STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2055

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2800

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2800 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HARBORS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to extend the Department of Transportation's jurisdiction and administrative authority over Honolulu Harbor Piers 1 and 2 to include lots 1, 2, 4, and 5 of the Forrest Avenue subdivision.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii.  The University of Hawai‘i, the UH Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs submitted testimony in opposition to specific lots.  The Department of Transportation, Hawaii Harbors Users Group, and a member of the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) submitted comments.

     Your Committee has heard considerable testimony regarding the existing and planned uses of these lots.  Specifically:

     (1)  Lot 1.  Warehouse.  Approximately half of the warehouse on the lot is currently occupied on a month-to-month arrangement by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's Next Step Program.  In addition, the HCDA is in discussion with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on their announced plans to develop a headquarters building on the site, with a possible start date in 2008.

     (2)  Lot 2.  John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM).  JABSOM currently operates a parking lot on Lot 2, and this arrangement runs to July 2009.  JABSOM and HCDA are engaged in discussions for a long term lease or fee simple conveyance to support the development of the Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i's new facility, with a possible start date in 2008.

     (3)  Lot 4.  Undeveloped.  Currently under a short-term agreement as a staging area for the Grace Pacific project underway in the area.  The lot is cleared, unpaved and subject to an easement in favor of the City and County of Honolulu wastewater force main.  This lot lies outside of the Honolulu Harbor security zone.

     (4)  Lot 5.  City and County of Honolulu Sewage Pump Station.  The facility is expected to operate for some time, as supported by the long-term lease agreement currently in place between the HCDA and City and County of Honolulu.  In addition, there may be some ambiguity in the boundaries of Lot 5 and the adjacent lot containing the historic pump station facility.

     Your Committee finds that considerably more discussion is necessary, given the current and projected uses for these lots.  In particular, 2008 is a pivotal year for some of these projects, and there may be additional options to consider in 2009.  Your Committee also agrees with the concerns raised by the University of Hawai‘i regarding the importance of keeping the proposed location of the Cancer Research Center of Hawai‘i in close proximity to JABSOM.

     Your Committee has amended this measure accordingly, by deleting all references to lot 2.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2800, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2800, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs,

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair