August 1989 Home   Newsletters

September 1989

October 1989

President's Message (Arlene Ellis)
Public Records Report
Honolulu Convention Center
Advocating for the Voter: Campaign Finance Reform
Planning and Zoning (Astrid Monson)
General Membership Meeting: Pro-Choice (Jean Aoki)
LWVUS Publications
LWV Presents (Linda Chinn)
Recycling (Dorothy Turnbull)
Welcome
Help!

Planning and Zoning

The summer doldrums never happened as far as League's Planning and Zoning Committee was concerned. We were busy coping with a number of controversial issues. Among them:

DEVELOPMENT PLAN ANNUAL REVIEW

On September 6 we testified before the Planning Commission on several points: We opposed raising the downtown height limit to 500 feet because it would be followed by an increase in density which would add to traffic congestion and parking problems, it would not result in increased open space at ground level, it was not needed because existing zoning already allows for a 50% to 75% increase in the Financial District's floor area, and it would set a bad precedent.

We opposed eliminating the annual Development Plan land use amendment review in favor of "independent consideration" of each proposal one by one, because it would make comprehensive planning impossible and would make it much harder for neighborhood boards and other community groups to provide intelligent input.

We opposed eliminating the distinction relating to mixed use districts as between those primarily residential and those primarily commercial.

We opposed giving first or other high priority among public facility projects to infrastructure improvements supporting a rail transit system or Convention Center, since both still posed many uncertainties as to location, financing and impact.

WAIOLA/KIPAPA RIDGE ESTATES

On August 9 we testified before the City Council in opposition to the Kipapa Ridge Estates housing project because, as we had been testifying since 1986, it would eliminate prime agricultural land presently under cultivation and it could be better located in Ewa closer to employment opportunities, with lower infrastructure costs, and where it could be part of a comprehensively planned city, Kapolei, the secondary urban center.

CENTRAL OAHU

On August 30 we testified before the City Council against rezoning land for the Mililani Mauka project in Central Oahu because as in the past, we opposed further urbanization of the area while land for some 40,000 housing units had already been approved under the Development Plan for development there and in Ewa, but remained still unbuilt. We also listed unresolved problems such as traffic, police protection, sewage, agriculture, schools, noise, water and airplane accidents which had been raised last year by various City and State agencies analyzing the project.

TV SCRIPTS

A hardworking sub-committee is preparing a series of four TV scripts on planning, land use and housing to be shown as a unified series. Among its members are Marilyn Bornhorst, Claudia Gauen, Helen Griffin, Arlene Ellis, Katie Loew and Astrid Monson.

OTHER

Other items on the Committee's current agenda are:

1) Consideration of a bill setting up "enterprise zones" to give "qualified businesses" incentives such as real property tax rebates and exemption from County planning, zoning and construction ordinances and regulations.

2) Three important proposed amendments to the Land Use (zoning) Ordinances relating to A) golf course development in agricultural districts, B) transient vacation rentals, including bed-and-breakfast homes and corporate retreats, and C) ohana homes.

3) Development agreements, on which an ordinance has been held up in committee for a year or two.

4) Transfer of development rights.

5) Reduction of height limits mauka of Ala Moana Center.

6) The use of "contested Case Hearings in controversies.

Astrid Monson
Planning & Zoning Chair

August 1989 Home   Newsletters October 1989