The authority, which oversees Kakaako development, yesterday voted to waive affordable-housing fees if developers apply for a permit in one year and then meet other deadlines to completion.

Developers had asked for 18 months to apply for small projects under 200,000 square feet and 2 years for large projects but praised the state authority's efforts to reduce fees.

The one year before the permit application is to allow developers to do a market study, rough schematics and make arrangements for the land, the HCDA said.

Will Beaton, representing developer Myers Corp., said there probably will be only three or four projects that can benefit from the waiver since it is a difficult economy to get financing and sell units.

But he praised the HCDA as being "proactive" and helping developers.

To get the fee waiver, developers also must start a small project within 18 months after the permit is approved, and complete it in 36 months. For large projects, they must start the project in 2 years and complete it in 4 years.

The HCDA "reserve housing" requirement has called for 20 percent of the units in a project to be affordable. But a developer could choose to pay a fee in lieu of this housing. The fee is based on the sales value of the housing, with lower-priced housing getting lower fees.

In February, the HCDA lowered public facilities fees for parks and schools. The former public facilities fee was 7.5 percent of the land value multipled by the floor area of the project. The board voted to reduce that to 4 percent for residential projects and 3 percent for commercial projects.

The board yesterday also approved a $100,000 study on adding affordable housing while rebuilding Pohukaina Elementary School in Kakaako, and to reconvey 80 acres at Heeia to the Bishop Estate as part of a 1991 land swap arrangement. The state decided not to use the land for housing.