STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3115

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 224

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 224 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING AN UPDATE AND PRESENTATION ON THE STADIUM AUTHORITY'S EFFORTS TO TRANSFER THE RECREATIONAL USE RESTRICTION FROM THE STADIUM FACILITIES AND LANDS TO AN ALTERNATIVE STATE PARCEL,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Comptroller and the Stadium Authority to provide an update and presentation to the State Legislature on their efforts to transfer the recreational use restriction from the Aloha Stadium facilities and lands to an alternative state parcel, including projections for future funding or infrastructure obligations by state and county governments, with a report to the Legislature no later than June 30, 2010.

 

     The Department of Accounting and General Services, the Chair of the Aloha Stadium Board, and the Aiea Community Association and Friends of the Pearl Harbor Historic Trail offered comments.

 

     Written testimony presented to the Committees may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committees find that the transfer of the recreational use restriction (and accompanying prohibition against undesignated commercial activities) from the Aloha Stadium facilities and lands to an alternative state parcel is a significant undertaking that will impact the operations of the Stadium, the surrounding community, and sports organizations throughout the State.

 

     Your Committees are particularly concerned about the lack of information provided to the public by the Stadium Authority and the Comptroller in his role as the lead on behalf of the Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the State of Hawaii for the 2008 Memorandum of Understanding (Agreement) between the National Park Service and the State of Hawaii.  Your Committees understand there may be some limits on site specific and other information available to the public under the Agreement, but believe there is a considerable body of information that can and should be made available, given the long-term significance of the transfer of the recreational use restriction.

 

     If, as some Stadium Authority board members have pointed out, the purpose of transferring the prohibition against commercial activities on a portion of the Aloha Stadium lands is simply to allow a broader range of entertainment and revenue-generating activities with broad community appeal, then your Committees believe that such initiatives should be widely communicated to the Stadium's neighbors in advance.  More importantly, if long-range development plans for the Aloha Stadium are expected to shift the existing mix of revenue-generating uses into more entertainment-oriented activities, the Authority should give its short-term tenants sufficient lead time to plan their transition to alternative facilities.

 

     Your Committees would be troubled over the Stadium Authority's future direction if it appears that the Authority and Comptroller fail to communicate actively with Aloha Stadium neighbors this summer, or if master planning for a more comprehensive range of development alternatives for the Aloha Stadium facilities begins without an understanding of neighborhood concerns.

 

     Your Committees therefore encourage the Stadium Authority and the Comptroller to learn from the Hawaii Community Development Authority's aborted redevelopment efforts in Kaka‘ako makai, and to develop a collaborative community-planning dialogue with area neighbors at the earliest opportunity.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adding Whereas language relating to the status of a draft easement document and the lack of public information on the entire process;

 

     (2)  Adding to the report requirements:

 

          (A)  A description, timeline, and status of the procedures required to transfer the recreational use restriction;

 

          (B)  Any requirements by the federal government to limit information available to the public, and efforts by the Comptroller and the Stadium Authority to keep the public informed of the transfer process;

 

          (C)  Copies of all relevant public documents;

 

          (D)  Specific recommendations for future uses of Aloha Stadium facilities, including public/private partnerships for commercial/retail or other types of uses; and

 

          (E)  Projections for future funding or infrastructure obligations for the Aloha Stadium site or alternative recreational sites by state government;

 

     (3)  Changing the reporting date from June 30, 2010, to September 1, 2010; and

 

     (4)  Adding the Aiea Community Association, Pearl City Community Association, and Aiea-Pearl City Business Association to those receiving a copy of the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 224, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 224, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development and Technology and Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

 

____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair		____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair