The Honolulu City Council Committee on Zoning and Planning met on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 9:04 AM in the council chamber. The meeting was chaired by Councilmember Kia Aina, with Vice Chair Waters, Councilmembers Topola, Dos Santos Tam, and Cordero present. Councilmember Okimoto was excused. The committee considered nine agenda items, including resolutions and bills related to land use permits, transit-oriented development (TOD) plans, zone changes, and pedestrian mall designations. Extensive public testimony was heard, particularly on Resolution 26-171 (1588 Ala Moana project). All items were advanced to the full council for adoption or passage.
Aloha and good morning, everyone. It's Thursday, September twenty-fourth, twenty twenty-six, and the time is nine oh four AM. Will the committee on zoning and planning meeting, please come to order. Committee Vice Chair Waters, Councilmember Topola joining us as well in today's meeting is Councilmember Dos Santos Town. Councilmember Okimoto's excuse from today's meeting. Although remote verbal testimony is being permitted, this is a regular in-person meeting and not a remote meeting by interactive conference technology under HR section 92-3.7. 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 video conference or phone. Each speaker may not have anyone else read their statement, and will be limited to a one-minute presentation per item. All persons who register to testify in person will be called upon first. For verbal testimonies offered in Olelo Hoi, 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. Given the uh number of testifiers of agenda item number three, if there is no objections, are we moving this agenda item? Resolution 26 171 to the end of today's agenda. Is there any objections? Seeing none moving forward to agenda item number one for action. Resolution 26-183. This resolution grants a special management area major permit to Barbara Pollen to allow for the demolition of an existing single unit dwelling and the decommission of an existing cesspool and the construction of a new two-story single dwelling unit with three lunaies, two carp carport on the ground, and a second story living space open one car parking area, rock garden, in ground swimming pool, concrete rubble masonry wall, and individual wastewater system on an 11,591 square foot shoreline lot zone R5 residential district, located at 57329 Pahi Alua Street in Kahuku. We have posted on the agenda CD1 version of the resolution for your information. A summary of the amendments is listed on the agenda. The entire project site will be impacted by 3.2 feet of sea level rise by the year 2100. The project is located as far Malca as possible on the most elevated portion of the zoning lot available and is outside of the shoreline setback of 66.65 feet. There is no other suitable location for the project on the site. However, the project's roof overhangs encroach into the shoreline setback area and requires a minor shoreline structure permit. The project swimming pool is located under the second floor under on the Mackay side of the dwelling, and there is no wall that could serve as a shoreline hardening structure. The proposed CD1 includes applicant acknowledgments regarding the risks and responsibilities associated with development in the sea level rise exposure area and requires that pervious surface materials be used for the project driveway and certain areas under the elevated dwelling. Joining us in the chamber is Jim Hayes from Planning Solutions Inc., who will be providing a brief presentation for your information. The presentation is available online as miscellaneous communication 397 2026. Thank you, Chair. Jim Hayes with Planning Solutions. Unfortunately, uh that project uh was unable to obtain building permits in a timely manner. And so we're now reapplying essentially a very similar project, but the uh dwelling has been moved Malca as far as possible to address sea level rise concerns and uh be outside the shoreline setback. So this map illustrates where the location of the project is there in Cavella Bay, and um it's in the R5 zone, it's in the flood zone and it's in the sea level rise exposure area, as this next slide shows. Um a substantial portion of uh that side of Cavella Bay is in the sea level rise exposure area. Uh but as I mentioned, uh the project's been moved as far as Malca as possible, and the current erosion rate there is only 0.08 feet per year. Um hasn't been experiencing much erosion recently due to uh offshore reefs in the area that break up the the wave energy there. Uh, this illustrates the project plan showing the street on the bottom of the diagram, and then the house, as you can see, as far Malca as possible and outside of the shoreline setback area. The industrial excuse me, the individual wastewater system is to the right of the dwelling, also as far from the ocean as possible. Uh this final slide, which is a rendering of what the project will look like from the street side. Um yeah, and you can see uh that it's a two-level structure, so the living area is elevated above the garage, so that's elevated above the flood zone hazard elevation, the base flood elevation. Um, and that concludes my presentations. Thank you so much. Members, are there any questions for Mr. Hayes? Seeing no questions before thank you so much. Before I call up the administration, I would like to take public testimony, proceeding first with in-person testimony in the council chamber clerks. We have any in-person testifiers. Chair, there are none. Is there anyone?