The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Labor on April 11, 2025.
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April 11, 2025, 9:30 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 309 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Labor
Rep. Jackson D. Sayama, Chair
Rep. Mike Lee, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: SCR163 — REQUESTING THE COUNTIES TO ADOPT FLEXIBLE SETBACK REQUIREMENTS OR ESTABLISH VARIANCE PROCEDURES FOR STATE BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES TO ENHANCE LAND USE EFFICIENCY AND PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY.
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports SCR163 SD1, which would request the counties to adopt flexible zoning setback standards or establish variance procedures for state buildings to maximize efficiency and improve public service delivery.
This is a commonsense resolution. Land costs in Hawaii can easily top $2 million for relatively small commercial or industrial lots.[1] Because of this, it should be a priority for the state to get the most value out of taxpayer dollars when building or renovating its buildings.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] Hawaii Information Service database, accessed March 26, 2025. Parcels included in this search were government owned properties between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet in lot area in the commercial and industrial property tax classes on Oahu. A subscription is needed to access the data.
