facilities, shopping center and entertainment facilities. [A convention center is located at the Kona Surf Hotel. The expansion of resort areas in the district is anticipated north of Kailua#8209;Kona. A number of resorts have been proposed for this area.] The recently refurbished Aston Keauhou Beach resort is part of the Keauhou-Kona Resort. There are two resort-zoned sites at Keauhou-Kona Resort, totaling 59 acres that have yet to be developed.
[Other area#8209;wide facilities have helped to encourage the growth of tourism in the district. These include the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor, Keahole Airport and the completion of the Queen Kaahumanu Highway.]
The Hualalai Resort and the Kaupulehu Development's Project District will be developed as another master-planned resort/residential community. The 243-room Four Seasons Hualalai opened in 1996. Other developments in the area include a championship golf course, condominium and single-family residential units, and other support amenities.
The visitor units in the North Kona district include over 2,180 hotel rooms and approximately 1,465 resort condominium units. Approximately 500 units are operated as timeshare units, including the 263-unit Kona Coast Resort at Keauhou-Kona Resort, the largest time share project. A number of bed and breakfast units have also been established.
There are [328] 740 acres zoned resort in the North Kona District [with approximately 135 acres vacant]. However, not all of the acres zoned for resort are actually utilized for hotels. [Other uses which have largely been established are multiple] Multiple family residential uses[.] and single family residential uses have been established on some of the resort zoned lands. [In addition, there are some non#8209;conforming residential and commercial uses. The] According to the 1998 data from the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Center, the North Kona district [now] has the largest inventory of visitor units on the island. The [4,694] 4,399 units include a broad range of accommodations, [beginning with 100 units of the luxury retreat at the Kona Village to lower priced condominium units along Ali'i Drive.] ranging from hotels to bed and breakfast establishments. [For every hotel unit in the district, there are almost two condominium units that are available for vacation rentals.] Some of the older hotels are in need of major refurbishment.
Courses of Action
· Discourage strip resort development along Alii Drive.
· Re-evaluate some [of the] areas currently zoned for resort use.
· Improve and provide adequate roadways, sewer and water systems, and other basic amenities in all areas where higher density uses are allowed.
SOUTH KOHALA
South Kohala's role in the visitor industry is unique. In Waimea, the small lodging facilities totaling 29 units offer opportunities for an upland, cool, vacation experience. At Waikoloa Village active recreation attractions, such as horseback riding, hunting and golfing, are available. Approximately 40 condominium units within the Village area are available to visitors.
The South Kohala coast has long been envisioned as a prime visitor destination area since the late1960s. Its natural attributes, white sand beaches, calm ocean waters, and a dry, sunny climate have made it especially attractive. The Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani and Waikoloa Resorts, the three major resort developments along this coastal area have each developed a hotel and are actively pursuing plans for further hotel development. Each of the three existing South Kohala resorts also have recreational amenities which include a championship golf course at each development, tennis facilities and beach and ocean activities. The three South Kohala resorts' hotel room inventory has increased from 315 units in 1969 to 1,357 units in 1985. At the Waikoloa Resort, the 1,244 unit Waikoloa Hyatt is under construction and is generally expected to be the catalyst for a new wave of development activity in the County.]
There are [297] 360 acres zoned for resort use in South Kohala. [Of these zoned acres, 115 have been utilized. In addition all three of the major coastal resort areas have 268 acres zoned for multiple family residential use which may also be used for vacation rental condominiums.]
The South Kohala coast has developed into a major destination resort area for the island of Hawaii, as well as the State. The three major developers of the area are Mauna Kea Properties , Mauna Lani Resort, and Waikoloa Land Company. The major hotels within these developments are the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Hapuna Prince Hotel, Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, The Orchid at Mauna Lani, Hilton Waikoloa Village, and The Outrigger Waikoloan Beach Hotel. The number of hotel rooms within these three resort nodes totals over 3,250.
A limited number of visitor accommodations are also available in Waimea. Some visitor units are also available within the Waikoloa Village.
The South Kohala resorts greatly benefited from the direct flights to Kona International Airport at Keahole from Japan and the mainland United States. These direct flights significantly increased the number of visitors to the South Kohala resort destination areas. As a result of these direct flights and the potential for growth of future visitor accommodations, the visitor industry at the South Kohala coast should expand. The excellent climatic conditions of the area and its ease of access from the Kona International Airport at Keahole provide an optimistic future for the South Kohala coast's major resort destination area.
Course of Action
• Adequate access, sewer and water systems, and other basic amenities shall be provided in all areas where higher density uses are allowed.
• Major Resort Area