Above photo: Interior of Aliʻiolani HaleCredit: King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center Over the last month, rulings from the state Supreme Court have changed the regulatory landscape for a variety of activities. The consequences of the decisions range from sea … Continued
Above photo: A papamu, or konane stone, near the Road to the Sea in the Kaloko Heights area. CREDIT: ASM AFFILIATES, 2018 More than 40 years ago, the state Land Use Commission approved a petition to place 213 acres of … Continued
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
Above photo: A jelly, Crossota millsae, in deep waters off the Southeastern United States. Credit: NOAA. ‘Irreversible Damage:” The international conservation group Flora & Fauna has released a report on its research into the environmental effects of seabed mining. The negative impacts, … 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
‘Dr. Bob’ Remembered: Professor Emeritus Robert A. Kinzie III passed away unexpectedly on December 31st, 2022, while he and his wife, Joy, were visiting their sons and grandchildren in Southern California. Dr. Bob was a faculty member in the Zoology … Continued