EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan, which is incorporated into Ordinance 99-
by reference, is organized in five chapters and an appendix, as follows:
. Chapter 1: North Shore's Role in Oahu's Development Pattern defines the region's
role and identity within the overall framework of islandwide planning and land use
management.
. Chapter 2: The Vision for North Shore's Future summarizes the vision for the future
of the region and lists important elements of that vision.
. Chapter 3: Land Use Policies, Principles, and Guidelines presents the Plan's core
policies, and provides policy guidance for the region's various land use elements.
. Chapter 4: Public Facilities and Infrastructure Policies and Principles outlines
policies, principles, and actions needed to support the land use policies of Chapter
3.
. Chapter 5: Implementation addresses needs for carrying out provisions outlined by
the Plan.
The contents of each chapter is briefly summarized below:
E.1 CHAPTER 1: NORTH SHORE'S ROLE IN OAHU'S DEVELOPMENT PATTERN
Consistent with the provisions of the General Plan, the role of the North Shore is to
maintain the rural character, agricultural lands, open space, natural environment,
recreational resources and scenic beauty of Oahu's northern coast. In line with the
General Plan policies to preserve the open space and country atmosphere of the rural
areas, growth is limited to “infill” areas within or adjacent to built-up areas to accommodate
existing and future housing and employment needs.
E.2 CHAPTER 2: THE VISION FOR THE NORTH SHORE'S FUTURE
The vision focuses on retaining the unique qualities that have defined the region's
attractiveness to residents and visitors alike; scenic open spaces, coastal resources, and
the community's cultural and plantation heritage. Diversified agriculture, which will include
crop production, agricultural production, and other support facilities, will play a key role in
sustaining the region's open space setting. Haleiwa and Waialua remain the North Shore's
principal commercial and civic centers while retaining their historic and “country town”
character. The region will remain “country,” with wide open space, vistas, and rural
communities. Growth will be limited to Haleiwa and Waialua. Key elements of the vision
include:
. Establish Rural Community, Agriculture, and Preservation Boundaries.
. Support the diversified agriculture industry.
. Enhance the region's recreational and educational potential.
. Designate Haleiwa and Waialua towns as “country towns.”
. Retain the Waialua Mill site as the regional industrial center.
. Limit additional new housing to areas contiguous to Haleiwa and Waialua towns and
establish rural design guidelines.
. Provide adequate public infrastructure, facilities, and services.
. Retain cultural and historic resources.
. Adapt the Ahupua'a concept in land use and natural resource management.
E.3 CHAPTER 3: LAND USE POLICIES, PRINCIPLES, AND GUIDELINES
This chapter presents general policies, planning principles, and guidelines for the major
concerns related to land use on the North Shore. General policies related to each land use
type are summarized below:
E.3.1 Open Space and Natural Environment
. Incorporate the land use concept and natural resource management
principles of “Ahupua'a” into land use and management guidelines to protect
and enhance the resources of the region.
. Protect ecologically sensitive areas with provisions for protective buffer
zones and setbacks.
. Protect scenic views, preserve open space, and minimize the impacts of new
developments and utility improvements on scenic resources.
. Improve accessibility of recreational resources including shoreline and
mountain areas.
. Direct new developments to areas within or next to existing developments
within the Rural Community Boundary.
E.3.2 Agriculture
. Protect important agricultural lands and support the diversified agriculture
industry.
. Concentrate major agricultural support activities at designated areas in
Waialua or Kawailoa.
. Discourage conversion of agricultural lands to large-lot residential
subdivisions with no agricultural activities.
. Identify, evaluate, and implement economic incentives to promote the
diversified agriculture industry.
E.3.3 Parks and Recreation
. Protect and expand recreational resources including beach parks, regional
parks, district parks, community parks, and other quasi-public recreational
facilities.
. Provide safe, suitable sites and facilities for a variety of recreational activities
and expand access to recreational resources in the mountains, at the
shoreline and in the ocean.
. Provide an integrated system of pedestrian paths/bikeways linking the parks,
schools, and town centers in Haleiwa and Waialua.
. Maintain and improve recreational areas and facilities.
. Promote recreational activities compatible with the preservation of open
space, rural character, scenic resources, and environmental quality.
E.3.4 Historic and Cultural Resources
. Preserve significant historic features and emphasize physical references to
the region's history and cultural roots to foster the area's unique sense of
place.
. Protect existing landmarks and support the creation of new, culturally
appropriate landmarks.
. Retain significant vistas associated with archaeological features.
. Respect significant historic resources. Restore or maintain the integrity of
sites with cultural and/or religious significance.
E.3.5 Residential Communities
. Provide sufficient capacity within the Rural Community Boundary to
accommodate existing and future housing needs.
. Direct future residential development to Haleiwa and Waialua.
. Preserve and protect the rural character and natural features and setting of
the region by establishing “rural” forms of development and subdivision
standards, in contrast to existing urban standards.
. Encourage creative site and housing design options that maintain the rural
character.
. Provide housing, through a variety of living accommodations, for an aging
population.
E.3.6 Commercial Areas
. Maintain the rural “small town” character of Haleiwa and Waialua and allow
for a compatible mix of commercial, service industrial, and residential uses
as well as to recognize and maintain the unique building and streetscape
character of these towns.
. Allow for compact, low-rise, small-scale commercial areas, rather than
unplanned commercial dispersion or strip development along arterial roads.
. Permit existing country stores to remain and direct new commercial
enterprises to the Country Town districts of Haleiwa and Waialua.
E.3.7 Industrial Areas
. Encourage compatible industrial uses that help diversify and revitalize the
economic base of the region.
. Encourage uses that are compatible with the rural character of the region,
and which have a minimal impact on the natural environment, cultural
resources, open spaces, and scenic views.
. Promote industries that provide employment opportunities as well as goods
and services for area residents.
E.3.8 Visitor Facilities
. Allow for small-scale visitor facilities that are compatible with the rural
character and natural features of the region. These include country inns in
Haleiwa and Waialua Country Town districts in appropriate locations.
. Integrate visitor facilities with the social and economic life of the surrounding
communities.
. Minimize impacts on resources, infrastructure, or surrounding communities.
. Ensure that facility development should not degrade, deplete, or preclude
access to public lands or resources.
E.3.9 Institutional Uses
. Support public facilities that provide convenient public services or functionally
support other governmental activities.
. Plan and develop public facilities in a manner consistent with the rural
character of the region and surrounding land uses.
. Promote consolidation or co-location of services to provide convenient one-
stop services in the region.
E.3.10 Military
. Military installations should be developed in a consistent manner with
applicable general policies for residential, industrial, commercial, and other
related uses.
E.4 CHAPTER 4: PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE POLICIES AND
PRINCIPLES
This chapter presents general policies and planning principles related to public facilities
and infrastructure in the North Shore. General policies related to each facility type are
summarized below:
E.4.1 Transportation Systems
. Retain Kamehameha Highway as a two-lane thoroughfare and provide
roadway improvements to promote pedestrian safety and traffic efficiency.
. Provide adequate access between residences, jobs, shopping, and
recreation areas on the North Shore and to adjacent areas.
. Provide more opportunities and support facilities for convenient and safe
pedestrian and bicycle travel.
. Promote ride-sharing activities such as car/van pooling. Reduce commute
to work with options such as teleworking.
. Include considerations of visitor population in determining allocations of
resources and facilities for the North Shore.
E.4.2 Water Systems
. Protect and preserve the streams, wetlands' natural drainage systems,
watershed areas and the shoreline and coastal areas.
. Integrate management of all potable and nonpotable water sources,
including groundwater, surface water, storm water, and reclaimed water.
. Encourage use of nonpotable water for irrigation of landscaping and
agricultural lands to conserve supply of potable water.
E.4.3 Wastewater Treatment
. Provide adequate public or private wastewater treatment facilities and
improve the existing wastewater management services.
. Minimize adverse impacts of wastewater treatment systems on potable water
sources and the ocean.
E.4.4 Electrical Power Development
. Locate utility systems including substations, transmission lines and towers
in areas where they will least obstruct important views and avoid or mitigate
any potential adverse impacts on scenic and natural resources.
E.4.5 Solid Waste Handling and Disposal
. Establish more efficient waste diversion and collection systems.
. Provide adequate resources for trash removal, clean-up of illegal dumps, and
enforcement of antidumping laws.
E.4.6 Drainage Systems
. Improve the drainage system utilizing nonstructural measures to mitigate
storm runoff and provide adequate protection from flooding.
. Promote drainage system design, which emphasizes control and
minimization of nonpoint source pollution and the retention of storm water
on-site and in wetlands.
E.4.7 School Facilities
. Approve new residential developments only after the State Department of
Education certifies that adequate school facilities will be available when the
development is completed.
. Require that developers contribute their fair share towards school
development to ensure provision of adequate school facilities for the children
living in their developments.
E.4.8 Public Safety Facilities
. Promote an integrated approach to public safety, which enables police, fire,
ocean safety, civil defense, and emergency medical efforts to share
resources and information, as appropriate.
. Consider visitor populations in allocating public safety resources.
. Provide adequate staffing and facilities to ensure effective and efficient
delivery of basic government service and protection of public safety.
. Promote the creation of safe, crime-deterrent public and private
environments by encouraging the use of crime-preventive principles in the
planning and design of communities, open spaces, circulation networks, and
buildings.
E.5 CHAPTER 5: IMPLEMENTATION
This chapter discusses the various measures that will be necessary to ensure timely
implementation of the plan, including those measures that will minimize disruption during
the transition into the plan. Among the measures addressed by this chapter, changes to
the zoning maps and the Land Use Ordinance will be necessary to achieve required
consistency with the
Sustainable Communities Plan, as will various other regulatory codes
and standards. This chapter also addresses monitoring of plan implementation and
provides for comprehensive review of the plan at five-year intervals.
E.6 APPENDIX A
The appendix provides three color maps that illustrate some of the plan's textual
provisions. Because these maps are intended merely to be illustrative of the text, if there
are any conflicts between the maps and the text, the text shall prevail.
North Shore Sustainable Communities PlanExecutive Summary
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