Draft Environmental Assessment Saddle Road Maintenance Baseyard Department of Transportation District of Hāmākua, Island of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Tax Map Key: (3) (3) 4-4-016: portion of 3 June 13, 2012 Department of Transportation State of Hawaii 869 Punchbowl Street Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 Draft Environmental Assessment Saddle Road Maintenance Baseyard Department of Transportation District of Hāmākua, Island of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Tax Map Key: (3) 4-4-016: portion of 3 June 13, 2012 Prepared For: Department of Transportation State of Hawaii 869 Punchbowl Street Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813 Prepared by: R.M. Towill Corporation 2024 North King Street, Suite 200 Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96819 21896-0P Saddle Road Maintenance Baseyard TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. I List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... III Acronyms ...................................................................................................................................... IV PROJECT SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 1 SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 2 1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW ................................................................................................... 2 1.2 PROJECT PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................. 2 1.3 BASIS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ............................................... 3 1.4 PROPOSING AGENCY AND ACCEPTING AUTHORITY ......................................... 3 SECTION 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ..................... 6 2.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ................................................................................. 6 2.1.1 PROJECT LOCATION ............................................................................................ 6 2.1.2 OWNER INFORMATION ....................................................................................... 6 2.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .............................................................................................. 6 2.3 PROJECT SCHEDULE AND COST .............................................................................. 6 2.3.1 SCHEDULE .............................................................................................................. 6 2.3.2 COST ........................................................................................................................ 6 2.4 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ................................................................................ 12 2.4.1 NO ACTION ........................................................................................................... 12 2.4.2 DELAYED ACTION .............................................................................................. 12 2.4.3 PROPOSED ACTION ............................................................................................ 12 SECTION 3 DESCRIPTION OF AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT .............................................. 13 3.1 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................... 13 3.1.1 CLIMATE ............................................................................................................... 13 3.1.2 TOPOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, AND SOILS .......................................................... 13 3.1.3 SURFACE WATERS AND HYDROLOGY ......................................................... 16 3.1.4 AIR QUALITY ....................................................................................................... 16 3.1.5 NOISE ..................................................................................................................... 18 3.1.6 NATURAL HAZARDS .......................................................................................... 19 3.1.7 FLORA AND FAUNA ........................................................................................... 19 3.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................... 20 3.2.1 LAND USE ............................................................................................................. 20 3.2.2 HISTORIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...................................... 21 3.2.3 CULTURAL RESOURCES AND PRACTICES ................................................... 22 3.2.4 SCENIC AND VISUAL RESOURCES ................................................................. 23 3.2.5 RECREATIONAL FACILITIES............................................................................ 23 3.2.6 FIRE, POLICE AND MEDICAL SERVICES ....................................................... 24 3.2.7 SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS .................................................................... 24 3.3 INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES ....................................................................... 26 3.3.1 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS ............................................... 26 3.3.2 DRAINAGE SYSTEM ........................................................................................... 26 3.3.3 WATER SYSTEM.................................................................................................. 27 3.3.4 WASTEWATER SYSTEM .................................................................................... 27 3.3.5 ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ..................................................................................... 27 i Saddle Road Maintenance Baseyard 3.3.6 SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL .................................................................................. 27 SECTION 4 RELATIONSHIP TO LAND USE PLANS AND POLICIES ................................ 29 4.1 THE HAWAI‘I STATE PLAN ...................................................................................... 29 4.2 HAWAI‘I STATE FUNCTIONAL PLANS .................................................................. 30 4.3 STATE LAND USE LAW ............................................................................................. 30 4.4 CONSERVATION DISTRICT SUBZONES ................................................................ 32 4.5 ISLAND OF HAWAI‘I LONG RANGE LAND TRANSPORTATION PLAN .......... 34 4.6 COUNTY OF HAWAII GENERAL PLAN .................................................................. 34 4.7 ZONING ......................................................................................................................... 35 4.8 SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA (SMA) RULES AND REGULATIONS ............. 35 SECTION 5 NECESSARY PERMITS AND APPROVALS ...................................................... 36 5.1 STATE OF HAWAI‘I ......................................................................................................... 36 5.2 SECTION 6 ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES CONSULTED AND TO BE CONSULTED DURING THE PREPARATION OF THE DEA.......................................................................... 37 6.1 State of Hawai‘i .................................................................................................................. 37 6.2 Federal................................................................................................................................. 37 6.3 County of Hawai‘i .......................................................................................................... 37 6.4 Utility Companies .......................................................................................................... 37 SECTION 7 DETERMINATION ................................................................................................. 38 SECTION 8 REFERENCES......................................................................................................... 41 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................... 42 Appendix A Flora and Fauna Study Appendix B Archaeological Inventory Survey Appendix C Cultural Resources Impact Assessment ii Saddle Road Maintenance Baseyard LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1 Regional Context ............................................................................................................5 Figure 1-2 Project Location .............................................................................................................6 Figure 2-1 Aerial View of Project Site ............................................................................................8 Figure 2-2 Site Plan .........................................................................................................................9 Figure 2-3 Elevations .....................................................................................................................10 Figure 2-4 Elevation ......................................................................................................................11 Figure 2-5 Elevations .....................................................................................................................12 Figure 3-1 Soils ..............................................................................................................................16 Figure 3-2 Topography ..................................................................................................................18