A bill that would exempt residential and commercial developments along the 20-mile Honolulu rail transit corridor from state and county planning, zoning and permitting requirements is opposed by both rail supporters and rail opponents.
The state House Transportation Committee has deferred action on the bill, which would apply to areas within a half-mile of a rail transit station or a quarter-mile of a bus transit center.
The Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, in a hearing last week, warned that House Bill 2756 would create "bad projects that fail to adequately analyze traffic impacts, infrastructure needs or community input."
City Department of Planning and Permitting Director David K. Tanoue also opposed the measure, suggesting state legislators could do more to promote transit-oriented development along the Honolulu rail corridor if they would help the city finance sewer, water or other infrastructure along the rail route.
That would reduce the risks for developers and make projects along the rail line easier to build under existing rules, Tanoue said in written testimony.
"We can have a fast-track approval process, but if there is no sewer capacity, no development gets built," Tanoue wrote.
State Board of Land and Natural Resources Chairman William Aila warned that development in the rail corridor without any zoning conditions or height limits could forever alter historic areas such as Chinatown and Merchant Street.
Also expressing opposition were The Outdoor Circle, Hawaii’s Thousand Friends and other rail critics including University of Hawaii at Manoa civil engineering professor Panos Prevedouros. Prevedouros called the bill "a special law circumvention bill designed to serve special interests."
The bill was introduced by state Rep. Sharon Har (D, Makakilo-Kapolei) along with 14 other members of the state House.
Har said studies show that a healthy mix of development along transit corridors is necessary to attract riders and support the public transportation systems. People use transit systems that are close to their homes, shopping and other services, she said.
The idea behind the bill is to direct development to areas near rail stations, which would help to prevent urban sprawl, she said.
"We want to speed up the process to ensure that if public transit goes forward, we want to make sure that it’s done correctly and that the development around these centers is done with thought and is done to ensure the sustainability of that public transit system," Har said.
House Transportation Chairman Joseph Souki said he does not plan to move the bill forward, mostly because one city agency opposed the measure, while the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation did not submit any testimony on the issue.
"In principle it’s a pretty good bill" that would encourage economic development, Souki said, but added that the measure is apparently not a priority for the city.
