Council Chair Ernie Martin is making his final push to reduce the City’s building permit backlog before leaving office. Bill 65, introduced by Martin, would allow for an expedited process for building permits for one- and two-family dwellings and would aid in addressing Oahu’s housing inventory challenges.
The bill provides a timeframe of 60 days for the issuance of building permits for one and two-family dwellings under certain conditions. Supporters of the bill, including the Building Industry Association (BIA), believe that the building permit process should focus on compliance with the building code because the codes prioritize public health and safety.
The BIA testified that the issuance of a building permit should be “ministerial” stating that “The Department should develop standards, guidelines, and/or a checklist of all items that must be included on the plans when submitted for a building permit. If all items are contained in the submission, and the applicant pays the building permit fee, the permit should be issued immediately, over the counter.” Instead of the current antiquated and costly process that delays construction, the City should focus on compliance with the building codes and utilize the inspection process during and after construction. Homeowners and builders not in compliance and who do not remedy violations following inspection could lose their permit, which would require removal of all improvements from the property.
The bill was passed out of committee and goes back to full council for its third hearing.
