By HUNTER BISHOP
By HUNTER BISHOP
Tribune-Herald staff writer
A proposed resolution for an “upzoning moratorium” in Pahoa was circulated at Wednesday’s meeting of the Pahoa Regional Town Center plan working groups. The resolution calls for the Hawaii County Council to delay action on any applications to “upzone” properties for development in Pahoa until a Pahoa town plan is completed.
Mark Hinshaw, who chairs the Pahoa Regional Town Center Plan steering committee, said the moratorium proposal is designed to give the volunteer
community planners “breathing room” as they work on design criteria for new projects in Pahoa town.
The proposal could affect recently announced plans to develop a shopping center at the former Bryson’s Cinders location on Old Government Road in Pahoa, also known as Pahoa Village Road.
“We decided that based on what’s happening, this would be a way to keep developers from doing whatever they want to do,” Hinshaw said.
The Pahoa town area straddles Pahoa Village Road, approximately between the Pahoa bypass intersections at Pahoa Marketplace and Pahoa High School.
The $20 million project on Bryson Kuwahara’s property would include a supermarket, medical and dental facilities, and other retail stores. Kuwahara also proposes to improve the intersection at Pahoa Marketplace with the installation of a roundabout, as well as other traffic improvements. The developer’s representative said he would be asking the community for recommendations on the design of the project that would reflect the history of Pahoa town.
Kuwahara has submitted a zoning change request to the county to change the property designation from agriculture to urban, an “upzoning” that could be affected by the proposed moratorium.
The moratorium would need to be adopted by the council, and as currently written, would end on June 30, 2013, or when the county adopts Phase I of the Pahoa Regional Town Center Action Plan, whichever comes first, Hinshaw said. “It wouldn’t be for very long.”
The proposed moratorium was not aimed at the proposed new shopping center, Hinshaw said. “We didn’t know about Bryson’s when we started.” Hinshaw said he supports the project and new development in Pahoa but said the committee supports new design criteria for the town first. “We want the town to look nice,” he said.
The Puna Community Development Plan, adopted by the council in 2008, identifies Pahoa as “a Regional Town Center with historic development patterns that define a ‘sense of place’ and is a strong candidate for Special District Design designation.”
According to the proposed moratorium resolution, Pahoa has experienced “extensive and persistent commercial development and redevelopment activity as well as multiple applications for up-zoning over the past 10 years with little or no ability to address inadequate infrastructure needs or to preserve its unique “sense of place.” The proposed moratorium would not affect housing or other projects that specifically benefit the public health, safety and welfare such as schools, water and sewer systems.
Hinshaw said the moratorium proposal will be heard by the Puna Community Development Plan Action Committee on Tuesday. With the Action Committee’s approval, the proposal would be submitted to the 4th District County Council member for consideration by the council.
Email Hunter Bishop at hbishop@hawaiitribune-herald.com.