Honolulu Zoning and Planning Committee Meeting - February 5, 2026
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Honolulu Zoning and Planning Committee Meeting - February 5, 2026
The Honolulu City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee met on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 9:01 a.m. to consider a series of resolutions and bills related to land use, permitting, affordable housing, and zoning standards. The meeting included reappointments, special management area permits, conditional use permit reforms, apartment district development standards, sign regulations, and affordable housing options. Several items were amended, passed, or postponed after discussion and testimony.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution 26-13 CD1 (Reappointment of Kano Camel to the Planning Commission) was amended to CD1 and reported out for adoption without opposition.
- Resolution 25-333 CD1 (SMA major permit for a shoreline lot at 68-309 Crozier Drive in Waialua) was amended to CD1 and reported out for adoption. The project includes demolition of an existing dwelling and garage, construction of a new two-story home, pool, and wastewater system. Conditions address flood zone compliance, sea level rise exposure, archaeological survey, and invasive species protocols.
- Resolution 26-4 CD1 (SMA major permit for Westlock Wastewater Pump Station upgrade) was amended to CD1 and reported out for adoption. The project will expand and rehabilitate the aging pump station, including a new generator room, fuel tank, and equipment upgrades, with archaeological monitoring required.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Raquel Achu (Wailoamoku) testified in support of resolutions 25-228 and 26-17 regarding conditional use permits (CUPs). She emphasized the need to tighten CUP approval processes to prevent abuse, particularly for agritourism, and advocated for a distinction between genuine farmers and large-scale tourist-oriented operations. She expressed concern that current rules allow out-of-state investors to exploit the system while burdening small farmers.
- McKinley Eads (Avalon Group) testified in opposition to Bill 15 (affordable housing options). He argued that eliminating the 30-year for-sale affordability option and marketing periods would remove critical flexibility. He proposed a release valve allowing unsold affordable for-sale units to convert to long-term rental units with extended affordability periods, warning that without such a mechanism, developer participation in TOD projects could decline.
Discussion Items
- Resolutions 25-228 and 26-17 (CUP Amendments): These resolutions aimed to modify conditional use permit procedures. Resolution 25-228 would require all minor CUPs for agritourism to be presented to neighborhood boards. Resolution 26-17 (introduced by Council Chair Waters) would require a major CUP for agritourism instead of a minor CUP, and add provisions for reconsideration of approved CUPs. Extensive discussion focused on avoiding overburdening small farmers while addressing community concerns about large-scale agritourism. Councilmember Tupola opposed Resolution 25-228, arguing it would subject all minor CUPs to neighborhood board review unnecessarily. The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) expressed willingness to develop a scaled approach between minor and major CUPs. Resolution 25-228 was amended to CD1 but then failed on a vote (Councilmembers Tupola, Okimoto, and Waters voted no). Resolution 26-17 was amended to a hand-carried CD1 and passed unanimously.
- Bills 5 and 6 2026 (Apartment District Development Standards): These bills propose updates to development standards for apartment and apartment mixed-use zones to encourage more housing. Bill 5 (Council version) reduces minimum lot area and dimensions more aggressively; Bill 6 (DPP version) makes more modest reductions and separates commercial FAR to incentivize mixed-use. DPP staff presented analysis showing Bill 6 could increase developable lots by over 300 and add potential for 55,000 housing units across Oahu. Councilmember Dos Santos Tam noted that restrictive current standards contributed to monster homes and the need for Bill 7. The committee voted to postpone Bill 5 and pass Bill 6 CD1 for second reading and public hearing.
- Bill 7 2026 (Sign Standards for Apartment Mixed-Use Districts): This bill amends sign regulations to allow each ground-floor establishment with street frontage to have a sign (up to 9 square feet), replacing the previous limit of one sign per building entrance. Introduced by Councilmember Tupola, the change aims to help businesses in mixed-use developments like Mehana Kapolei. DPP reported minimal visual impacts. The bill was amended to CD1 (reducing sign size from 12 to 9 sq ft as recommended by the Planning Commission) and passed for second reading.
- Bill 15 2026 (Affordable Housing Options): This bill would eliminate the 30-year affordability option for for-sale affordable units under Chapter 29 (TOD and IPD projects), as well as associated marketing periods, citing lack of success (unsold units in projects like Sky Ala Moana). Council Chair Waters, the introducer, recommended deferral after discussion, noting the need for further study and consultation with developers and agencies. DPP and the Department of Housing and Land Management agreed that Chapter 29 needs review. The bill was postponed to a future date.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 26-13 CD1: Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 25-333 CD1: Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 26-4 CD1: Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 25-228: Amended to CD1, then failed (3 no votes: Tupola, Okimoto, Waters).
- Resolution 26-17 CD1: Passed unanimously.
- Bill 5 2026: Postponed by committee chair.
- Bill 6 2026 CD1: Passed for second reading and public hearing.
- Bill 7 2026 CD1: Passed for second reading and public hearing.
- Bill 15 2026: Postponed by committee chair.
Meeting Transcript
Aloha and good morning, everyone. It is Thursday, February 5th, 2026, and the time is now 9 01 a.m. Will the committee on zoning and planning meeting please come to order. We'd like to welcome committee members, Councilmember Cordero, Councilmember Okimoto, Councilmember Topola, Vice Chair Waters will be coming in shortly. Also joining us today will be Councilmember Wire. Although remote verbal testimony is 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 and remotely via video conference or phone. Before testifying, each person shall state their name for the record. Each speaker may not have anyone else read their statement and would 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. 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. As a courtesy, please turn off or silence all cell phones for the duration of this meeting. And item number seven, Bill 70, 2025, CD1 on page 11 of the agenda have been cancelled and will not be considered. Moving to agenda item number one. Mr. Kano Camel is an architect at Design Partners Incorporated and will continue to provide representation on the commission under the land use planning policies and principles category. We have posted on the agenda a CD1 version of the resolution, which I submitted for your information. A summary of the amendments is listed on the agenda. The CD1 makes technical amendments, including adding that the planning commission members are appointed by the mayor and appointed by the city council to staggered five-year terms, referencing the mayor's message number, and clarifying that Mr. Camel is being reappointed as a member of the commission. I would like to call up the appointee to say a few words. Could you please introduce yourself and share a little about your current and envisioned future role on the planning commission? And welcome uh Vice Chair Waters. Aloha. Good morning. Thank you, Chair Kia Aina and members of the zoning and planning committee. Uh thank you to the committee for your consideration and to the mayor and to the mayor's office for their continued support through this process. I'm humbled and honored to be considered for reappointment to the planning commission and definitely take this role seriously. Um through my practice of architecture, I've been fortunate to see the impacts that nuances of land use legislation as well as decisions made in this chamber have on the impacts of our communities today and for our future communities. And I'd be honored to share my experiences as well as my perspectives with the planning commission. Um it's been an honor to serve thus far and look forward to continued collaboration with city council. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Camo, and thank you for your consideration uh for this reappointment. Members, are there any questions for Mr. Kamel? Seeing none. Uh Mr. Camo on question six of your nominee forum. You responded that your employer does business with the city. However, you did not indicate the nature of the business and approximate dollar amount in the last five years. Can you please provide us with this information? And if you do not have that information now, can you please get back to us before the next full council meeting? We'll do. Um, the nature of the business too was potentially RFP work. Um, right now we don't have any ongoing contracts with the city and county, um, but we'll get that information for you.
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