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Council debates allowing homes in industrial‑commercial MCX zones; postpones Bill 63 for more review
Summary
Councilmembers and planning staff debated Bill 63, which would permit residential dwellings in existing industrial‑commercial mixed‑use (MCX) zones. Concerns from the Kona CDP Action Committee and several councilmembers prompted a postponement to Nov. 19 for further work on affordable housing, infrastructure and health‑safety safeguards.
Vice Chair Onishi introduced Bill 63 on Oct. 22 to allow residential dwellings in the county's industrial‑commercial mixed‑use (MCX) zoning districts. The council's hearing generated extended discussion among councilmembers, planning staff, and community representatives who urged additional safeguards and planning before allowing residences as a permitted use in MCX areas.
John Pelletier, representing the Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee, urged caution and requested added conditions if residences are permitted, including allowance for neighborhood parks, mitigation for noise and air pollution, restrictions on short‑term rentals, affordable or workforce housing requirements, multimodal infrastructure, and sewer and water assurances.
Planning director Jeff Darrow told the council many MCX parcels already contain commercial uses and that typical infrastructure and environmental mitigations are applied when landowners seek rezoning or project‑level approvals. He said the MCX district's stated purpose is "to allow the mixing of some industrial uses with commercial uses... without exposing non industrial uses to unsafe and unhealthy environments," and noted that only a small fraction of island land is zoned MCX (staff estimate cited during debate: about 414 acres).
Council members pressed for clarity on how existing MCX parcels would be handled, whether an affordable‑housing requirement could be attached to new residential projects on MCX land, and how to protect residents where MCX abuts heavier industrial uses. Councilmember Villegas said she was not ready to support the measure in its current form, noting the Kona CDP's recommendations and a need for more precise protections. Councilmember Kimball and others suggested that rezoning or project district reviews are the usual mechanisms to add conditions such as affordable housing, sidewalks and sewer.
Citing civil defense concerns and an agreed buffer from heavy industrial areas, the council accepted an amendment (communication 333.5) to require a 200‑foot setback from properties adjoining general industrial zoning. After discussion the council voted unanimously to postpone Bill 63 to the Nov. 19 council meeting to give the planning department and stakeholders time to address the Kona CDP's recommendations and potential code changes.
The postponement keeps the issue open for further amendments and does not change existing zoning until the council takes later action.
