Advocacy Updates

TOD Land Use Ordinance Amendment Proposed

Resolution 15-227, introduced by council members Trevor Ozawa and Ann Kobayashi, directs the Department of Planning and Permitting to process an amendment to the Land Use Ordinance (LUO) concerning transit-oriented development (TOD) plans. The ordinance currently provides a procedure for creating special districts around rail transit stations, known as transit-oriented development or TOD zones, and establishing regulations to encourage appropriate development in these zones.

Council must approve a neighborhood TOD plan for each TOD zone. The Ala Moana Neighborhood Board, residents and tenants from the area have expressed concerns about the potential loss of Honolulu’s iconic Ala Moana Building, which is the last stop on the new rail transit line. The majority of tenants in the building are healthcare providers, including physicians, dentists and radiologists, and collectively, they serve more than 500,000 people per year.

Convenient access to healthcare providers and services is a vital element of a healthy live-work-play community, in part due to the state’s aging population, which is among the fastest growing in the nation, and Hawaii’s cultural commitment to aging in place. Rail transit will provide the city’s kupuna with a transportation alternative, particularly for those who frequently use healthcare services. Healthcare services hubs, consisting of clusters of medical and dental facilities and practices, exist along the rail line and near transit stations, particularly in the Ala Moana area. With the current shortage of doctors in the state and concerns about continuity of care, minimizing the loss of healthcare services in TOD zones is critical to public health and welfare. Preserving existing healthcare providers and services is crucial because they often require specialized infrastructure and significant investment in leasehold improvements. TOD planning should therefore seek to preserve a critical mass of healthcare providers and services in TOD zones to serve Oahu’s families.

The ordinance addresses various topics that neighborhood TOD plans must address, including economic revitalization, neighborhood character and unique design themes, recommended TOD zone parcels, recommended zoning controls, preservation of existing affordable housing and opportunities for new affordable housing, avoiding gentrification, and implementation timetables and costs. Neighborhood TOD plans were intended to be open, inclusive and visionary, with the goal of “increasing the quality of life through rejuvenated community character and the preservation and enhancement of historic, cultural, scenic, natural and other community resources and landmarks, while recognizing the relationship between zoning, financing and real estate market dynamics.”  Resolution 15-227 advocates elevating healthcare services as an important part of any TOD initiative.

 

View the HBR calendar

Online Payment

 

Monthly Stats Report

Forms