Speaker numbers apply only to this recording. Names come from transcript evidence. “Possibly” marks uncertain attribution.
The Honolulu City Council Committee on Zoning and Planning met in person on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:04 a.m. Chair Kia Aina presided. Remote verbal testimony was permitted, with each speaker limited to one minute per item. The committee took action on Resolution 26-236 (Bellows Air Force Station land return), three Special Management Area major permits, Resolution 26-230 (Kapolei Parkway affordable housing), and Bill 55 (2026) (YMCA downzone). Resolution 26-233 was canceled and not considered.
Chair Kia Aina introduced a hand-carried CD1 that urges the United States to return lands used by Bellows Air Force Station to the people of Hawaii in consultation with the Native Hawaiian community, the Waimanalo community, and the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Homelands. The CD1 also states that the United States shall bear the costs of unexploded munitions cleanup and chemical contamination remediation. Noelani Kalipi, Senior Advisor with the Hawaii Coordination Cell in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Energy Installations and Environment, attended; she said her office exists to collaborate and that she could not make decisions for the military services. She agreed with the resolution's historical accounting and said there is a pathway for deciding which portions could be returned.
The resolution recites that 1,510 acres were set aside by executive order in March 1917, the runways closed in 1958, and in 2000 about 1,049 acres were transferred for Marine Corps training. Testifiers and members noted the land is currently used for recreation rather than the original military purpose. Councilmember Tupola referenced a 1996 federal record of decision identifying 170 acres along the southern boundary for return and a 2021 legislative resolution; she called co-management a first step, citing Makua as a roadmap.
No public testimony was offered on these three items. Department of Planning and Permitting staff supported all three. The committee amended each to its posted CD1 and reported them out for adoption. The verbal amendments revised landowner acknowledgment conditions B2/C2 to retain the first sentence and delete the last two sentences.
Isaiah Sato and Alana Kobayashi Pakala (Kobayashi Group) presented the project for KP 52 LLC. The proposal is approximately 737 affordable rental units and 8 manager units in 16 three- and four-story buildings on a 15.192-acre portion of a city-owned BMX-3 zoning lot in Kapolei. Units would serve households earning 30%, 60%, or 80% of AMI, with an income-averaging approach keeping the overall average at or below 60% AMI; rents remain affordable for at least 73 years. At 60% AMI, a one-bedroom was estimated at about $1,700 and a four-bedroom at about $2,680, including utilities. The CD1 grants fee exemptions and deferrals and relief from joint development and bicycle parking requirements. The developers said a development agreement with the Department of Housing and Land Management is still being negotiated; councilmembers urged DHLM to appear and coordinate. Discussion also covered lessons learned from the adjacent Parkway Village, including larger family units, daycare spaces, and traffic improvements.
Walter Thames III (YMCA of Honolulu president and CEO) and Alec Harrington presented the request to rezone the 1.77-acre YMCA property at 401 Atkinson Drive from AMX-3 with a 350-foot height limit to A2 with a 150-foot height limit, and to rezone the fronting portion of Atkinson Drive from BMX-3 to A2. The bill also terminates the unilateral agreement recorded under Ordinance 13-34, which was tied to a 128-unit residential tower project approved in 2013 but never built. The current buildings date to 1951 and include a 113-room dormitory operating at about 75% occupancy. Thames said the agreement is an obstacle to future opportunities and that any future redevelopment would need separate approvals. The property is within the Ala Moana TOD plan area. DPP chief of planning Dina Wong said DPP supported the CD1. No public testimony was offered.
Hello, and good morning, everyone. It is Thursday, October twenty second, twenty twenty six, and the time is nine oh four AM. With a committee on zoning and planning meeting, please come to order. I would like to welcome the following committee members, Councilmember Cordero, Councilmember Okimoto, Councilmember Chicola, and committee vice chair should be coming uh here shortly. 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 ninety-two-three point seven. Therefore, the meeting will continue notwithstanding a 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 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 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. For your information, item number five, resolution 26-233 on page 7 of the agenda has been canceled and will not be considered. Moving to agenda item number one for action. Resolution 26-236. This resolution urges the United States to return lands used by the U.S. Air Force Station at Bellos to the people of Hawaii in consultation with the Native Hawaiian community. We have distributed hand carried CD1 version of the resolution, which I submitted. The proposed CD1 amends the be it resolved clause to provide that the United States its urge to return the lands used by the U.S. Air Force Station at Bellows and Waimanalo to the people of Hawaii in consultation with the Native Hawaiian community, the Hawaiianalo community, and the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Homelands. The proposed CD1 also adds a be it further resolved clause to provide that the cost of any cleanup of unexploded munitions and remediation of chemical contamination on the Bellows Air Force Station land be borne solely by the United States. The resolution itself provides a historical account of the land tenure history of lands at Bellows Air Force Station and the U.S. Marine Corps training area, Bellows, and how these lands are primarily from Crown and Government Lands of the Kingdom of Hawaii that were later categorized as public lands and transferred to the U.S. government. In March 1917, pursuant to the organic act, President Woodrow Wilson created through executive order, the Waimanala Military Reservation, which set aside 1,510 acres of land at Waimanalo for military purposes. In 1958, the last aircraft runways at Bellos Air Force Station were closed, and the Bellos Air Force Station flying field status was terminated. In 2000, Bellos Air Force Station transferred the use of 1,004 1,049 acres of the Bellos property for the Marine Corps training area Bellows. It is clear to everyone that lands under the jurisdiction of Bellos Air Force Station is no longer used for the military purposes for which it was originally set aside, and is currently used for recreational purposes by military personnel, retirees, and civilian employees of the U.S. Armed Forces, who are serviced by on-site commercial operations such as shops and recreation activities. In spite of various environmental, legal and cultural struggles struggles over time, the state of Hawaii and the city and county of Honolulu have for decades acknowledged the United States national security interests and assets in our communities. However, this acknowledgement is not unconditional and is contingent on the military objective of using Hawaii's lands for military training and readiness while respecting the land, people, and culture of Hawaii. Public law 88-233 provides a process for the transfer of surplus property to the state of Hawaii, subject to the public land trust created by Section 5F of the Admissions Act, and use of former military lands for exclusively recreational purposes should trigger review of whether such lands are in fact surplus as they no longer serve the purpose of the executive order setting aside these lands for use by the United States specifically for military training and readiness. Hawaii as an island state with approximately four million acres of land is challenged by a scarcity of land, including publicly owned land. State and city authorities are always seeking the return of federal land for use to benefit the people of Hawaii. In this context, the return of military land that is no longer used for military purposes is reasonable and appropriate. It is in this spirit that we urge the United States to return lands used by the U.S. Air Force Station at Bellows to the people of Hawaii in consultation with the Native Hawaiian community, the Wai Manalo community, and the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Homelands. Joining us in the council chambers today is Noelani Kalipi, Senior Advisor, Hawaii Coordination Cell, Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Energy Installations and Environment. Good morning, Ms. Khalipi. Good morning.