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Committee approves rezoning for five‑lot subdivision in Puna, forwards Bill 137 to full council
Summary
The Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions voted 8‑0 (one excused) to approve Bill 137, which would rezone a 5.79‑acre parcel in Puna from Agricultural‑20 to Family Agricultural‑1 to allow a five‑lot subdivision; the planning director recommended approval with conditions and noted water and road‑access constraints.
The Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions of Hawaii County voted to approve Bill 137 on March 17, 2026, forwarding the measure to the full County Council with a favorable recommendation by an 8‑0 vote (one member excused). The bill would change the zoning of a 5.79‑acre parcel in Waiāla, Puna (TMK 1‑7‑016‑010) from Agricultural‑20 to Family Agricultural‑1 to allow subdivision into five one‑acre lots.
The planning director, Jeff Darrow of the Hawaii County Planning Department, presented the applicant’s site plan, maps and aerial photos and said his office recommended forwarding the rezoning with conditions. "The planning director's recommendation to the planning commission was to forward a favorable recommendation with conditions to the county council," Darrow said, and he noted the Windward Planning Commission voted to forward a similar recommendation at its Feb. 5, 2026 meeting. The applicants are listed in the record as Benjamin and Olympia Love.
Council member Sekani Lee Kleinfelder raised infrastructure concerns during the discussion, focusing on water supply and traffic. Kleinfelder asked whether each lot had water credits or would rely on rainwater collection, and said, "every morning I watch people trying to get from onto the highway, and it's brutal," describing local congestion near State Highway 11. Darrow cited county code on concurrency and water requirements, explaining the department does not allow a change of zone without required community water and that catchment‑only rezoning could create broader problems. He cautioned that "to have that much water, to create RS 20 or RS 15 lots in this area would probably be... most likely, they wouldn't have that ability to get that much water."
On road access, Darrow said portions of the nearby North Road and a west side road are private and not under county ownership, limiting immediate county improvements. He said the department included a condition in the recommendation requiring a future road‑widening dedication on the last lot along North Road to create an approximately 60‑foot right‑of‑way to accommodate potential future access improvements. Darrow also noted that a traffic impact analysis is typically triggered when proposals generate roughly 50 peak‑hour trips; this five‑lot subdivision alone would not meet that threshold but cumulative impacts are monitored and agency comments are solicited as needed.
After the presentation and questions, Kleinfelder said he would support the subdivision while urging the department and committee to continue monitoring cumulative traffic and density on connector roads. The committee then voted to forward Bill 137 to the County Council with a favorable recommendation by voice vote: 8 ayes, 0 no, one excused.
The measure will next appear before the full Hawaii County Council for further consideration; the planning department’s transmittal and the PowerPoint presentation are part of the record for Bill 137. The packet identifies the parcel by tax map key 1‑7‑016‑010, lists the applicants as Benjamin and Olympia Love, and describes the proposed reclassification and condition language as presented to the committee.
