Hawaii County committee forwards rezoning request for Waikia parcel despite developerproject uncertainty

The Hawaii County Committee of Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions on Aug. 5 voted to forward Bill 67 to the full County Council with a favorable recommendation. The bill would change the zoning classification for a Waikia, South Hilo parcel (Tax Map Key 2-2-02:022) from Single High Residential (10,000 square feet) to General Commercial (10,000 square feet). The applicant is Kore Ohana LLC; the site is at 1198 Kinoole Street and covers about 33,180 square feet.

Why it matters: The committeeand the planning directorclarified that rezoning enables a broader set of uses and that affordable-housing requirements under the countychapter cited in the hearing will apply if residential units are constructed. Several council members said they supported the rezone while raising concerns that applicants sometimes present a specific project during rezoning even though the rezone itself does not legally bind the developer to that project.

Planning director Jeffrey Darrow described the zoning change and the countypractice for evaluating proposed uses. Darrow said the county assesses "highest and best use" and seeks higher-density uses in areas with infrastructure to support them. He also told the committee, "It will if units are built," when asked whether chapter 11 affordable-housing requirements would take effect if development occurs.

Council member (Chair) Kimball introduced the bill by request. Council member Kagiwara pressed for clarity for the public about how rezoning interacts with future development requirements and said he would support the rezone while urging changes to county procedures so developers are more accountable to any project representations made during hearings. Kagiwara said he preferred to see a rezoning request that matches the applicant's stated intent (multifamily) but acknowledged the applicant had requested commercial zoning and that the area has infrastructure appropriate for higher-density uses.

Council member Kanyeli Kleinfelder noted an error in the packet maps (two streets labeled the same) and confirmed a corrected exhibit had been submitted at the prior hearing. The applicant, identified in the hearing as Mr. Correa (appearing by Zoom), attended but did not present detailed testimony at the committee beyond being present.

Action taken: A motion to forward Bill 67 to the County Council with a favorable recommendation was made from the floor and seconded; the clerk recorded six ayes and three excused members. No roll-call vote with individual yes/no names was recorded in the committee transcript excerpt.

Context and next steps: Committee members discussed improving coordination between the Planning Department and the Office of Housing and Community Development so applicants know affordable-housing expectations earlier in the process. Council members said recent improvements in interdepartmental cooperation helped, but some requested a more formal checklist or publicly available guidance so applicants understand requirements before submission. The committee forwarded the rezoning ordinance to the full Council for final consideration.