Committee forwards two linked Waimea land‑use and zoning bills to County Council

Chair Kimball convened the Hawaii County Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions and said the panel would consider two linked land‑use items affecting a Waimea parcel in South Kohala. The committee voted to forward both Bill 122, a request to amend the State Land Use District boundary from agricultural to rural, and Bill 123, a change of county zoning from Agricultural 5‑acre (AG‑5A) to Residential Agricultural 2.5‑acre (RA‑2.5A), to the full County Council with favorable recommendations.

The planning director, Jeff Darrow, told the committee the subject property (approximately 6.063 acres in the Kanehoa subdivision along Kauaihi Road) is shown on county and state maps as migrating toward rural uses in the General Plan allocation guide. “The land‑use pattern allocation guide map identifies the subject property and area for rural‑type uses and zoning,” Darrow said, and he described the requested State Land Use boundary amendment and the companion change of zone that would allow the applicant to subdivide the parcel into two lots (roughly 3.563 acres and 2.5 acres).

John Pippen, the applicant’s representative, said that since about 1985 the subdivision has trended to smaller minimum lot sizes, that water availability is the usual constraint on rezoning, and that the applicant has two county water meters sufficient to serve two lots. “We’re requesting [a] minimum lot size of 2.5 acres that would permit only two lots,” Pippen said.

The applicant, Joseph Gaglione, addressed the committee: “My mom and uncle got the property next door in, I think, in ’84… I’ve been just taking care of it, putting sheep on it once a year. I lost the ag exemption, so I have to figure out a way to keep it in the family and make it be able to pay the property taxes,” he said, explaining his intent to place a single‑family dwelling on each new lot for family use or rental income.

During questioning, Council member Kaikoweta asked whether subdivision could proceed under agricultural zoning; Darrow said subdivision under ag is an option but the General Plan, soil conditions and the area’s trend support a rural designation and that rural designation would avoid State agricultural dwelling requirements for the site. Darrow also noted the Leeward Planning Commission had recommended forwarding both items at its Nov. 20, 2025 meeting and that the Planning Director recommended forwarding both to Council with favorable recommendations.

Chair Kimball handled a procedural clarification on how the committee would consider the two interdependent items and asked that one duplicate motion be withdrawn so the items could be discussed together; Council member Houston withdrew a motion on Bill 123 to clear the floor for a single linked discussion.

The committee then voted on the separate forwarding motions: the motion to forward Bill 122 to Council with a favorable recommendation passed (eight ayes, one excused). A subsequent motion to forward Bill 123 to Council with a favorable recommendation also passed by voice vote with eight ayes and one excused.

The committee did not take final legislative action beyond forwarding the bills with recommendations; the items will next appear before the full County Council for decision.