Planning Sessions Designed to Elicit Business, Landowner, and Tenant Vision for

Central Kakaako Business District

The Hawaii Community Development Authority is holding a series of meetings on February 18, 2009, February 25, 2009, and May 20, 2009 at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), Room MEB 301, located at 651 Ilalo Street in Kakaako Makai.  The purpose of the meetings, facilitated by the HCDA's Executive Director, Anthony Ching, is to hear the concerns of Central Kakaako business owners and landowners and to obtain their preferred vision for Central Kakaako.  At the conclusion of the February 25th meeting, the preferred visions will be compiled into a survey that will be mailed to Central Kakaako business owners and landowners and summarized at the May 20th meeting.

        February 18, 2009 Meeting Synopsis.  Approximately 26 business owners and landowners attended this meeting.  A list of issues and constraints facing Central Kakaako business owners and landowners was presented and the attendees were asked to add to the list (See, link below).  Four preferred visions were presented for the attendee's consideration:  no change, single-use industrial, industrial mixed-use, and commercial mixed-use.  Attendees accepted these four preferred visions and proceeded to provide input for each vision (See, link below).  A vote among the attendees resulted in the industrial mixed-use and commercial mixed-use visions receiving the top votes.  The attendees performed a "SPOT" analysis on those two visions.  The SPOT analysis identified the strengths, problems, opportunities, and threats with the industrial mixed-use and the commercial mixed-use visions (See, link below).

    List of Issues and Constraints

    Preferred Visions

       February 25, 2009 Meeting Synopsis.  About 23 people attended this second meeting.  The first meeting was briefly summarized, including the adoption of four preferred visions by the attendees of the first meeting, and distribution of a fact sheet (see link below).  Common among the four visions was a feeling that public facility improvements need to be made to address the following concerns:  drainage, parking, and, roadway.  Drawings of Queen and Kawaiahao streets with diagonal and parallel parking were presented in response to questions regarding the feasibility of various parking schemes (see link below).  A drawing showing parking over a street was also presented (see link below).  The city dedication standards were also distributed to illustrate the scope of street improvements that would be required in order for the city to consider accepting improved streets versus a simpler asphalt sidewalk and drainage swale, for example (see link).  The discussion then turned to existing rules and it was acknowledged that the current rules are flexible enough to permit different development scenarios, and that the proposed mauka area rules will also implement additional concessions that will facilitate the development of smaller lots characteristic of Central Kakaako (for example, increased height and density, and relaxation of on-site parking requirements).  For the next meeting, the attendees will be asked to commit to their vision for Central Kakaako, identify the level and scope of improvements consistent with that vision, and understand the consequences of adopting a certain level of improvements.

    March 12, 2009 Meeting Synopsis:     After brief introductions and a summary of the February 25, 2009 meeting, the HCDA made a presentation on development options under the current Mauka area rules and proposed Mauka area rules.  As an example of what could be built under existing rules (at 1.5 floor area ratio maximum) and proposed rules (at 3.5 floor area ratio maximum), development scenarios for 5,000, 10,000, and 30,000 square foot lots were graphically presented.   The attendees were also informed that the HCDA maintains a small lot resource center where landowners can seek individual assistance with their development questions.  The HCDA staff then proceeded to present development ideas for Central Kakaako.  After soliciting other ideas from the attendees, a multiple voting technique was used to rank the various ideas.  The attendees were presented with four scenarios for infrastructure improvements and asked to rank the scenarios using a multiple voting technique.  Finally, the attendees were asked to vote on their preferred vision for Central Kakaako.  The summaries and results of the voting are available at the links below. 

Ideas!

Infrastructure Improvements

Central Kakaako Visions

    April 8, 2009 Meeting Synopsis:  After brief introductions and a summary of the March 12, 2009 meeting (see link below), including the voting taken, discussion ensued over parking issues (see link below).  Attendees were asked to provide additional ideas for addressing parking in Central Kakaako, in addition to the ideas presented by the staff, as parking was identified as an important issue by attendees at prior meetings.  Centralized district parking was discussed in more detail, including where it should be located, how it should be financed, and who should develop it (see link below).  Finally, attendees were asked for input on a possible demonstration project on either Waimanu, Kawaiahao, Halekauwila, Ilaniwai, Cummins, or Kamani streets (see link below).  Attendees were generally in favor of a limited improvement project but advised that such a project must be vetted with the affected landowners and businesses.  As a wrap up, attendees were reminded that a survey will be developed with the assistance of SMS Research that confirms the direction of Central Kakaako landowners and businesses with respect to level of improvements, vision for Central Kakaako, and parking.  Since the survey must be prepared, distributed, and the results compiled the last meeting, scheduled for May 20, 2009 has been postponed.

    May 20, 2009 Meeting:  This meeting has been postponed until the results of the survey have been compiled.