Keaau Development Meetings

[ironyak]

As part of gathering input on the County of Hawaii’s General Plan, there is a meeting tonight to gather community comments on a proposal to amend the General Plan map in the Kea`au Town area allowing for more commercial and mixed-use development.

Excerpt - More at link
http://www.cohplanningdept.com/wp-conten...Packet.pdf

Wednesday, February 11, 2015
5:30 p.m.
Keaau Community Center
16-192 Pili Mua Street,
Keaau, Hawaii

The Planning Director is initiating an amendment to Map 14 of the County of Hawaii General Plan LUPAG Map by changing the land use designation for portions of Keaau Village and immediately surrounding areas as follows:

• A-I: Low Density Urban to Urban Expansion Area encompassing a contiguous area of approximately 475 acres from the intersection of Keaau-Pahoa Bypass Road and Highway 11 (Volcano Highway) extending south of Kukula Street and then in a westerly direction to the boundary of the Keaau Ag Lots Subdivision to the Highway II-Old Volcano Highway intersection along the Old Volcano Highway leading to the Village core.

• A-2: Important Agricultural Land to Urban Expansion Area encompassing the triangular area of approximately 112 acres from Kukula Street-Keaau Bypass Road intersection south to the Keaau Bypass Road-Keaau Pahoa Road intersection, and then approximately to the northeastern corner of the Keaau Ag Lots Subdivision.

The Urban Expansion Area designation allows for a mix of high density, medium density, low density, industrial, industrial-commercial and/or open designations in areas where new settlements may be desirable, but where the specific settlement pattern and mix of uses have not yet been determined. [RS, RD, RM, RCX, CN, CV, MCX, MG,PD, O]

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More information about the General Plan and submitting comments:
http://cohplanningdept.com/community-pla...neral-plan

[kalakoa]

Other than "about F'in time" I can only add:

1. Ironic that this Plan calls for repurposing some IAL; that very argument was used against Pearl Bakery, which parcel happened to include some IAL.

2. In the interest of fairness, this Plan needs to be contingent on State resurfacing highway 11 where it passes through Keaau -- unless these kinds of requirements are only applicable to small-kine development, as they have been so many times in the past.

[rainyjim]

Here is the info for submitting your input if you can't make the meeting (like me).

The general public has the opportunity to provide initial comments and suggestions to the Planning Director by June 6, 2015. Correspondence should be sent to:

Planning Department, County of Hawai‘i, 101 Pauahi St., Suite 3, Hilo, HI 96720

or by email to:

generalplan@hawaiicounty.gov

[ironyak]

Thanks for the contact info rainyjim.

It sounds like the Keaau zoning changes might be fast-tracked compared to the General Plan so may want to contact Planning directly and cc the general plan to make sure the feedback gets heard sooner.

http://www.cohplanningdept.com/
planning@co.hawaii.hi.us

[Rob Tucker]

What Shipman wants, Shipman gets.

[ironyak]

Rob - doesn't this also align with the PCDP in terms of town centers, or are there details I am missing?

[kalakoa]

What Shipman wants, Shipman gets.

The change of value suggests that Shipman might actually pay the going property tax rates, or at least allow the lands to be developed so that someone will pay them.

doesn't this also align with the PCDP

It's directly within the intended "Keaau Town Center" identified on page 5-8 of the PCDP.

I want more details. County is asking State to classify these lands as Urban, but without specific "settlement pattern and mix of uses". The existing Residential landowners may not find the new "mix of uses" appropriate, especially where it involves new traffic down their existing streets.

[Carey]

Looking at the last page of the packet link provided by the OP, much of the IAL (Important Ag Lands) that are in the proposed change are already Keaau High School & Elementary (or am I missing something?)
And a good portion of the Low density has been proposed for other uses (the lots along lower Milo & the proposed townhouse development between Keaau Loop & town...) in the past...
Not even sure this is all Shipman land currently (I thought the MIlo parcels & schools were not Shipman lands anymore, but may be wrong...)

[kalakoa]

Mostly Shipman, minus the State, the school, another (smaller) local landowner, and of course all the individual R-style taxlots.

Looking at it again, I assume the current R usage will simply expand up to the main roads on either side, with the new shopping center on Ulupono side of the bypass.

History suggests that County should require State to fix the 130/11 intersection before allowing any commercial development adjacent to the highway.

[bluesboy]

that section of road between 130/11 and Kam Schools needs some serious attention.