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Hundreds of new apartment units in Ewa could be used for short-term rentals as the West Oahu resort area Hoakalei continues its years-long development.

The units would be in an apartment zone near Wai Kai, a , and Oneula Beach Park. While short-term rentals aren’t allowed in most apartment zones, supporters of the idea say these parcels should be treated differently because they’re next to Hoakalei.

“This is going to be a very significant amendment,” council member Esther Kiaaina said during a recent interview. 

The proposed amendment came as the City Council finished overhauling its Land Use Ordinance for the first time in decades. Council members are weighing changes that could have major social and economic impacts, including whether to allow short-term rentals in an apartment-zoned area next to Ewa’s Hoakalei.

While it’s being pushed by some residents, construction groups and two council members, others worry it doesn’t align with the city’s goal of promoting long-term housing for residents. On Thursday, the council voted to approve the amendment anyway.

Kiaaina was skeptical of allowing short-term rentals in these parcels during an October committee meeting on Bill 64, a long-running overhaul of the city’s Land Use Ordinance. She questioned the wisdom of allowing new units to host short-term visitors rather than reserving them for long-term residents.

“The city is experiencing a severe housing crisis,” she said during that meeting, turning to the Department of Planning and Permitting. “Does the department think it makes sense for the city to allow these 842 dwelling units to be used as short-term rentals instead of for our residents and their families?”

But she changed her mind. 

Ewa is one of the city’s designated areas for population growth, and planning documents refer to Hoakalei as a secondary resort area along with Turtle Bay, Ko Olina and Makaha Valley that the city wants to target for development. Kiaaina said she wasn’t aware of this until meeting with developers, which swayed her opinion.

“They educated me because I had no idea,” she said. “So the idea and the vision was there, but the authority to bring everything to fruition was not there.” 

The and are vague when it comes to short-term rentals. They mention developing Hoakalei as a resort area, but they neither promote nor discourage short-term rentals as part of that development. 

Hoakalei, the area’s resort zone, is owned by the development company Haseko Inc. According to , it is “envisioned to become one of Hawaii’s most coveted resort destinations.” The area is one of five resort zones on Oahu, in addition to Makaha Valley, Ko Olina, Waikiki and Turtle Bay. 

Council member Andria Tupola introduced the amendment. Even though apartment zones aren’t allowed to host short-term rentals, she said, apartment zones adjacent to resort zones – including in Ko Olina – should be allowed to host them.

“All we’re doing is clarifying the maps for resort areas,” she said in an interview, arguing that the and includes the adjacent apartment-zoned parcels. 

Supporters think that allowing short-term rentals in Ewa would be good for the local economy. They say that other resort areas allow short-term rentals in nearby apartment-zoned parcels, and that this keeps them out of more residential areas. Supporters also point to a lack of hotels, arguing that there is demand for people who want to stay in Hoakalei but have no lodging options. 

“Right now, I have family members visiting. They’re staying out in Ko Olina. They’re doing commerce — shopping — out in Ko Olina. That could be here in Ewa Beach,” resident Mary Freeman testified. “We’re not the boonies. We should be allowed.”

Supporters of the plan include construction interests, such as Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, Armstrong Builders and Jayar Construction Inc. 

“Expanding alternative lodging choices within the master planned Hoakalei Resort area would also help relieve island-wide demand for visitor accommodations during peak seasons and deter illegal B&B and vacation rentals in our local communities and neighborhoods,” Senior Vice President of Hawaii Dredging Eric Hashizume said in written testimony. 

Nobody testified against the amendment.

In theory, building the slated 842 apartment units would provide jobs for construction workers regardless of whether the units would be used as short-term rentals. 

But asked about the carpenters’ financial interest in the amendment, Mark Anthony Clemente, who testified on behalf of the carpenters council, declined to comment. When asked the same question, Armstrong Builders’ president James Keller responded with a written statement.

“From our work in these communities, we’ve seen how thoughtfully integrated short-term rentals can enhance resort areas and strengthen local economies,” he said, “which is why we wanted to lend our support to this bill.”

The council approved the amended Bill 64 on Thursday to allow short-term rentals in these parcels. Three council members — Calvin Say, Val Okimoto and Matt Weyer — were hesitant, referring to the same housing crisis that Kiaaina pointed out last month before she changed her mind. 

“I do feel like a lot of our discussion has been toward housing,” Okimoto said at the meeting. And Weyer brought up the city’s stance towards vacation short-term rentals.

“We don’t want – generally – new short-term vacation rentals,” Weyer said, “particularly in our residential areas.”

In the end, all three hesitant council members voted to approve the amendment, advancing Bill 64 to its final step. Correction: An earlier version of this story said all three hesitant council members voted yes with reservations to approve the amendment. Two of them voted yes with reservations, while Okimoto just voted yes. That could come as soon as the full council’s next monthly meeting on Dec. 11.

Kiaaina has for years been overhauling the island’s land use policies on everything from housing, wind turbines, beekeeping and child care.

“This long overdue revision has been a massive three-year undertaking,” she said. “And we are now approaching the finish line.”