Honolulu City Council Unanimously Passes Bill 41 (2022) & Bill 42 (2022)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 22, 2023
(HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I) – By unanimous vote, the Honolulu City Council today approved two measures to address sea level rise and protect Oʻahu’s coastal resources. Both bills will now go to Mayor Blangiardi for signature.
Bill 41 (2022), CD2, updates Revised Ordinances of Honolulu (ROH) Chapter 26, relating to shoreline setbacks, by incorporating amendments made by Act 16, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2020, and implementing erosion-rate-based shoreline setbacks. The City and County of Honolulu has seen significant impacts from coastal erosion, shoreline hardening and sea level rise on our public beaches and existing properties and structures. Bill 41 is designed to help mitigate future losses and further safeguard public health and safety.
Bill 42 (2022), CD2, updates ROH Chapter 25, relating to the special management area (SMA), by incorporating amendments made by Act 16 to HRS Chapter 205A, and improving existing controls on shoreline development, clarifying when an activity or action is considered development and therefore requires an SMA permit, formalizing best practices already in use by the City in its review of SMA permits, and modernizing SMA procedures.
“Sea level rise continues to threaten our coastal ecosystems. These measures will help mitigate those impacts, build coastal resilience, and protect our irreplaceable public beaches. Mahalo to my colleagues for their support of the amended versions of these measures, which were crafted specifically to reduce the burdens of these policies on our coastal communities,” said Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina, Chair of the Committee on Planning and the Economy.
“Mahalo nui to Planning and the Economy Chair Esther Kiaʻāina for her hard work and commitment to protect our shorelines. Climate change is one of the most critical issues that our island faces, and these bills are an important step to ensuring we protect our beaches and shorelines” said Councilmember Tommy Waters, Chair of the Honolulu City Council.