STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1569

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 108

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 108 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE RACETRACK OR RACE WAY PARK ON OAHU AND REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM, AND THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO FACILITATE AND APPROVE ITS DEVELOPMENT AT THE CITY PARK PROPERTY IDENTIFIED IN COUNCIL RESOLUTION 18-265,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Urge the Parks and Recreation Department of the City and County of Honolulu to enter into a public-private partnership with a non-profit organization to develop a proposal for a racetrack facility on certain lands in Kalaeloa; and

(2) Request the Department of Public Safety and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to facilitate and approve the development of the racetrack or raceway park at Kalaeloa.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Sports Car Club of America Hawaii Region, University of Hawaii RWR Rainbow Warriors SAE Formula 1 Car Race Team, Naval Air Station Barbers Point Museum, Nikola's Auto Center LLC, Shade Tree Motorsports, The First L.A.P./Peacemakers, British Car Club of Hawaii, Sahuaro Miata Club, Wicked Stangs of Oahu, Ron's Performance Center, RevHi, and forty-eight individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Kanehili Cultural Hui, Military Order of the Purple Heart Department of Hawaii, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Department of Hawaii, and four individuals.

Your Committee finds that auto racing has a rich history in the State, with drag racing on the island of Oahu dating back to the early 1950s. Your Committee also finds that Hawaii Raceway Park provided motor sports enthusiasts a legal venue to race from 1962 until its closure in 2006. For the past forty years, county parks programs from the County of Hawaii, County of Maui, and County of Kauai have provided the public state and county supported raceway park facilities at closed air field land granted by the military to the respective county parks departments for public recreational use by motorsports fans as raceway parks.

Your Committee further finds that two hundred twenty acres of closed military air field land in Kalaeloa is available for use as a raceway park or race track and the Council of the City and County of Honolulu adopted Council Resolution 18-265 to urge the City Administration to expedite the transfer of deed for the Kalaeloa lands to the City for use in perpetuity as a public park or recreational area.

This measure urges the responsible parties to complete the tasks necessary for the design, financing, construction, and operation of a racetrack facility at Kalaeloa.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 108 and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Energy, Economic Development, and Tourism,

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair