Over 100 people turned out to participate in a community open house
held by the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) on June 19 to
relate the proposed revisions to the draft Mauka Area Plan and to
collect public input on reserved housing proposals that will be
incoporated into the final Plan. The meeting was conducted in an
open house format at the Ward Warehouse Kaka'ako meeting room from 5:00
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Over the past year, HCDA has been working on a
comprehensive review and revision of the plan and rules governing the
Mauka portion of the Kaka‘ako District. With the participation
and input from Kaka‘ako stakeholders, government agencies and the
general public, HCDA completed a working draft of the Plan.
Developed with the principles of "Smarth Growth", the draft Plan
envisions the development of pedestrian-friendly urban village
neighborhoods in Kaka'ako, with a wide variety of transportation
options to facilitate connections. The draft Mauka Area Plan is a
working draft and will be circulated for public review and comments
through a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) process
and subsequent Administrative Rule making process pursuant to Chapter
91, Hawaii Revised Statutes. It is anticipated that revisions and
adjustments to this draft will be made through the SEIS and public
review process.
The open house allowed the public to talk one-on-one with HCDA staff
and planning consultants and to look at displays on the draft Plan and
the Mauka Plan SEIS. A Power Point presentation on the draft
Mauka Plan by HCDA planning consultant, PlanPacific was shown, and HCDA
consultant John Kirkpatrick of Belt Collins Hawaii presented the
proposed Reserved Housing Program revisions to the audience. The
Reserved Housing Program is part of the Mauka Area Plan and will be
included in the SEIS analysis. Following the presentation,
the audience participated in a question and answer session.
PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS ON THE KAKA'AKO MAUKA PLAN & RULES
REVISIONS.
CLICK HERE IS YOU WANT TO
COMMENT
THE DRAFT MAUKA AREA PLAN:
Following is a brief summary of the key concepts proposed in the
draft Mauka Area Plan:
Principles
- Develop Urban Village Neighborhoods
- Create Great Places
- Make the Connections (pedestrian, bicycle, automobile, public
transportation)
Land Use
The Mauka Area Plan proposes a mixed-use district where people are
able to live, work, shop and recreate in a neighborhood
community. Development projects are to be mixed horizontally as
well as vertically, maximizing the highest use of prime urban
land. Allowable uses include residential, commercial, industrial,
community service and public uses.
Neighborhoods
Within the larger Kaka‘ako district, variations in existing land
uses, building forms and land tenure patterns suggest the formation of
several distinct neighborhoods. A strong neighborhood identity creates
a sense of belonging and identity to the community. Seven
neighborhoods are identified within the Kaka‘ako district.
Urban Design
The key urban design principles include:
- Outstanding pedestrian environment
- Creating a network of green streets
- Providing for maximum road connections
- Connecting pedestrian paths across major thoroughfares
- Making a strong Mauka-Makai linkage
- Supporting the small-lot, mixed-use pattern of Central
Kaka‘ako
- Supporting Transit Oriented Development
Development Provisions
The development provisions for the Mauka Area have been developed
through community input, computer modeling and urban form
studies. It is anticipated that these provisions will be further
assessed and alternatives considered through the SEIS process.
Density: Maximum
Floor Area Ratio of 3.5
Height:
Three building elements:
- Street-front Element. Intent is to create a consistent
street wall that defines the street. Proposed maximum height
limit is 65-feet.
- Mid-height Element. The maximum height of a development is
defined by view planes from shoreline parks looking toward the Koolau
mountain range. Proposed maximum height ranges from
80-215 feet.
- Tower Element. The intent of a tower element is to
provide for taller buildings and variations in the skyline while
keeping a slender building profile. Proposed maximum height is to
remain at 400 feet and proposed maximum footprint is reduced from
16,000 to 9,000 square feet. Heights are proposed to be
reduced in sensitive key areas.
Parks, Open Space and Views
Strategies for meeting projected need:
- Use of vacant public land
- Shared use of public facilities
- Enhance pedestrian connections to nearby parks and campuses
- Private investment in open space and recreational facilities
A key objective of the Mauka Area Plan is to maintain Mauka-Makai
views, open skies and transitions to adjacent areas by preserving view
corridors and panoramic views to the Koolaus. View planes to the
mountains shall be preserved through height limitations, reducing
allowable tower footprints and a Mauka-Makai tower orientation.
As with the development provisions, view corridor provisions will be
assessed through the SEIS process.
Transportation
A multi-modal transportation plan is proposed for the Kaka‘ako
District. The revisions propose a hierarchy of streets that
supports the full range of transportation modes: pedestrian, bicycle,
transit and vehicular. "Hierarchy" is to include: boulevard,
avenue, street (including promenade), service and alley. The
objective is to enhance connectivity throughout the district and add
connecting streets where possible to improve access within large
development lots. The multi-modal transportation proposal will be
fully assessed through the SEIS process.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL
WORKING DRAFT OF MAUKA AREA PLAN (4 MB--Will take some time to
download.)
WHAT NEXT?
July 5, 2007
Request Authority approval to initiate public review process based on
Draft Mauka Area Plan concepts The public review process includes
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (“SEIS”) and an
Administrative Rule Amendment process subject to Chapter 91, Hawaii
Revised Statutes.
July 2007
Assuming Authority approval, the process to revise the Mauka Area
Rules will be initiated. The Mauka Area Administrative Rule
making process will involve extensive community, stakeholder and
governmental input.
Late July 2007
Initiate SEIS process with a scoping meeting. It is anticipated
that the SEIS process will take approximately one year to complete.
PLEASE SEND YOUR COMMENTS ON THE KAKA'AKO MAUKA PLAN & RULES
REVISIONS.
CLICK HERE IS YOU WANT TO
COMMENT
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