To: The Hawaii State House, The Hawaii State Senate, and Governor David Ige

OPEN GOVERNMENT NOT FOR SALE!!

OPPOSE SB 2927 SD-2

Authored by Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, SB2927 would:

1) fast-track process for commercial and residential development.
2) exempt projects on state or county land from Chapter 343 environmental review.
3) exempt projects from zoning, impact fees and parking standards.
4) exempt development from school impact fees.
5) exempt development from all fees associated with land development.
6) exempt development from impact fees.
7) ignore the State's planning system by requiring the State Land Use Commission to reclassify land around transit stations or centers* as urban.
8) circumvent county general plans, development and sustainable community plans.
9) allow automatic approval of an "exceptional planning project" (we do wonder how this would be defined).
10) establish planning districts i.e. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) within a 1/2 mile radius from a county-designated rail transit station or as designated by the county to achieve density and ridership goals 1/4 mile radius from a county-designated bus transit station or center to achieve density and ridership goals.

NOTE: Whether you're for or against rail, it's important to completely understand the full ramifications of #10 (above). The areas in red on the map http://www.calthorpe.com/Honolulu_TOD_Study? roughly define the enormous land areas that would be exempted by SB2927-SD2.

Why is this important?

PLEASE KILL SB 2927 SD-2

OPEN GOVERNMENT NOT FOR SALE

Donovan Dela Cruz is the author of Hawaii Senate Bill 2927.

This is an outright assault on open government. Senate Bill 2927 exempts projects from public scrutiny, public collaboration, and accountability. It slams the door to public engagement but opens the doors for mischief to developers.