Senate Bill Intended to Build Transit-Oriented Development Zones to be Heard Today

HONOLULU – Addressing the need to preserve agriculture lands while balancing the need to address population growth on Oahu, Senate Bill 2927 intends to build transit-oriented development zones along a bus transit center or rail transit station. The bus transit center areas that would be developed would be located within the county development or sustainable plans for Ewa, Central Oahu and the primary urban centers (Honolulu). The rail transit station areas that would be developed, as designated by the county to achieve density and ridership goals, would be located at east Kapolei, the University of Hawaii West Oahu, West Loch, Waipahu, or Leeward Community College.

Responding to the needs of the community, a conference draft of the bill was created. The bill is aimed at creating a process for residential and commercial qualified projects and to establish the transit-oriented or main-street redevelopment program. The measure will go before the conference committee Thursday, April 26 at 2:10 p.m. in the State Capitol’s room 224.

Under the bill’s concept, each transit station would be the hub of economic development through the creation of a mixed-used community. “By creating planning districts in and around the designated transit stations, we would reduce the number of cars on the road because we would be developing ‘walking cities’ where people can work and live,” said Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, who introduced the bill. “This is smart planning for the future. We would promote public transportation and preserve our agriculture and open land.”

In order to protect our unspoiled landscapes and farming lands, this bill also aims to create opportunity to increase the development of affordable housing facilities and vertical urban development in the vicinity of the transit stations. “Honolulu needs dense vertical urban development, and not suburban sprawl which has led to less green, congested roads, hefty infrastructure requirements, more pollution, and quality of life issues. We need parents spending three hours with their children, and not in their cars,” said Dela Cruz.

According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau, nine percent of Hawaii households are multigenerational, the highest percentage in the nation. “Owning a home has become entirely unfeasible for the majority of our workforce and Gen-Y’ers who are the backbone and future to our economy,” he added.

Developers would still need to adhere to an environmental impact study and/or environmental review before breaking ground on the project, which can only occur within a planning district designated by the county. Under this measure, the county would also be able to establish a criterion of development in order to preserve the unique characteristics of each community. The public will also have a chance to be part of the community planning process.

“An opportunity for Hawaii to become economically diverse presents itself. We have the chance to shape and to provide for today’s demanding industries so that Hawaii’s future generations have the opportunity to stay home and work rather than being limited to what we have now and move elsewhere.”