Development, building
experts call for clearer
land-use rulesThey say Hawaii's growing
population requires more housing
but that disputes need to be prevented
Representatives of the development and the building industry say a clearer understanding of land-use procedures by developers and the public will go a long way in preventing the kind of land-use disputes that have occurred in Hawaii recently.
"We can play by whatever rules are, but we just want to know what those rules are," said Craig Watase, president of Mark Development and a former president of Hawaii's Building Industry Association.
The group, which spoke at a Star-Bulletin editorial board meeting yesterday, included Watase; Dean Uchida, director of the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, an industry lobbying group; Karen Nakamura, executive director of the Building Industry Association; and Mary Flood, vice president of Schuler Homes.
The group said that while they understand quality-of-life issues and most people's desire to preserve an adequate amount of open space, the reality is that as long as Hawaii's population continues to grow, housing will be needed. A no-growth attitude serves nobody, Watase said.
"About 5 percent of our lands are urbanized; there is room for growth," Watase said.
With no light-rail system in place, Oahu cannot hope to duplicate other models of successful urban development. The group referred to the example of Portland, Ore., where growth and development were focused around a transit system.
Likewise, some models of development, such as urban villages which are close to towns and incorporate homes as well as an array of businesses and services, also may not be feasible or economically possible either due to higher costs or because the public does not want a mix of homes and commercial development, they said.
Uchida and Watase note that land-use issues will be a big topic at the Legislature this year.
"All the focus on land use will result in something coming out," Uchida said.
Both men cautioned that whatever is decided needs to be well thought out.
"Once you do it, it's hard to undo," Watase said.
The developers say their aim is to provide a steady supply of homes to meet Hawaii's future housing needs. They also want to build in price ranges that average people can afford, they said.
"The supply of housing needs to be planned for and built accordingly," Watase said. "In the 1980s, we didn't do a good job in planning for future homes and we saw prices increase and people left."
The BIA's Nakamura said in response to a request about future housing needs, her group has estimated about 18,000 more homes will be needed in the next 10 years to meet demand on Oahu.
