To boost tourism, get rid of building-height requirement
The Hawai’i state building code, April 20, 2021, was given over the internet by Errata and Addenda, May 18, 2021.
The buildings on Kaua‘i are classified into two categories, residential and commercial. For residential buildings, the height of the roof top has to be no more than 30 feet top to ground level. The commercial buildings, which are built on rural, urban, commercial, agricultural or forestry (land), are a maximum height of 75 feet.
It would make Kaua‘i competitive with the rest of the world by making the height requirement 250 feet, just like the buildings you see in Waikiki. There are several reasons I felt this is important.
Tourism would grow to 500,000 in a few short years if this occurs. It would make Kaua‘i a five-star destination, just like Puerta Vallarta, Mexico. What this would do is create an influx of tourists, thereby create an economic tourist industry of Kaua‘i and its own tourist base sites separate from Hawai‘i. More income for the state. I think Kaua‘i is not a world-class destination. To become one, they would need to increase the height restrictions on the building codes first. That’s the starting point.
HTA would take over and we’d have a new organization within a government that would bring in about 35 million tourist per year at a steady rate that would produce billions of dollars for Kaua‘i’s economy. Hopefully people will agree. All over the world. Then we won’t need to go to Las Vegas.
Dean Sabado, Honolulu
Aloha spirit extends to animals
I was driving towards Po‘ipu this morning on Ala Kinoiki, and right past the intersection of Mahaulepu/Weliweli Road was a line of stopped cars coming up, and slow traffic in my lane.
In the oncoming lane was a small pickup with the driver out of the car looking behind to the line of cars. The first car in the lineup was stopped in the lane completely. The driver was out. Looked like they were talking at first, then the woman in the first turned to look behind to the line of cars stopped behind her. Clearly not road rage.
As I passed Weliweli Road the cars in my lane were completely stopped, then slowly crept forward. As I looked at the oncoming lane, there was a gap of about 1 1/2 cars. I saw a medium-sized dog was between the cars.
The woman, whose car was facing the dog, got out and waved towards the front of the line to signal the guy that a dog was in front of her. In my lane, the cars in front of me stopped as they passed the dog to make sure it wouldn’t bolt in front of them.
I came to Kaua‘i to settle with a woman I met who lives here. From the moment I stepped off the plane until now, I’ve been assaulted by the beauty of island and its people. What’s the opposite of road rage? I saw it this morning. There’s a lot of offerings of Kaua‘i, how people can live in relation to the land and to others.
I was born and raised on O‘ahu. Hawai‘i has a lot to offer. But I gotta say, Kaua‘i is special. Just thought I’d share some news that was not about division, polemics, politics, hate and anger, to show that Kaua‘i has people who live our state law of the aloha spirit.
I love living here.
Daijo Kaneshiro, Po‘ipu
Source: The Garden Island
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