What the Zoning Ordinance Does

This Zoning Ordinance consists of the establishment of six major Use Districts in conjunction with two Special Districts within the territory of the County of Kaua'i. (This Chapter includes regulations concerning the uses permissible within each of the six Use Districts and concerning the special conditions under which the uses may be developed or created within each of the two special districts.) The boundaries of the Use Districts are established on the Zoning Maps of the County as specified in Sec. 8-2.3 of this Chapter. The boundaries of the special districts are established on the Zoning Maps or on the Constraint Map.The districts established and located by this Chapter are based upon the findings and analysis utilized in the General Plan for the County of Kaua'i. The designations of the Use Districts reflect in part the elements of the environment and society and, in addition, reflect appropriate interrelationships of land use, transportation, utilities, public services, existing development, recreational and employment opportunities, economic conditions, resource management, and population.The designations of the Constraint and Special Treatment Districts reflect:The capability of the land within the County to accommodate disturbances;Potential threats to health, safety and welfare, social and aesthetic values; andRelative development of use potential because of existing parcel conditions or unique or limited natural resources.The intent of the regulations governing all districts is to be permissive within the minimum requirements and performance criteria specified for each district. Development, use or construction should be permitted where it can be established by following the provisions of this Chapter so that the development and construction for a specific use or combination of uses can be accommodated within the specific physical and social conditions of a particular location in such a manner that it will not create the inadequate, harmful or disruptive conditions that formed the basis of the establishment of regulations of any district.The Use Districts allocate and regulate the various functions necessary to a diverse and viable society and specify the performance required to develop land and create improvements consistent with those functions and their interrelationships.Commercial, Industrial and Resort Districts recognize the specific nature of such uses and allocate their location in relation to land suitability and established or potential patterns of residential uses and other activities, such as transportation and community facilities.Overlaying the regulation of development or use in any or all of the Use Districts are additional special regulations which relate more specifically to the land and the existing community structure. These special regulations have been defined in the Constraint District and the Special Treatment District and may modify the manner in which uses regulated under the Use Districts may be developed or may require special performance in the development.Since the degree and type of the development or use may determine the magnitude of public concern, the procedures for administering the requirements of use and condition have been structured to permit smaller developments, while insuring that the effects of larger developments are adequately examined.