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President's Message (Suzanne Meisenzahl)
Domestic Violence
League of Women Voters "Ad Watch"
League Participation in Growth Conference, June 21, 1994
League and Educational Reform (Libby Oshiyama & Marion Saunders)
Waikiki Rezoning Killed
Hawaii's Infostructure
Cogel Conference Dec. 4-7, 1994
City Council Report
Candidates in Focus
In Memoriam
Membership

Waikiki Rezoning Killed

Kudos to the City Council's Zoning Committee chair Donna Mercado Kim for finally killing Bills 171 and 172, the proposals to rezone large areas of Waikiki to allow greater heights and densities.

The Bills were originally proposed before the City Planning Commission on August 10, 1993, and since then have had many revisions and have been analyzed and discussed at two Workshops and at least six Committee Meetings and Public Hearings. Thirteen persons, representing various businesses, landowners, hotels and citizen groups, registered their continuing opposition to specific areas in the proposals at the final meeting on July 5.

Excerpts of League's testimony follow:

"We oppose this Bill because we think it is based on a faulty premise: that of revitalizing Waikiki by stimulating its development at greater heights and densities. The three basic reasons for our position are:

  1. The draft Master Plan has not been reviewed, subjected to public discussion or adopted by this council. This rezoning before you is based on comprehensive planning for Waikiki, and is therefore premature.

  2. The proposed density increases - however much they are manipulated and massaged - still result in unacceptable levels. We continue to think that the price of creating "financially viable" development projects may be too high and could have irrevocable adverse effects on the resort community.

  3. The bonuses offered, though pulled back somewhat, still represent to our thinking, a bargain basement sale of development rights and a distortion of the concept of trading bonuses for community benefits.

"Many, many months have gone into the Master Planning process. Isn't it time that some attention be given to the time and money spent in this effort? Shouldn't we be making a determination of exactly what we want Waikiki to be, before jumping in with changes we may never be able to undo? Aren't we putting the cart before the horse?"

Kim ended the meeting stating that there would be no rezoning before a Master Plan is adopted. We initiated the applause that followed.

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