More housing in less space: Bill moving through legislature aims to increase densities in urban areas

On the Big Island, Gordner said the vast majority of land is zoned as Forest Reserve or Agricultural, with only about 2.7 percent of the island’s land zoned for homes. Of that fraction, about two-thirds are zoned for single-family, and Gordner said it is these parcels that would be allowed up to three units per lot, assuming sufficient infrastructure exists to support them.

Gordner pointed out that the bill has garnered support from a diverse group of people and organizations: all four county planning directors, including Hawaii County’s Zendo Kern, are in favor of the measure, but also nonprofits including the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, the think tank Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and AARP of Hawaiʻi, plus the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce and various property developers.

Gordner emphasized that the bill includes a provision for counties to refuse permits for additional units if they determine that there is insufficient infrastructure for a given development—for example, if it is found that the roads serving a proposed development are too small for the expected amount of traffic a new development might generate.

“The planning process will still be the same,” Gordner said.

SB3202 will be discussed Monday at a joint meeting of the House committees on Housing, Water and Land, and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.