When the Land Use Commission approved the redistricting of the land where the Kaloko Heights subdivision is now planned, it included, as its first condition, the requirement that 10 percent of the units be affordable. That fraction was included in … Continued
The Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development sailed for years without any meaningful oversight of its handling of affordable housing credits. Internal controls were also sorely lacking. That came to an end last summer, following criminal charges against … Continued
Chapter 11 of the Hawaiʻi County Code was established to force developers of residential subdivisions or commercial zones to build or at least underwrite the construction of housing that is to be within reach of households earning up to 120 … Continued
When it comes to describing the practices and procedures of the Hawaiʻi County Office of Housing and Community Development, words fail. Literally, words fail. Until just a few months ago, there were no written practices or procedures, at least when … Continued
The Hawaiʻi County Office of the Auditor has released its report on the handling of affordable housing credits issued by the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD). And it isn’t pretty. The County Council requested the audit after the … Continued
The two fraudulent housing schemes that Alan Rudo and his co-conspirators devised resulted in the award of 316 excess housing credits to two companies that had signed agreements to develop a total of 158 low-income apartments, 122 in Kealakehe, 106 … Continued
Former ʻEwa Feedlot Update Falls Short As Board’s Questions Go Unanswered Hawaiʻi Land & Livestock’s plans for a 110-acre lot adjacent to the state’s largest slaughterhouse keep evolving. And with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources looking to … Continued
The long-running dispute over what activities are permitted on the Big Island’s agricultural land is as far from being resolved as it ever has been. Last year, the 3rd Circuit Court found that the state Land Use Commission was wrong … Continued
Cliff Sheds, Price Soars: A coastal house in Hilo had to be partly demolished a few years ago, when county inspectors deemed it unsafe. The house, perched atop a cliff near Honoliʻi, had begun to slide into the ocean. Debris … Continued
Aquarium Permits: On January 30, Environmental Court Judge Jeffrey Crabtree granted a motion filed last year by the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) to amend a statewide ban on the issuance of aquarium collecting permits that had been in … Continued