The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs on Feb. 26, 2026.
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Feb. 26, 2026, 2 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 325 and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Rep. David A. Tarnas, Chair
Rep. Mahina Poepoe, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1739 HD1 — RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1739 HD1, which would require that transit-supportive densities be allowed in all county-designated transit-oriented development areas and prohibit counties from restricting the development of transit-supportive densities.
Practically, this legislation would allow larger buildings to be built near Honolulu’s Skyline rail stops as well as other county TOD zones — and it would thus be a step toward expanding housing opportunities in those areas.
Act 159 (2025) defined “transit-supportive densities” as properties with floor area ratios of at least 4, 6 or 7 — depending on how close the structure would be to the rail line. Additionally, under that law, the permits for these projects must be approved without a public vote by a planning commission or a county council.
That law tied certain state funding to the legalization of denser buildings near the Skyline rail or in any county-designated TOD zone. This bill, on the other hand, would explicitly require that all such construction be allowed.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
