HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

55

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting the department of land and natural resources to report to the legislature on the progress of preserving and protecting the kohala historical sites monument and the feasibility of property condemnation to protect these sites, and to review present zoning laws.

 

 

WHEREAS, Act 166, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 1992, now codified as section 6E-38.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, was enacted with the intent and purpose of preserving and protecting a cluster of historical sites in North Kohala, on the island of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, the Kohala Historical Sites Monument (Monument) is a collection of these sites which includes the Mo`okini Luakini, the Kamehameha birthsite, Kukuipahu Heiau, and a number of historical areas at Mahukona; and

WHEREAS, the State currently owns the land encompassing the Mo`okini Luakini, the Kamehameha birthsite, and Kukuipahu Heiau, but need to secure surrounding areas to act as a buffer to preserve these historical lands and to allow public access to these areas; and

WHEREAS, the historical sites at Mahukona are privately owned but have been determined to be potentially significant for their informational and cultural content; and

WHEREAS, Act 166 authorized the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to begin work to acquire lands adjacent to the Monument to provide a buffer zone and allow for public access; and

WHEREAS, since 1992, the State has made unsuccessful attempts to acquire the lands adjacent to the Monument from the private owner through either a purchase or land exchange; and

WHEREAS, although initial work began on the historical site, the recent economic downturn has impeded progress of the capital improvements to the area; and

WHEREAS, Chalon International, a company specializing in hotel, restaurant, and recreational projects, is currently moving forward in an attempt to subdivide the area of concern into 20-acre, agricultural (AG-20) lots for productive farming; and

WHEREAS, an economic advantage of dividing large parcels of land into AG-20 lots is that there is no requirement to provide for any type of infrastructure for these lots; and

WHEREAS, the condemnation of these lands may prove to be a benefit to the public by protecting historical and cultural sites and providing public access to these areas; and

WHEREAS, the public interest may be furthered by DLNR studying the feasibility of amending the zoning criteria for AG-20 lot designation in order to foster productive farming; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the Senate concurring, that the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) is requested to submit a report to the Legislature by June 30, 2002, on the progress of meeting the objectives of Act 166, SLH 1992; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this report contain information to assist the Legislature in making a decision as to the public interest of condemnation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR is requested to assess present zoning criteria and determine whether amending zoning requirements for the acreage of AG-20 lots from 20 to 50 acres is prudent and feasible in order to foster an increase in productive farming; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of BLNR.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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