Department of Planning and Permitting

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Department of Planning and Permitting

Ka ʻOihana Hoʻolālā A Me Nā Palapala ʻAe

Oʻahu General Plan

The Oʻahu General Plan sets forth the City’s objectives and broad policies for the long-range development of the island.  It contains statements of the general social, economic, environmental, and design objectives to be achieved for the general welfare and prosperity of the people of Oʻahu and the most desirable population distribution and regional development pattern (Section 6-1508, Revised Charter).

In working with the community, the policies and objectives of the Oʻahu General Plan were developed and organized into 11 key focus areas reflecting the needs of the people and the functions of government:  

Logo Oahu DPSCP map
Cover General Plan
  1. Population
  2. Balanced economy
  3. The natural environment and resource stewardship
  4. Housing and communities
  5. Transportation and utilities
  6. Energy systems
  7. Physical development and urban design
  8. Public safety and community resilience
  9. Health and education
  10. Culture and recreation
  11. Government operations and fiscal management

The O’ahu General Plan (2021) was adopted by the City Council on December 1, 2021, as Resolution 21-023, CD1, and signed by the Mayor on January 14, 2022.

General Plan Amendment Application

Any individual or organization may independently propose an amendment to the General Plan. Proposals for an independent amendment are submitted by application to the Director of the DPP via the HNL Build User Portal, New Planning Application.

All applications for an amendment are reviewed from the perspective of a contribution to the public welfare, whether or not there is a public issue or need to serve as a basis for the proposed amendment, consistency with the Hawai’i State Plan, and conformance with the rules for processing amendments to the General Plan pursuant to Section 6-1503 of the Revised Charter.  

HNL Build Portal
Rules for Processing Amendments
Flowchart of General Plan Amendment Process. Pre-Application Requirements include notification of adjacent properties, NB presentations, pre-application meeting. Then 45 day DPP review, followed by 180 day analysis and public review. The Plan then goes to Planning Commission and City Council.
  1. General Plan Review Report
  2. Affordable Housing Trend Report
  3. Agriculture Trend Report
  4. Commercial Real Estate Trend Report
  5. Sustainability Trend Report
  6. Tourism Trend Report

I. Overview

A. General Statement of Policy

Applications for amendments which do not meet these requirements, or which are solely based upon benefit to individuals or special interests, shall not be proposed by the Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP).

All applications for amendments shall be reviewed from the perspective of:

  1. Contribution to the general welfare and prosperity of the people of O‘ahu;
  2. Whether or not a public issue, need or problem presently exists to serve as a basis for the proposed amendment;
  3. Consistency with the Hawai‘i State Plan; and;
  4. Conformance to these Rules.

B. Basis for Amendment

The Director of the DPP’s action on each application shall be the result of an evaluation of the adequacy and appropriateness of the basis for the amendment. This basis may include:

  1. Identification of specific public issue, need, or problem which should be addressed by the objectives and policies of the General Plan but is either not addressed or is inappropriately addressed in the existing plan; or
  2. Need to clarify the wording of existing statements in the General Plan; or
  3. Timeliness in terms of the immediacy of the identified issue, problem, or; need, and the appropriateness of coordination with other potential amendments to the General Plan.

II. Pre-Application Procedures

A. Pre-Application Meeting

Please log in to HNL Build Portal to schedule a pre-application meeting.

 

B. Environmental Assessment (EA) / Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

The Director may determine that an EA or EIS must be prepared and accepted by the Department before a General Plan (GP) Amendment can be processed.

  1. When an EA or EIS must be prepared as a prerequisite to a GP Amendment, where the DPP is the accepting agency, there shall be a processing fee of $600.00 for an EA and $1,200.00 for an EIS;
  2. Make checks payable to the City and County of Honolulu;
  3. The EA or EIS must be accepted before the GP Amendment application can be accepted for processing;
  4. Once the EA or EIS has been accepted by the Department for processing, the fee is not refundable.

III. Application Requirements

A. Requests for amendments are initiated with an Application submitted to the Director of the DPP. The example of format and contents of the Application is shown in Attachment “A,” which is identical to the HNL Build Application. This Application is intended to demonstrate the merits of a proposed amendment. However, acceptance of an Application for processing does not, in any way, obligate the Director of the DPP to propose such an amendment.

 

B. Upon receipt of an Application, the Department shall make a preliminary review of its acceptability.

If the Application is deemed acceptable based on Sections 7.1 and 7.2 of the Procedure for Amending the General Plan, the Director of the DPP shall so notify the applicant within 45 days of the date of receipt of the Application, and copies of the Application shall be forwarded to appropriate individuals and public and private agencies for review and comment.

 

C. Fees. Submit the following fee with the completed Master Application Form for processing:

  1. General Plan Amendment applications shall be accompanied by a fee of $1,500.00 per amendment. Public agencies shall be exempt from the payment of fees;
  2. The application fee is not refundable, except for applications the Director of the DPP chooses not to process, in which case such fee shall be refunded upon request of the applicant;
  3. Amendment applications initiated by the City Council on behalf of an Applicant are subject to a filing fee, which shall be paid by the Applicant;
  4. Make checks payable to the City and County of Honolulu.

D. Within 180 days of the date of acceptance of the Application for processing, the Director of the DPP, having duly considered the responses of those individuals and public or private agencies requested to review the Application, shall submit those amendments which are being proposed together with a written basis for proposing the amendments to the Planning Commission. The 180 days may be extended with the consent of the Applicant.

 

IV. Council Initiation

A. As provided in Section 6-1511.2 of the City Charter, any amendment to the GP may be proposed by the City Council. All such proposals shall be processed in the same manner as if proposed by the Director of the DPP.

 

B. Processing of Council-initiated amendments through the Planning Commission, City Council, and Mayor shall follow the same procedures as outlined in Sections 7.7, 7.8, and 7.9, except that where the Planning Commission disapproves the proposed amendment or recommendations and modification thereof, the Council may nevertheless adopt the amendment but only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of its entire membership.

 

For further assistance or information on how to complete the application, please call DPP at 768-8055.

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