STAND. COM. REP. NO. 860

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 137

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 137, S.D. 1, 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 encourage the development of affordable housing by allowing the counties to make certain district boundary amendments.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Allows county land use decision-making authorities to amend district boundaries of:

(A) Certain lands greater than fifteen acres but not more than twenty-five acres for reclassification to the urban district if a minimum portion of the land is dedicated to affordable housing; and

(B) Lands less than fifteen acres in the agricultural district with soil classified other than overall (master) productivity rating class A or B; and

(2) Prohibits parceling of lands for the purpose of development.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Maui County Mayor's Office and Building Industry Association of Hawaii.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Sierra Club of Hawaii and Hawaii Farm Bureau.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Land Use Commission, Office of Planning, Hawaii Association of REALTORS, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that expanding the authority of the counties to amend district boundaries will encourage the construction of affordable housing by making more land available to potential developers.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that if lands that have been parceled are proposed for reclassification, the petition for reclassification shall be processed as lands greater than fifteen but not more than twenty-five acres; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 137, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 137, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair