Newswatch
That's the "compromise" agreed to yesterday by the Council Zoning Committee to what has become the focus of controversy in Mayor Jeremy Harris' proposed amendments to the Waikiki Special District plan.
The final vote will be made by the full Council on Dec. 4.
The administration is seeking to jump-start renovation and redevelopment in Waikiki. Landowners there complain that the current Waikiki plan is too restrictive.
That's because when the downsize-oriented plan was approved in 1976, many existing hotels became non-conforming overnight.
The Harris plan allows for qualifying sites to increase building densities by as much as 20 percent through a planned development application. In exchange, the city would get concessions such as more open space.
Opponents, however, said the plan would lead to overdevelopment in Waikiki and sound its death knell as a visitor destination.
State Rep. Gene Ward, GOP leader, said today that the issues are of such importance that should be dealt with within the first 20 days of the next legislative session.
The GOP minority went from seven to 21 in the recent election, and Ward is working to emphasis the GOP's independence within the 51-member state house.
"These are things that the state legislature has promised and not delivered. We are asking: are we going to deliver or wait until the voters throw more of us out?" he said.
The sanctuary at Puuwaawaa on the Big Island is an option.
But landowners on the perimeters of the sanctuary are likely to resist the move because of the liability they face for any death or injury to the birds.
Because of the inflexibility of Hawaii's Endangered Species Act, the state cannot negotiate any compromises with the landowners. In the process, the alala heads closer to extinction.
That is the dilemma faced by government wildlife officials who are calling for a revised state endangered species law to give them more flexibility to form "creative partnerships" with landowners.
Yesterday, such officials, attorneys and landowners discussed the need for revisions at a Hawaii State Bar Association forum.
Police took the wounded Mililani man into custody after he was treated at Wahiawa Hospital. The suspect has 22 prior arrests, mostly for burglary and theft.
The police department's Internal Affairs Division is investigating the 1:30 a.m. shooting.
The officer saw the suspect exiting from a rear door of the market, at 66-190 Kamehameha Highway and and ordered him to "freeze," police said.
When the man turned toward him, the officer saw he was carrying an object that looked like a weapon so he fired at the suspect. The suspect was holding a flashlight.
The lighting in the area where the shooting occurred is dim, police said. Police recovered stolen property, including some cash, and burglary tools at the scene.
An internal investigation conducted by Federal Express' internal security division led to the arrest. She was booked for first-degree theft.
The woman allegedly stole boxes of merchandise off a conveyor line at Federal Express from Oct. 1 through yesterday.
Federal Express investigators saw the woman remove a shipment box from the conveyor line. The box was later picked up by her son. The theft was videotaped by security cameras.
Police raided the Hokuula Street home at 7:20 p.m. and seized stolen computer equipment, jewelry, perfumes, camcorders and other items.
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