Hawaii-2012-SR103-Amended

WHEREAS, in the next twenty years, Hawaii's population is expected to grow by approximately 300,000, forty-two percent of the population of the City and County of Honolulu alone; and

WHEREAS, successful planning for growth requires reducing sprawl and creating urban developments in existing and new communities that offer a high quality of life for a broad range of household types; and

WHEREAS, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation is constructing an elevated rapid transit line on the island of Oahu; and

WHEREAS, the construction will start from the edge of Kapolei to Ala Moana Center and pass through communities along southern Oahu via Honolulu International Airport and downtown Honolulu, and the route will include the University of Hawaii West-Oahu, Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College, and the office buildings of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Department of Public Safety, Department of Accounting and General Services, and Department of Transportation; and

WHEREAS, the proposed transit stations are scheduled to open in three phases between the years 2015 and 2019, starting from suburban areas to urban centers with the first phase to include a baseyard for the trains, delaying major infrastructure impacts associated with construction in the urban center; and

WHEREAS, the proponents of rapid transit have given much thought to the planning and design but have not fully accounted for the effects it will have on the surrounding communities and the State as a whole; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Planning was established to maintain an overall framework to guide the development of the State through a continuous process of comprehensive, long-range, and strategic planning to meet the physical, economic, and social needs of Hawaii's people, and provide for the wise use of Hawaii's resources in a coordinated, efficient, and economical manner, including the conservation of natural, environmental, recreational, scenic, historic, and other limited and irreplaceable resources for future generations; and

WHEREAS, the rapid transit project is well underway and there is a need to accommodate the communities surrounding the stations; and

WHEREAS, considering the route and length of the rapid transit line, many state agencies are likely to be affected, due to the areas along the route as well as each state agency's respective purview; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2012, that the Office of Planning coordinate with all state agencies that hold title to or leases of land along the elevated rapid transit route in order to develop a community development plan for communities along the route; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the community development plan include the following:

(1) Plans to develop public-private partnerships to assist with the planning, coordination, and implementation of revenue-generating activities and development plans for the community;

(2) Density goals to increase rail transit ridership; and

(3) Updates of existing state agency state plans to incorporate rail transit and optimize the opportunities the Project can provide; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of Planning submit the plan to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2013; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State use the information provided to update state plans and to focus density in appropriate areas to preserve agricultural and conservation lands and prevent urban sprawl and better utilize our assets; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of the Office of Planning, and Chairperson of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.

Report Title:

Office of Planning; Elevated Rapid Transit Route; Planning

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	103
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII