The Honolulu City Council has given Fort Street Mall landowners the OK to assess themselves fees for security, maintenance and other improvements. Fort Street Mall
to become business
improvement districtBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comThe Council voted unanimously yesterday to approve several bills that would make Fort Street Mall the island's second business improvement district.
An unincorporated association has already been established for the area, extending from Beretania Street to Nimitz Highway. Plans are to assess private landowners $1.63 per $1,000 of assessed value as determined by the city's real property tax assessments.
The group anticipates collecting more than $500,000 in its first year. Business leaders said the plan is to augment, not replace, existing basic city services.
Downtown Councilman Jon Yoshimura praised business leaders for embracing the idea of pooling money to better their neighborhood.
"These people basically put their money where their mouth is," Yoshimura said. "It's an excellent tool for making real change happen."
Central Oahu Councilwoman Darrlyn Bunda said she hopes business improvement districts can be established elsewhere on the island. The first was established last year in Waikiki.
City Managing Director Ben Lee said yesterday afternoon that the administration supports the business improvement district concept. Lee said he expects Mayor Jeremy Harris to sign the Fort Street bills into law.
Chris Nakashima-Heise, the interim executive director for the association, said all the landowners expected to be assessed have agreed to participate. Nakashima-Heise said the group expects to organize formally within the next month and hopes to be operational by the first quarter of 2003.
Also yesterday, the City Council gave final approval for:
>> The eight-story Punahou Vista apartment complex across from Punahou School, where residents had raised concerns about traffic and other issues. Council members noted that the property allows for more height and units than is being proposed.>> An $80,000 settlement to the family of Rodney Laulusa, who was shot and killed by police officers after he wielded knives at them on a Palolo Valley Housing street in January 1998. The settlement was recommended by city attorneys. A source familiar with the case said all parties agreed to the amount. City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle, in responding to calls that he prosecute police for manslaughter or murder, told Laulusa's family and Palolo residents that excessive force was not used.
>> A resolution urging state and city agencies to work toward establishing a 311 nonemergency police telephone number that would ease stress on the city's overburdened 911 system. Police officials estimate start-up costs at $5 million.
City & County of Honolulu
