Disappeared News

Obviously, the HCDA (Honolulu Community Development Authority) was not scrapped by the 2006 Legislature. In more recent times, now-Governor Neil Abercrombie, has championed HCDA clones such as the PLDC (Public Land Development Corporation). Both entities were created with a common objective: to provide a means for developers to sidestep zoning and other common laws and regulations designed to protect the public interest.

The PLDC was shot down by vigorous public opposition during the last legislative session, but the HCDA endures. It endures as a strong promoter of over-development in Kakaako, billed occasionally as “the third city.”

[In fact, the so-called “second city” of Kapolei is really a rural development of the Campbell Estate. One giveaway is that to get a street fixed on estate property, the estate takes care of it, not the city.]

In fact, Kakaako was still part of metropolitan Honolulu, last I checked.

There are problems with HCDA’s plans to give up the area to massive development (22 or more giant high-rises, any of which has only to ask for a height exemption in order for it to be granted).

The HCDA has been criticized for planning massive development in an area without providing for infrastructure such as schools, and it’s questionable whether the sewers are up to handling the gargantuan load of waste they will receive each morning as the residents of 22 new condos push the flush levers just before they leave for work:

Over the past several months, residents at the One Waterfront Towers luxury condos say noxious odors have been seeping into their homes from nearby sewer lines. And they're threatening to sue the state over the problem.

"There are times when the stench becomes so unbearable that (One Waterfront employees) complain they can't stay at their post at the kiosk because of the stench," said John Horvath, resident manager of the complex.

Many of the homeowners have been critical of the state's plans to develop more high rises in Kakaako.They say the new developments will further tax the neighborhood's already stressed out infrastructure.

[Hawaii News Now, Kakaako residents complain of sewer odors, 8/14/2013]

Development is for developer profit, not for us

It’s important to realize that the HCDA exists not for our benefit. Developers expect to make huge profits (or they wouldn’t be proposing all of those giant buildings). Given the costs of occupancy, the residents predictably will be wealthy out-of-towners, not current residents of Oahu.

Let’s face it, pricey ocean-view digs are not what we can afford—only they will live there. And the cars—the H-1 is routinely jammed already, leaving Nimitz Highway as often the only way to get into town expeditiously. If the condos are built and their owners hit the streets in their expensive cars. Nimitz will likely become as crowded as the sewers become stuffed (just wait until the traffic jams get written up in Japanese tourist guidebooks…).

There are  predictable negative effects of the planned overdevelopment in Kakaako and elsewhere:

• Home prices and property taxes rise when affluent families move into gentrified older areas.
• Honolulu’s present and future working population is paid too little to afford these condos, even the so-called “market-rate” units. So while it’s full-speed ahead on giant, profitable developments, the true housing needs of Honolulu’s people remain ignored.
• Approval of giant condo towers diverts developers from considering either new affordable units or rehabilitating existing units. Because it’s clearly more lucrative, developers will focus only on new housing. HCDA and state and municipal policy do not restrict new development, even on prime farmland or where infrastructure is inadequate. If these approvals were not so readily available, developers would have to concentrate on renovating or creating affordable housing, which is badly needed.  In other words, government policy favors wealthy developers first and foremost. Our government is not thinking of us.
• The HCDA short-circuits any chance of citizen participation in urban planning. Given a voice, we would probably demand quality open space. We would create a stock of well-designed, affordable market and rental housing units. We would want walkable, bike-able neighborhoods for ourselves, not just for the wealthy.
• The chances of developing a “green architecture” that fits into an aesthetic vision of Honolulu are eliminated if developers have only to propose in order to receive approval. More fossil-fuel burning blue- or green-glass behemoths are what pleases architects and developers, not residents.
• Honolulu is where we live, and granting repeated exemptions to existing purposefully-established limits on development thwarts a profoundly important public purpose.

Consequences of HCDA-like state policy are dire

Turning Honolulu into a proto-Hong Kong is clearly undesirable. We appear headed towards the creation of a dysfunctional city with all the problems that come with overbuilding. Honolulu will remain plagued by a lack of affordable housing and overcrowded public schools (multi-track schools are a terrible solution). Our growth problems remain unaddressed.

With increased traffic and higher taxes for infrastructure come economic stagnation, risk of losing our prime economic engine, tourism, and with that, high rates of unemployment and even higher taxes. We are already unable to adequately maintain our roads and face growing expenses to repair our basic infrastructure due to a culture that ignores budgeting and carrying out routine maintenance (call it “institutionalized neglect”). Instead of suburban sprawl, we will suffer from urban overcongestion.

Any chance of sustainable agriculture will be lost unless urban planning is changed radically. That would bring even greater dependency on foreign oil and imported food. Remember—the condos don’t have enough roof area to generate their own electricity, it will come from HECO generators. The new sunbirds won’t care about anything but the day’s shopping at Dean & DeLuca, or walking the dog in their private dog park. If electricity remains expensive, we continue to hurt, but they won’t mind, they will come here anyway.

Bottom line—we will be on a path to destroy what is good and valuable of Honolulu. When they are finished with Kakaako, don’t think they will retire in contentment—no, developers will move on to the rest of the island (it’s called “agglomeration ”).

Better urban planning is up to us

City and state development policy will have to be changed to avoid predictable consequences. The time to start is now. It could be a long battle, but the defeat of the PLDC gives hope.

Permalink posted by Larry @ 8/19/2013 01:11:00 PM