Bill Text: HI SCR188 | 2021 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Concurrent Resolution 188 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Requesting The City And County Of Honolulu To Consider Designating Kailua, Oahu As A Special District To Preserve And Promote The Unique Character, History, And Sense Of Community That Makes It A Special Place To Live, Work, And Play.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-03-16 - Referred to WTL. [SCR188 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2021-SCR188-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	188
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO CONSIDER DESIGNATING KAILUA, OAHU AS A SPECIAL DISTRICT TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTE THE UNIQUE CHARACTER, HISTORY, AND SENSE OF COMMUNITY THAT MAKES IT A SPECIAL PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.

WHEREAS, the town of Kailua on the Windward Coast of Oahu is a unique beach community nestled between miles of white sand beach and Kawainui Marsh, the largest wetlands in Hawaii and a designated United Nations World Heritage Site; and

WHEREAS, some of the earliest native Hawaiian settlers are believed to have lived, farmed, fished, and recreated in the Kailua area along the edge of Kawainui Marsh, between the Koolau mountain range and Kailua Bay; and

WHEREAS, throughout the twentieth century Kailua slowly matured into a safe and sleepy residential beach town where local families could afford to live, work, and play, giving the town a unique charm and strong sense of community identity; and

WHEREAS, Kailua has grown many of Hawaii's iconic local businesses such as Buzz's Steakhouse, Hawaiian Island Creations, Kalapawai Market, Lanikai Juice, and Manoa Chocolate Hawaii, and always welcomed new additions that recognize the unique character, history, and sense of place and work together with the community to add to Kailua's strong sense of identity; and

WHEREAS, since the turn of the century Kailua's unique charm and community identity has drawn many newcomers, including national brands such as Target, and the return of national chains such as Wendy's, along with numerous new residents from other places; and

WHEREAS, in recent years some newcomers to Kailua have generated significant controversy because their plans have either ignored community input with detrimental outcomes, or meaningfully diminished the unique identity and sense of place that is central to Kailua's economy, community, and way of life; and

WHEREAS, many residents have begun to feel that local voices are no longer heard and traditional collaboration with the community by newcomers has diminished, and due to the resulting number of businesses and developments that now appear no different than those across the mainland, Kailua has increasingly been compared to places like Orange County and Santa Monica, California; and

WHEREAS, losing the town's unique character and charm, as well as meaningful collaboration to address issues between local residents and newcomers, would be catastrophic to Kailua's local economy and undermine the sense of community that has made it the special place it is and so attractive to residents and visitors alike; and

WHEREAS, the town of Haleiwa has experienced similar growing pains, and a process was adopted to improve community engagement and promote the rural low-rise character appropriate for that particular area, through the designation of a special district for Haleiwa town; and

WHEREAS, Haleiwa Special District has engaged the community and helped guide new development to complement the existing physical features, waterways, open space, mature trees, historic sites, pedestrian-oriented streets, and successfully promoted and maintained the town�s unique character, history, and sense of place; and

WHEREAS, there are currently seven special districts on the island of Oahu benefitting their respective communities; and

WHEREAS, Kailua would similarly benefit from the designation of a special district in which the unique character, history, and sense of community are promoted and preserved; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the House of Representatives concurring, that the City and County of Honolulu is requested to consider designating Kailua as a special district; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Councilmember for District 3, Director of the Office of Planning, and Chairperson of the Kailua Neighborhood Board.