June 16, 2007
Hawaii

Council to consider zoning changes to allow wind farms

A proposed change to the Big Island’s zoning law that would allow construction of wind energy facilities in open zoned districts will be discussed by the Hawaii County Council’s Planning Committee Tuesday in Kailua-Kona.

Council Chairman Pete Hoffmann, Kohala, said Thursday the proposed resolution requests Planning Director Chris Yuen to review a proposed amendment to the county’s zoning ordinance that would allow wind energy facilities in open zoned districts.

Should the resolution be approved by the committee and later by the full council, Yuen would have four months to provide comments on the proposed ordinance change, Hoffmann said.

The proposed change to the county’s zoning ordinance was partly spurred by the Waikoloa Village Association’s desire to build wind energy facilities on 10,000 acres of open land it owns near Waikoloa Village, he said.

The proposed change, however, is tailored to allow construction of wind energy facilities in open zoned districts islandwide, Hoffmann said.