Honolulu Zoning and Planning Committee Meeting - July 29, 2025
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Honolulu Zoning and Planning Committee Meeting - July 29, 2025
This meeting of the Honolulu City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee covered four agenda items: a special management area permit for a Kailua residential project, a bill to expand the downtown Fort Street Mall Business Improvement District, a state land use boundary amendment for a proposed Haleiwa development, and an informational briefing on a new permitting software. The committee heard extensive public testimony, deliberated, and took action on three items, with the fourth being informational only.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Resolution 25-184 (Kaopuni LLC SMA permit): One remote testifier, Tara Rojas, opposed the project, expressing concern about the potential disturbance of iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains) and questioning the benefit to the community. She argued that development should not come at the expense of cultural desecration.
- Bill 51 (Downtown Business Improvement District): Numerous testifiers spoke in support, including Victor Lim (Chair of the existing Fort Street Mall BID), Warren Wong (Carissa Group), Taylor Ogata (student intern), Mark Anthony Clemente (Carpenters Union), Andrew Poe (Downtown Arts Center), Christine Kamp (property owner), and Angela Melody Young (CARES). They emphasized the need for improved safety, cleanliness, and economic revitalization. One testifier, Chulan Super Qualk (Chinatown Business and Community Association), expressed concern that Chinatown was not included in the proposed district, fearing crime and resources would shift. Another testifier, Gerwin Hule, criticized the process and urged support for small businesses.
- Bill 37 (Haleiwa state land use amendment): A large number of testifiers opposed the bill. Denise Antellini (North Shore Neighborhood Board) cited overwhelming community opposition, arguing the project does not meet the three criteria for boundary amendments and that the land is prime agricultural land. Raquel Achu (Wailoa Moku) opposed the amendment as premature and harmful to the rural lifestyle. Senator Kirk Favela raised environmental and traffic concerns. Barb Luke highlighted traffic and evacuation safety. Karen Gallagher noted the building height would be out of character. John Bilderbach and Rex Dubial Shanahan urged preservation of rural character. Several testifiers also submitted a petition with over 1,000 signatures. Supporters included members of the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters (Travis Morikami, Juan Parastel Jr., Fred Tamayo, Dion Kalaola, Mitchell Tainanis, Mark Anthony Clemente) who argued the project would provide workforce housing and jobs.
Discussion Items
- Resolution 25-184 (Kaopuni LLC SMA permit): Chair Kiaina introduced a proposed CD1 that added conditions regarding the lot size adjusted for erosion, a shoreline permit for fencing, and archaeological monitoring. The applicant's agent, Peter Vincent, presented the project. Councilmember Cordero asked about beach access and driveway encroachment. Chair Kiaina questioned the applicant about preparedness for discovering iwi kūpuna. The committee heard no in-person testimony, but one remote testifier. The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) supported the CD1. The committee voted to amend to CD1 and then report it out for adoption.
- Bill 51 (Downtown Business Improvement District): Councilmember Dos Santos TAM explained the bill and a hand-carried CD1 with three amendments. Chris Fong (TradeWind Capital) presented the community effort to create the BID. Chair Kiaina asked about the budget and outreach to small property owners. Councilmember Cordero inquired about balance with city services and maintenance like painting curbs. Managing Director Mike Formby expressed administration support, noting Chinatown was excluded due to feedback from local businesses. The committee postponed the bill to the next meeting on August 21, 2025, to ensure proper notification for a public hearing on September 3, 2025.
- Bill 37 (Haleiwa state land use amendment): Chair Kiaina provided extensive background on the process and the three criteria for boundary amendments. The applicant's agent, Jim Hayes, presented the concept plan for 150-156 rental apartments and commercial space. Councilmember Tupola asked detailed questions about the community growth boundary, rural character, affordability, and population limits. She noted she would vote yes on the boundary amendment but not on the project itself. Chair Kiaina clarified that the amendment does not approve the project and that agricultural use remains possible. The committee voted to report Bill 37 CD1 out for passage on third reading.
- Informational Briefing – Honolulu Build (HNL Build) Permitting Software: Director Apuna presented the new online permitting system launching August 4, 2025. It replaces the 27-year-old POSSE system and will allow online submission for all permits, real-time tracking, and a single reference number. The committee discussed customer support, training resources, and the opportunity to clear stale permits. Councilmembers expressed appreciation for the effort. No action was taken.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 25-184: Amended to CD1 and reported out of committee for adoption. (No vote tally recorded; hearing none, so ordered.)
- Bill 51: Postponed to the next Zoning and Planning Committee meeting on August 21, 2025, to allow time for review of CD1 amendments and public hearing notification.
- Bill 37 (CD1): Reported out of committee for passage on third reading. (No vote tally recorded; hearing none, so ordered.)
- Honolulu Build: Informational only; no action taken.
Meeting Transcript
Aloha and uh good morning, everyone. It is Monday, July 28, 2025, and the time is now 9 05 a.m. With a committee on zoning and planning meeting, please come to order. I would like to welcome the following committee members, committee vice chair waters, councilmember Cordero, Councilmember Okimoto, and Councilmember Tupola. I understand via Zoom. We also have Councilmember Dosantas TAM. Good morning, Councilmember DeSantis TAM. Do we have any other council members online? Although remote verbal testimonies being permitted, this is a regular in-person meeting and not a remote meeting by interactive conference technology under HRS Section 92 3.7. Therefore, the meeting will continue, notwithstanding loss of audio visual communication with remote testifiers or loss of the public broadcast of the meeting. Members of the public will be allowed to provide verbal testimony on all items on the agenda when each item is taken up in two ways in person in the council chamber and remotely via teleconference via video conference or phone. Before testifying, each person shall state their name for the record. Each speaker will be limited to a one-minute presentation per item. All persons who register to testify in person will be called upon first. Persons who did not register will be given an opportunity to offer testimony after the registered testifiers. Once in-person testimony has concluded, I will proceed to the remote testifiers. When I call your name or the last three digits of your phone number, please follow the prompts to unmute. As both English and Hawaiian are official languages of the state of Hawaii, pursuant to Article 15, Section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution and Section 113 of the Hawaii revised statutes. Members of the public may testify in either language. For verbal testimonies offered in Olelo, Hawaii, additional time as may be necessary will be allowed for the testifier to provide an English translation of their testimony. Written testimonies, including the testifier's address, email address, and phone number will be available to the public as described on the posted agenda. As a courtesy, please turn off or silence all cell phones for the duration of this meeting. Thank you. Moving on to agenda item number one. This resolution grants a special resolution 25-184. This resolution grants a special management area major permit to Kaopuni LLC to allow the construction of a two-story single unit main dwelling with attached three-car garage, one-story single unit guest dwelling, central courtyard in ground swimming pool, spa area, and open work fencing on an approximately 44,356 square foot shoreline lot, split zone R10 residential district, and P1 restricted preservation district, located at 144 Kaopuni Drive in Kailua and identified as tax map key 43013 039. Members, we have posted on the agenda a proposed CD1 version of the resolution, which I submitted. For your information, a summary of the amendments is listed on the agenda. A small portion of the project zoning lot closest to the shoreline is zone P1 restricted preservation district, but no development is proposed in this area. The proposed site, the project site is not anticipated to be impacted by coastal erosion or sea level rise, and the shoreline setback is 60 feet. The project's main dwelling, which is closest to the shoreline, will be located approximately 69 feet from the shoreline. The project zoning lot size is listed as 44,356 square feet, but over decades, 2,067 square feet of the lot has been lost to erosion and is now within the state land use conservation district. Several calculations to determine compliance with land use ordinance development standards are based on the zoning lot size. The proposed CD1 adds a new condition B to require the applicant to use 42,289 square feet as the project's zoning lot size, which reflects a reduction of 2,067 square feet that has been lost to erosion when calculating building area, floor area, and impervious surface area for purposes of the project's building permit application. Since the applicant is aware that it has to revise these calculations before submitting a building permit application, hopefully this will facilitate the project's building permit process. The applicant proposes new open work fencing with the 60 foot shoreline setback area, which will require a minor shoreline structure permit. Condition C of the proposed CD1 requires the applicant to obtain a mark minor shoreline structure permit prior to the issuance of any building permit for the installation of the project's proposed fencing within the 60-foot shoreline setback area. An archaeological inventory survey of the project site was conducted by ASM affiliates. A total of 12 test trenches were excavated, and two native Hawaiian historical sites were discovered. One site is a subsurface occupational layer containing two pits and a septic vault. The other site is a subsurface occupational layer containing a pit. No EV Kupuna or native Hawaiian accessual rains were discovered. But the project site is located within the Kailua Acretion Berm, where many EV Kupuna have been discovered. And the project site also consists of Jacques Sands, which have a higher likelihood of containing subsurface archaeological sites in EV Kupuna. The proposed CD1, therefore, includes conditions to minimize impacts to archaeological, historical, and cultural resources. Condition D2 provides that prior to the issuance of a construction permit or building permit for the project. The applicant is required to submit to the Department of Planning and Permitting a copy of the State Historic Preservation Division's written acceptance of the project's archaeological inventory survey and any required mitigation protocols. Condition 3D3 provides that prior to the issuance of a construction permit or building permit for the project. The applicant is required to prepare and submit an archaeological monitoring plan to the State Historic Preservation Division and provide the department with a copy of the division's written acceptance and any required mitigation protocols. Finally, condition D4 requires the applicant to implement all mitigation protocols approved by the division and conduct a coordination meeting with project archaeological consultants and construction contractors prior to the start of construction to ensure that everyone is informed of all required mitigation protocols.
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