Sustainable communities will benefit all

The Maui News
Sunday, February 18, 2007
VIEWPOINT by GARY L. HOOSER

All of us who make Hawaii our home love those things that are unique to our island lifestyle. But the clean air, open space and inviting natural environment that we have so long taken for granted are put in danger by the very fact that this is such a desirable place to live.

Our growing need for housing, our appetite for more energy to sustain our lifestyles, and our increasing output of trash and wastewater threaten to overwhelm our state's capacity to cope. We face a very real threat that the wonders of the Hawaii we know today will be but a vague memory in the Hawaii of tomorrow.

Recognizing the potential impact of these pressures, and seeing the importance of these issues to the people we represent, Democrats in the Senate worked long and hard to craft a package of legislation designed to create a more sustainable future for Hawaii. We committed ourselves to the time, debate and research it took to carefully assemble 18 bills on a variety of subjects that all residents of Hawaii can be proud of.

A centerpiece of this package is Senate Bill 1925, visionary legislation that supports developments that will create affordable, welcoming and environmentally friendly communities.

Unfortunately, The Maui News Feb. 2 editorial, "Senate hits a foul ball," mischaracterized the bill and its potential effects. The editorial called our proposal "blue-sky." I will go a step further and call it blue sky, clean water and open space for generations to come.

The bill helps define and support sustainable communities. It began as a discussion about what an ideal community would look like and how the state could provide developers and local officials the tools they need to build those communities.

The sustainable communities we envision are affordable and welcoming - free from financial or physical barriers preventing anyone from entering. In Hawaii, developers must also respect and preserve the beauty of our islands by including open space and recycling waste instead of diverting it to landfills. And our best communities will help reduce Hawaii's dependence on imported fuels by generating half of their power on-site.

In return for meeting the requirements of sustainable living, developers are rewarded with an accelerated permit approval process at the state level. In order to receive this expedited approval, new developments must:

-- Generate 50 percent of their own energy.
-- Divert 75 percent of their solid waste from landfills.
-- Recycle 100 percent of their wastewater.
-- Maintain 50 percent of the land in open space, including the shoreline.
-- Allow free and open access to cultural sites, shorelines, trails and public recreation areas.
-- Designate at least 40 percent of residential units as affordable.

It is important to note that this bill does not cut any corners or waive any regulations; it simply expedites the process. All environmental laws and regulations still apply and must be satisfied.

While The Maui News editorial attempted to raise issues of home rule, its concerns were misplaced. This expedited permit process applies only to state agencies and would not circumvent the county permitting process. The counties would still be responsible for issuing all local permits and licenses according to their own standards and on their own timetables.

While we hope that the counties will join us in encouraging these communities, we remain committed to preserving the counties' control over their own planning and permitting.

The Senate majority's sustainability legislation is not the end, but a new beginning. Sustainability is no longer an abstract concept. Rather, it a lifestyle that we can implement daily to increase the quality of life for all. The Senate is committed to promoting a sustainable lifestyle through SB 1925, and other measures. We can no longer avoid a long overdue conversation about how we might significantly change the way new communities are designed and developed in our beloved, yet fragile, islands.

Our proposed measures to support sustainability are born of the concerns of our neighbors, a love for our islands and a commitment to our future. We believe that this first step toward sustainability will lead Hawaii to a great future.

Gary L. Hooser is the Hawaii Senate majority leader. A Democrat, he represents Kauai and Niihau.