KONA. Community Development Plan. Mapping Kona s Future. public process

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1 KONA Community Development Plan Mapping Kona s Future Kona s future shall be: A more sustainable Kona characterized by a deep respect for the culture and the environment and residents that responsively and responsibly accommodate change through an active and collaborative community. Kona means the leeward side of the island, where the climate is mild and the sea is calm. With its fertile mauka lands and abundant marine resources, Kona was, historically, well populated and a favored place of residence for various ruling chiefs and their extended families. Kona s attraction in recent times has drawn an influx of new residents and resulted in tremendous growth. The population has more than doubled during the past 25 years, driven by resort development and the second-home residential market. The Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) responds to the effects of this rapid growth. Encompassing the North and South Kona districts, the Kona CDP addresses the need to plan better to deal with traffic congestion, affordable housing, and loss of open space. Residents taking part in the planning process repeatedly voiced these needs. Kona is the first CDP to commence under the framework of the 2005 County of Hawai i General Plan. The County of Hawai i Planning Department recognized that only with broad public input can the Kona residents take ownership of this plan, by which they may embrace the vision and commit to a better future. The input recieved through this community-based planning process was the most important factor in formulating the goals, policies, and implementing actions presented in the Kona CDP. public process Kick-Off Meetings September 2005 Small Group Meetings November January 2006 Mapping the Future Workshop February 2006 Where Do We Grow? Charrette March 2006 How Do We Grow? Charrette June 2006 Working Group Meetings July September 2006 Agriculture Energy Environment Flooding/Natural Hazards Housing Land Use Public Facilities & Programming Recreation Transportation Steering Committee Meetings Voted to approve Draft Kona CDP: April 16, 2008 Next Steps Planning Commission: June 20, 2008, 6:00 pm at King Kamehameha Hotel County Council

2 GUIDING PRINCIPLES The eight guiding principles of the Kona CDP were derived from public meetings and working groups. These principles are the foundation for the goals, objectives, policies and implementing actions. ❶ Protect Kona s natural resources and culture. ❷ Provide connectivity and transportation choices. ❸ Provide housing choices. ❹ Provide recreation opportunities. ❺ Direct future growth patterns toward compact villages, preserve Kona s rural, diverse, and historical character. ❻ Provide infrastructure and essential facilities concurrent with growth. ❼ Encourage a diverse and vibrant economy emphasizing agriculture and sustainable economies. ❽ Promote effective governance. PURPOSE The purpose of the Kona CDP is to achieve the following: Articulate Kona s resident s vision for the planning area; Guide regional development in accordance with that vision, accommodating future growth while preserving valued assets; Provide a feasible infrastructure financing plan to improve existing deficiencies and proactively support the needs of future growth; Direct growth to appropriate areas; Create a plan of action where government and the people work in partnership to improve the quality of life in Kona for those who live, work, and visit; and, Provide a framework for monitoring the progress and effectiveness of the plan and to make changes and update it, if necessary.

3 goals, objectives, policies and actions The goals, objectives, policies and actions are the heart of the Kona CDP. They are presented in eight Elements that specify how the broad guidance provided in the thirteen elements of the County of Hawai i General Plan will be realized in Kona. GOALS TRANSPORTATION: An efficient, safe, and attractive multi-modal transportation system integrated with land use planning that allows movement around and through Kona with minimal reliance on the automobile. LAND USE: Public policies set the foundation and framework within which the community and private sector work collaboratively towards a shared vision of concentrating growth within urban villages in North Kona, preserving rural character and agricultural lands, protecting significant natural and cultural resources, providing a range of housing opportunities, and a process to constructively, efficiently, and fairly achieve these ends with the best practices and quality. ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES: The natural and cultural resources enhance Kona s character together with the built environment, developed in harmony with ecological principles, where residents and visitors enjoy and interact with nature through a networked system that promotes a healthy active lifestyle, and where the financial and moral commitment reflects the high level of caring that the Kona people have for the land. CULTURAL RESOURCES: The multi-ethnic cultures of Kona are preserved, protected, and restored in a manner that perpetuates those cultures and all aspects of the Aloha Spirit. HOUSING: Diversity of housing choices for all segments of the population close to places of employment and/or daily needs. PUBLIC FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SERVICES: A community where the public infrastructure and facilities are sustainably built and maintained with innovation and pride, promote sense of community, and support a quality of life where visitors and residents feel safe, healthy, and inspired. ENERGY: Establish Kona as a model for sustainability and energy self-sufficiency. Photo provided by Kate Jacobson. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: To foster economic diversification, reduce import dependence, and increase employment opportunities that pay living wages.

4 POLICIES The following section summarizes the policies and recommended actions of each of the eight Kona CDP elements. TRANSPORTATION 1. Mass Transit. A major expansion of the County s public mass transit service in Kona to provide significant alternatives to individual automobile use. 2. Road Connectivity. Increases standards for road interconnectivity in urban areas. 3. Multi-Modal Transportation. Takes advantage of Kona s consistently mild climate, a network of interconnected bike lanes, trails, and sidewalks provides a healthy and green alternative to automobile use. 4. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). The development of compact, mixed-use villages integrates housing, employment, shopping, and recreation opportunities. Villages designed around transit stations/stops reduces the need for daily trips and financially support the expanded transit system. Multi-Purpose Design. Beyond getting us from one place to another, our transportation corridors are major public spaces that must safely accommodate uses other than vehicular travel. Safety and Aesthetic Qualities. Safety and aesthetic qualities need to play a larger role in improving existing and designing future roadways, contributing to Kona s quality of life and visitor appeal. Affordable Housing. Affordable housing located near major employment centers to decrease the number of people who fill the roadways commuting long distances to work every day. Concurrency of transportation systems with development. LAND USE Photo provided by PATH. 1. Urban Growth Management. Future growth is directed between the airport to Keauhou as a primary tool for limiting sprawl. 2. Rural Growth Management. Policies for Clustered Rural Development serve to preserve open space, agricultural lands, and sensitive resources. Rural villages along Māmalahoa Highway are invited to prepare redevelopment master plans to protect rural character. Policies also protect open spaces and agricultural lands. 3. Open Space Preservation. The development of linked, environmental resources identifies key assets to be preserved for active and passive recreation and resource protection. In addition, policies establish the following: Enhanced 1,000 foot shoreline setback. 17-mile protected shoreline from the Old Airport to Kukio Point. Flood corridors as public assets. 4. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). TOD combines transportation and urban planning to encourage urban growth in the form of compact village designs linked by public transit (see map). 5. Establishment of Design Center. The County Planning Department shall establish a Design Center to support and expedite the translation and implmentation of the Kona CDP goals, objectives, policies, actions, and design guidelines as applied to proposed development projects.

5 Kona Land Use Map

6 POLICIES ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES 1. Kona Watershed Management Program. Creates a management plan and develops an ecosystem services incentives program for public and private lands mauka of Māmalahoa Highway. 2. Natural and Cultural Resources Inventory. Creates an inventory for use in the permit process to assess impacts to sensitive natural and cultural resources. 3. Anchialine Ponds Management. Program to inventory, educate the public, develop management policies, monitor and seek funding to protect anchialine ponds in Kona. 4. Coastal Water Quality Monitoring. Program to supplement current State water monitoring. 5. Open Space Network. Program to enhance opportunities for residents and visitors to appropriately access Kona s environmental resources for recreation, education, subsistence or gathering purposes. 6. Establish the Kona Treasures Fund. A non-profit will serve as a means of generating revenue for targeted resource protection. CULTURAL RESOURCES Top left, clockwise: (1) Recently restored Hāpaiali i Heiau in the foreground and Ke ekū Heiau in the background (KIC), (2) forest (KSWCD), (3) hula dancers (KIC), (4) Kaloko Wall, and (5) the coastline along Pu uhonua o Hōnaunau National Park. 1. Kona Cultural Resources Committee (KCRC). Kona residents will assist in protecting and celebrating Kona s cultural resources. 2. Certified Local Government (CLG) Status. Participation in the National Historic Preservation Program will allow the County to be eligible to receive preservation funding. 3. Inventory of Historic Trail Alignments and Cultural Sites. The inventory will serve to recommend preservation of these cultural resources. 4. Kona s Cultural Landscape Report. With assistance from the County, the KCRC will prepare a Cultural Landscape Report to celebrate the interconnection between Kona s natural and cultural resources. 5. Regulatory System. Reviews and improves interrelated regulatory responsibilities for protecting cultural resources and historic sites. 6. Cultural Education. Celebrates our cultural diversity and island way of life by increasing the number of educators teaching culture and historic education.

7 POLICIES HOUSING 1. Kona Housing Trust Fund and the Kona Housing Non-Profit. Program to raise funds for affordble housing, which will serve the district of Kona. 2. Affordable Housing Floating Zone(s). Offers preferred land use policy and procedural support for projects providing 80% affordable housing. 3. Housing Diversity. Promotes innovative rehabilitation of existing units, promote accessory units, provide pre-approved affordable housing designs and additional density bonuses for affordable housing. 4. Increase Buying and Renting Capacity. Offers homebuyer education and counseling for first time homebuyers and low-income renters through the Kona Housing Trust Fund. 5. Perpetual Affordability. Policies assist in maintaining an affordable housing stock by keeping units perpetually affordable and providing incentives for replacing or renovating existing affordable housing. 6. Special Housing Needs. Establishes policies and information services for addressing special needs groups, including the elderly and disabled, the homeless, single-resident occupants, and farm workers. PUBLIC FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND SERVICES 1. Public Safety. Policies set a minimum level of service for essential public safety services, including police protection, fire protection, emergency response, disaster response, and highway safety, and promote a community-based approach to crime prevention. 2. Sewer System Expansion. Policies establish direct connection to the County sewer system within 1 mile of the shoreline within the Kona Urban Area. 3. Wastewater Reuse. Designates a wastewater reuse area in the Kona Urban Area to be used for irrigation of public landscaping. 4. Solid Waste. Within the Kona Urban Area, the County explores feasible alternatives for residential curbside collection, including source-separated recyclables. 5. Public Facilities. Related policies in Economic Development Section identify specific public facilities needed (new hospital, university, civic center) that have the potential to stimulate the local economy. 6. Standard of Excellence. Policies set a standard of excellence in design, construction, operation and maintenance of public facilities and the supportive role of the community ro promote civic pride. 7. Public Recreation. Policies increase the standards for the development of new active recreation areas in Kona. The development of Kona Performing Arts Center is identified. 8. Social Services. The County assists in the expansion of community partnerships to increase social services in Kona. The establishment of a One-Stop Community Resource Center will provide a central location for service providers.

8 POLICIES ENERGY 1. Energy Efficiency in Transportation. Transportation fuels account for over 75% of the energy demand on Hawai i Island. Polices in Transportation and Land Use reduce transportation fuel usage by expanding the mass transit system and creating more compact, mixed-use walkable villages. 2. Energy Efficiency in Homes and Buildings. Policies initiate the development of Energy Building Standards for new residences and County buildings. 3. Conservation and Energy Efficiency of the Water System. The Department of Water Supply (DWS) is the largest single user of electricity on the island. Since it uses most of this electricity to pump water, policies encourage DWS to reduce the amount of water it needs to pump by controlling leaks and promoting water conservation. 4. Renewable Energy Sources. Policies encourage LEED and other sustainable building standards to be used, beginning with the County, which would lead the charge by example. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1. Redevelopment. For our existing communities to thrive and for new opportunities to expand, we must invest in and maintain our basic infrastructure. 2. Energy Industry. With NELHA as a catalyst, policies encourage the development of renewable and distributed energy endeavors. 3. Health Industry. Policies encourage the development of health-related endeavors where Kona adds its own stamp to the island s reputation as the healing island. 4. Resource Recovery Network. Policies envision the development of interdependent industries in Kona that exchange and make use of each other s byproducts. 5. Food Industry. Policies support the health of the agricultural sector and recognize the benefits of increasing locally produced food for the local market by reducing the current 85% dependence on imported food to the island. 6. Strategic Public Facilities as Economic Stimuli. The development of the new hospital, university and the West Hawaii Civic Center will stimulate ancillary economic growth that is desirable because they are environmentally clean, diversify the economy (i.e., not visitor dependent), pay decent wages, and demand skills and intellect that challenge Kona s existing and upcoming workforce.

9 actions enacted by plan Adopts Official Transportation Network Map Determines general locations of TOD s Amends Chapter 23 Subdivision Code to incorporate connectivity standards Designates reclaimed wastewater zone Adopts Official Concurrency Map Adopts Official Kona Land Use Map Defines Urban Area Designates 17-mile protected coastline Amends Chapter 25 Zoning Code to define TODs and TNDs Defines TOD/TND Components Amends Chapter 25 Zoning Code to establish TOD floating zone project district Adopts Village Design Guidelines TND Floating Zone established Amends Chapter 25 Zoning Code to create TND overlay zone kona implementation committee Amends Chapter 25 Zoning Code and Chapter 23 Subdivision Code to establish Clustered Rural Subdivision PUD Amends Chapter 25 Zoning Code to require mandatory Design Center Review Inventory of sensitive resources Implements policy for non-degradation of anchialine ponds Creates Project District Affordable Housing Floating Zone Provides additional Chapter 11 credits for workforce housing, disabled, elderly, live/work units Maintain Ho'okena as southern boundary of public water transmission system Adopts Official Public Facilities and Services Maps Establishes Medical Center Floating Zone Establishes Eco-Industrial Park Floating Zone Due to the Kona-specific nature of this Kona CDP as a County legal policy document, it will be very important over the planning horizon of the Kona CDP to monitor, assess, and facilitate progress being made toward the implementation of all the Policies and Actions. The County Planning Department shall establish a Design Center to support and expedite proposed development projects. The structure and staffing of the Planning Department will need to evolve to provide for the long-range planning oversight that will be necessary to implement and administer the Kona CDP. In addition, due to the focus of the County Planning Commission as a regulatory body, as well as the enormous task that oversight of Kona-specific policies will require, there is the need for creating a regional Implementation Committee (IC) dedicated specifically to monitoring and facilitating Kona CDP Policy implementation. The Implementation Committee (IC) shall serve as the official advocate for the Kona CDP. In addition to partnering with County government, the IC shall strive to stimulate and provide guidance for community-based participation in the implementation of the Kona CDP goals, objectives, policies and actions. The timeline specified in the Implementation Matrix shall guide the establishment of the IC s priorities. The IC shall adopt rules of procedure. Please submit letters of support and/or comments to the Planning Commission. County of Hawai i Planning Commission 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, Hawai i Phone (808) Visit our Hawai i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.

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