THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

949

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE OAHU COMMUNITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER site.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the Oahu community correctional center no longer properly serves the needs of its inmate population or the surrounding community of Kalihi and is no longer conducive to running an effective and secure modern corrections facility.  The legislature also finds that the current location of the Oahu community correctional center is not a suitable location for a jail.  The jail is also near the future route of the Honolulu rail transit project, and the presence of the Oahu community correctional center may hinder rail-related growth in the surrounding community.

     The legislature further finds that the State is currently evaluating proposals to relocate the Oahu community correctional center.  In 2018, the governor announced plans to relocate the jail to the site of the State's animal quarantine facility in Halawa.

     For decades, government and private entities have shown interest in redeveloping the Oahu community correctional center site.  The development of this portion of Kalihi opens an opportunity to increase and improve the community's affordable housing inventory, employment options, and economic development potential.  However, as with any project, planning will be required to ensure the redevelopment is compatible with the existing community.  This planning must be done collaboratively between all relevant public and private organizations and the broader community.  Among other things, the planning must ensure that the zoning of the jail site, and the zoning of surrounding parcels, are conducive to the needs of the community.  Good planning can also help to promote public safety in the area, preventing the recurrence of recent instances of criminal activity in the area surrounding the jail site, such as illegal gambling.

     The legislature finds that planning is also necessary to ensure that the infrastructure serving the site is adequate to support its intended uses.  This is particularly important because some of the infrastructure around the jail site is privately owned.  Recently, a street near the Oahu community correctional center was found to be contaminated with dangerous levels of lead.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency had to obtain an administrative warrant to access the road because the road did not have a designated owner.  The delays that these hurdles caused were of great concern because the contaminated road was located in a dense urban neighborhood with numerous residents and within a half-mile of schools and parks.  Adequate planning could help to prevent these types of issues from recurring in the future.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish the Oahu community correctional center site redevelopment working group to bring together state and county agencies, private entities, and the broader Kalihi community to:

     (1)  Examine ways to best utilize the Oahu community correctional center site and the surrounding area after the correctional center is relocated to a new location; and

     (2)  Identify, study, work through, and recommend solutions to issues relating to the redevelopment of the Oahu community correctional center site and the surrounding area.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  There is established within the office of planning for administrative purposes only the Oahu community correctional center site redevelopment working group.

     (b)  The working group shall identify, study, work through, and recommend solutions to the following:

     (1)  Best uses of the Oahu community correctional center site and the surrounding area after the correctional center is relocated;

     (2)  Possible changes in zoning to implement the utilizations identified in paragraph (1);

     (3)  Issues relating to the ownership and maintenance for any roads or other infrastructure whose ownership is in dispute at the site or the surrounding area;

     (4)  Mitigation of, and adaptation to, the effects of climate change at the site and the surrounding area;

     (5)  Integration of the site with the future Honolulu rail transit system;

     (6)  Integration of the site with any existing area transit-oriented development plans;

     (7)  Integration of the site with the larger Kalihi community;

     (8)  Recommendations to maximize the use of the site to revitalize the Kalihi community and promote Kalihi as a major center of economic activity, while also ensuring that residents of the Kalihi community gain economic and other benefits from the redevelopment; and

     (9)  Any other issues that the working group finds to be relevant to the site and surrounding area.

     (c)  Members of the working group shall include:

     (1)  The governor or the governor's designee, who shall convene the working group's initial meeting;

     (2)  The member of the state senate whose district includes the Oahu community correctional center site or the senator's designee;

     (3)  The member of the state house of representatives whose district includes the Oahu community correctional center site or the representative's designee;

     (4)  The superintendent of education or the superintendent's designee;

     (5)  The chairperson of the Hawaiian homes commission or the chairperson's designee;

     (6)  The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources or the chairperson's designee;

     (7)  The director of public safety or the director's designee;

     (8)  The director of transportation or the director's designee;

     (9)  The director of the office of planning or the director's designee;

    (10)  The chancellor of the Honolulu community college or the chancellor's designee;

    (11)  The executive director of the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation or the executive director's designee;

    (12)  The mayor of the city and county of Honolulu or the mayor's designee;

    (13)  The member of the Honolulu city council whose district includes the Oahu community correctional center site or the councilmember's designee;

    (14)  The director of the department of facility maintenance of the city and county of Honolulu or the director's designee;

    (15)  The director of the department of planning and permitting of the city and county of Honolulu or the director's designee;

    (16)  The executive director of the Honolulu authority for rapid transit or the executive director's designee;

    (17)  A member of the Kalihi/Palama neighborhood board number fifteen;

    (18)  A representative to be invited from Kamehameha Schools;

    (19)  A representative to be invited from Kokua Kalihi Valley; and

    (20)  A representative to be invited from the Susanna Wesley Community Center.

     (d)  In addition to the members designated by subsection (c), the working group may invite any other appropriate person to join the working group.

     (e)  The initial meeting of the working group shall take place no later than sixty days after the effective date of this Act and shall be convened by the governor or the governor's designee.  The working group shall elect a chairperson and any other necessary officers from among its members at the initial meeting.

     (f)  Members of the working group shall serve without compensation.  No member of the working group shall be subject to section 84-17, Hawaii Revised Statutes, solely because of that member's participation on the working group.

     (g)  In fulfilling its responsibilities, the working group shall consult, cooperate with, and seek advice from government officials, Kalihi area residents, and representatives from the public and private sectors, nonprofit social service organizations, and community-based organizations.

     (h)  To ensure transparency in the working group's proceedings, the working group shall:

     (1)  Hold meetings on convenient dates and times to allow interested members of the public to attend, whether in-person or virtually; and

     (2)  Hold at least two meetings in which public comment or input is listed as an agenda item and make reasonable efforts to publicize the opportunity for the public to submit input in advance.

     (i)  The office of planning shall provide administrative and clerical support as required by the working group.

     (j)  The working group shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the governor, the legislature, the mayor of the city and county of Honolulu, and the Honolulu city council no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2022 and 2023.

     (k)  The working group shall cease to exist on June 30, 2023.

     (l)  As used in this Act:

     "Oahu community correctional center site" or "site" means the site located at 2199 Kamehameha highway, TMK 1-2-013:002, on which the Oahu community correctional center is located.

     "Surrounding area" means the area within a one-half mile radius of the current location of the Oahu community correctional center; provided that the term may include area outside of the one-half mile radius when determined by the working group to be necessary for planning purposes.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Kalihi; Oahu Community Correctional Center Site; Redevelopment; Working Group

 

Description:

Establishes the Oahu community correctional center site redevelopment working group to bring together state and county agencies, private entities, and the broader Kalihi community to examine how to best utilize the Oahu community correctional center site and the surrounding area after the correctional center is relocated to a new location and identify, work through, and recommend solutions to issues relating to the redevelopment.

 

 

 

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