The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Hawai’i County Council Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, and Development on Oct. 2, 2024.
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Oct. 2, 2024, 9 a.m.
Hawai‘i County Building
To: Hawai‘i County Council, Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, and Development
Ashley Kierkiewicz, Chair
Holeka Goro Inaba, Vice-Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: Bill 212 — RELATING TO BUILDING PERMIT EXEMPTIONS
Aloha Chair Kierkiewicz, Vice-Chair Inaba and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 212, which would exempt non-structural repairs and maintenance valued at $25,000 or less from permitting. The current valuation limit is $7,500.
Bill 212 would also exempt accessory structures of 1,000 square feet or less on agricultural-zoned land from needing a building permit.
Removing these types of work from needing a permit would assist homeowners, farmers and ranchers in doing low-risk work on their property. For example, Home Depot data on countertop installations in Kailua-Kona indicate that the costs for these projects often exceed the $7,500 threshold.[1]
If these projects were cleared from the permit pipeline, permit reviewers could focus their time elsewhere, speeding the process for everyone.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
[1] “Countertop Installation Projects in Kailua Kona, HI,” Home Depot, accessed Sep. 27, 2024.
