STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2598

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2633

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Technology and the Arts and Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2633 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HISTORIC PROPERTY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to amend the definition of "historic property" by adding the additional requirement that property shall meet the criteria or possess the characteristics to be entered into the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Building Industry Association of Hawaii, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Historic Hawaii Foundation, and two individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

     Your Committees find that there is a value in preserving and developing the historic and cultural property within the State.  Under the existing law, "historic property" includes "any building, structure, object, district, area, or site, including heiau and underwater site, which is over fifty years old."  As a result of this broad definition that assumes age is equivalent to historic importance, there are many private residences that must undergo a historic preservation review.  This has led to late and outstanding regulatory reviews by the State Historic Preservation Division.  This measure seeks to reduce excessive delays and allow the State Historic Preservation Division to focus on residences that are worthy to be placed on the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by deleting the revised definition of "historic property" and instead inserting language to amend the definition to exclude any private residence that has not been entered, or nominated by the owner of the residence for entry, onto the Hawaii Register of Historic Places.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Technology and the Arts and Water and Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2633, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2633, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Technology and the Arts and Water and Land,

____________________________ MALAMA SOLOMON, Chair

____________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair