STAND. COM. REP. NO. 453

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1148

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Water and Land, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1148 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) to conduct a feasibility study, and submit a report of findings and recommendations of the study to the Legislature, regarding:

     (1)  HCDA assuming the role of planning, developing, and redeveloping all state-owned lands within one mile of the Honolulu rail transit systems;

     (2)  Creating a new community development district along the Honolulu rail corridor; and

     (3)  Returning jurisdiction over the Kakaako community development district to the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Community Development Authority, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, and Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committees find that the feasibility study proposed in this measure is warranted to determine the best means to pursue the development of state-owned properties along the rail transit line.  Your Committees find that the construction and growth of the rail transit system provide a unique opportunity to simultaneously develop much needed affordable housing units within walking distance of the transit system in areas of population growth and economic activity.  Your Committees further find that the state-owned land along the rail transit route is currently administered by numerous departments and agencies, and that a coordinated vision is needed for the implementation of sound transit-oriented and smart growth development.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that state-owned lands under the administration of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) are exempt from the feasibility study as HPHA already has a number of transit-oriented projects in various stages of development;

     (2)  Removing the provision in the feasibility study pertaining to the transfer of jurisdiction of the Kakaako community development district;

     (3)  Inserting an effective date of March 15, 2092, to encourage further discussion; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water and Land, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1148, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1148, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water and Land, Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, and Housing,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair	________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair
	________________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair