STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3120

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 36

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Education, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 36 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE HAWAII FILM STUDIO DIAMOND HEAD CAMPUS TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASED STUDIO CAPACITY,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, with the cooperation of the University of Hawaii, Kapiolani Community College, and Hawaii Tourism Authority, to develop and submit to the Legislature a plan for the expansion of the Hawaii Film Studio Diamond Head campus to accommodate increased studio capacity, including:

 

     (1)  Consideration of adjacent neighborhoods, proximity to nearby hotels, impact and potential synergies with the Kapiolani Community College campus and its digital media related programs, and the projected impact of increased production activity on the surrounding neighborhoods;

 

     (2)  Alternatives for expansion of film production facilities given the potential impact in the existing location; and

 

     (3)  Current capital improvement project request for repairs, general maintenance, and basic improvements at the Hawaii Film Studio.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and University of Hawaii System.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the East Diamond Head Association and one individual.

 

     Your Committees find that while the Hawaii Film Studio provides an additional incentive for filming in Hawaii by offering production facilities at reasonable rates, the current size and configuration of the Hawaii Film Studio can support only one production at a time.  Your Committees further find that a number of factors may limit the expansion of the current facility and any plans for the facility's future use should fully consider the limitations of the current site for feature film productions and identify other possible locations where a much larger, comprehensive facility would be more appropriate.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure accordingly, by:

 

     (1)  Amending the title to read:  "REQUESTING DEVELOPMENT OF A PLAN TO EXAMINE THE LONG-TERM USES OF THE HAWAII FILM STUDIO DIAMOND HEAD CAMPUS";

 

     (2)  Amending findings regarding the State's significant investment in the facility to date, and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism's request for $3,450,000 in capital improvements for repairs, general maintenance, and basic improvements at the Hawaii Film Studio in the State's fiscal year 2013 supplemental budget;

 

     (3)  Amending the scope of the plan to examine the long-term uses of the Hawaii Film Studio Diamond Head campus, including:

 

          (A)  Transitioning the use of the facility to provide administrative support for the operations of Hawaii's film and digital media programs if increased production facility infrastructure is developed elsewhere on Oahu;

 

          (B)  Serving as a training and laboratory facility in conjunction with expanded film and digital media educational programs; or

 

          (C)  Continuing the current use as a film and television production facility; and

 

     (4)  Requesting that the plan consider the impacts of continued production activity or proposed alternative uses on adjacent neighborhoods and solicited input from neighbors in such residential communities as Kahala, Diamond Head, Kaimuki, and Kapahulu, neighborhood boards, and Diamond Head State Monument administrators;

 

     (5)  Requesting that the plan examine the feasibility of expanding the Hawaii Film Studio Diamond Head campus to accommodate increased production activity, taking into consideration previous studies and reports that have identified such challenges as the limited production footprint of the studio's Diamond Head campus, as well as sensitivities of the surrounding community and Diamond Head State Monument;

 

     (6)  Adding the Waialae-Kahala Neighborhood Board No. 3, Kaimuki Neighborhood Board No. 4, Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights Neighborhood Board No. 5, Administrator of the Diamond Head State Monument, and East Diamond Head Association as entities to receive certified copies of this measure; and

 

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 36, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 36, S.D. 1.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Education,

 

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair

 

____________________________

CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair