Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 897 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), with the advice of the Friends of Iolani Palace (Friends), to develop a master plan for the Iolani Palace grounds which includes a map of existing parking stalls and a plan for replacing parking stalls with a grassed landscape or other nonvehicular use.

The measure also appropriates funds for the establishment of the master plan.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from DLNR and the Friends.

According to the testimony submitted, your Committee finds that the Friends are already engaged in formulating a master plan for the Iolani Palace Complex. The Friends did testify that although they would be pleased to obtain funding so they would be able to expand their master plan development to include discussions on the other islands, their main priority at the present time is to weatherproof and secure the palace. Your Committee also finds that the DAGS is the governmental agency responsible for the parking stalls located on the palace grounds and that the removal of any parking stalls from the palace ground could negatively impact on the area's accessibility to visitors.

In light of these concerns, your Committee has amended the measure by:

Your Committee also requests the DLNR, DAGS, and the Friends, as a part of their master plan development process, to consider and offer a recommendation on the possible relocation of the Queen Liliuokalani statue from its existing site next to the State Capitol to a more appropriate site on the palace grounds.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 897, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 897, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.