STAND. COM. REP. NO. 188

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 735

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 735 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND USE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to convene a task force to review existing criteria that the Land Use Commission uses during the land use district boundary reclassification process.

     Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Planning of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Sierra Club, Hawai‘i Chapter; and the Windward Ahupua‘a Alliance.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committee finds that a review of the existing criteria that the Land Use Commission uses during its decision making process would help ensure that the Commission considers not only the immediate impacts of reclassifications, but also the cumulative and long-term impacts of its reclassification decisions.

     Your Committee has heard the testimony of the Office of Planning expressing concerns that it is not able to undertake this task because it does not have the staff or fiscal resources to convene this task force.  Your Committee finds that this issue raises concerns that merit further consideration and requests that your Committee on Ways and Means further examine those issues and concerns raised by the testifiers on this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 735 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Housing,

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair