STAND. COM. REP. NO. 183

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 645

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 645 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KAKAAKO,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to increase the reserved housing requirement for a planned development to twenty-five per cent of floor space in the Kakaako community development district, mauka area for lots three acres or more in size.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by two private organizations and two individuals.  Testimony in opposition was submitted by two private organizations.  Comments were submitted by one state agency and two private organizations.  Copies of written testimony are available for review on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure is one of many under consideration by the Legislature in response to severe shortages of affordable housing in Hawaii.  Your Committee is concerned that a long-term economic crisis will further worsen what is already a challenging housing market for Hawaii residents, and that all alternatives should be considered.

 

     Your Committee believes that the amendments made to this measure strengthen the State's commitment to increasing affordable housing development in Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure to apply to the reserved housing requirement for a planned development in the Kakaako community development district, mauka area for lots 80,000 square feet or more in size, by:

 

     (1)  Adding a definition of "area median income" and "residential floor area", and deleting the definition of "floor area", "master planned area", "median income", and "reserved housing";

 

     (2)  Deleting references to lots of less than three acres;

 

     (3)  Clarifying that for a planned development on a lot of between 20,000 and 80,000 square feet, at least twenty per cent of the units shall be reserved housing units;

 

     (4)  Deleting specific provisions related to the cost and size of reserved housing units;

 

     (5)  Deleting the rulemaking requirements before and after January 1, 2010; and

 

     (6)  Amending the purpose section to reflect these changes.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 645, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 645, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education and Housing,

 

 

 

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair