UPDATE: Dela Cruz: Farm House Size Limit “Dead”
A bill that would have restricted farm dwellings on Oahu’s agricultural land to 1,500 square feet apiece will not make it out of committee, according to the lawmaker who authored it.
Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz, soon to be a candidate for mayor, said Monday afternoon that [pdf] was “dead.” Instead, the Honolulu City Council will defer to the Important Agricultural Lands process to deal with so-called “gentlemen’s farms.”
Another measure, [pdf], was amended earlier this month to remove the provision. The amended version of the Land Use Ordinance housekeeping measure passed out of the Zoning Committee July 6. It was then passed on second reading July 14, and will go back to the Zoning Committee for further changes, possibly as soon as August 3.
Dela Cruz’s office on Monday provided a [doc] between the current version of Bill 24 and the [pdf]. The removal of the farm dwelling provision is one of numerous adjustments.
Dela Cruz pointed to the section dealing with multiple dwelling units on a single zoning lot, saying the change will streamline development by allowing families to create minor subdivisions without providing full infrastructure improvements. Other changes were made to sections regarding off-street parking, meeting facilities and sign standards.
Bills 23 and 24 were introduced this year on the heels of [pdf], passed last year, which says valuable agricultural lands are threatened by estate lots in subdivisions where little or no actual farming occurs.
The resolution and subsequent bills had drawn some criticism from farmers and developers alike. Al Santoro of Poamoho Organic Produce told Civil Beat in May that the size of his Waialua home — and those of his non-farming neighbors’ — has no bearing on his agricultural production. David Arakawa of the Land Use Research Foundation, a representative of the development community’s power players, repeatedly provided [pdf] in opposition to the bills.
Dela Cruz said it was not worth haggling with opponents over the specifics of the agricultural zone farm dwelling provision because state law will supersede county ordinances anyway. The counties are mandated by the Hawaii Constitution and other state statutes to conduct a study of their Important Agricultural Land.
DISCUSSION Was the Honolulu City Council wise in allowing Bill 23 to die in committee? Join the conversation on agriculture in Hawaii.
