NORTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 27

NORTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD
AG COMMITTEE AGENDA
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2024
WAIALUA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION (WCA)
66-434 KAMEHAMEHA HIGHWAY
HALEʻIWA, HAWAIʻI 96712
6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.

I. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Racquel Achiu

Rules of Speaking: (In Person Meeting)
Please silence all electronic devices – Anyone wishing to participate in the meeting discussions please raise your hand to be recognized by the Chair. Please identify yourself by name (and affiliation if any) when speaking for the first time. When recognized by the Chair, please address comments to the Chair. You will have 2 MINUTES to speak and/or ask your question. Please do not interrupt others when they are speaking; committees are less formal but want every voice to be heard

Note: The Committee may take action on any agenda item. As required by the State Sunshine Law (HRS 92), specific issues not noted on this agenda cannot be voted on, unless added to the agenda.

II. COMMUNITY CONCERNS REGARDING AGRICULTURAL ISSUES – Limit to Two (2) Minutes each person.

III. COMMITTEE BUSINESS
A. BILL 64 – (Land Use Ordinance) review of Resolution for proposed amendments to Bill 64 Land Use Ordinance Ag Section – Casi Alexander

IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. Committee Minutes of July 9, 2024
V. ANNOUNCEMENTS
VI. ADJOURNMENT

A mailing list is maintained for interested persons and agencies to receive agenda and minutes. Additions, corrections, and deletions to the mailing list may be directed to the Neighborhood Commission Office (NCO) at Kapālama Hale, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160 Honolulu, HI 96817; Telephone (808) 768-3710 Fax (808) 768-3711; or call Neighborhood Assistant Zhoydell Magaoay at (808) 768-4224 or e-mail zhoydell.magaoay@honolulu.gov. Agendas and minutes are also available on the internet at www.honolulu.gov/nco.

All written testimony must be received in the Neighborhood Commission Office 48 hours prior to the meeting. If within 48 hours, written and/or oral testimony may be submitted directly to the board at the meeting. If submitting written testimony, please note the board and agenda item(s) your testimony concerns. Send to: Neighborhood Commission Office, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160 Honolulu, HI 96817. Fax: (808) 768-3711. Email: nbtestimony@honolulu.gov.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability or an interpreter for a language other than English, please call the Neighborhood Commission Office at (808) 768-3710 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or send an email to nco@honolulu.gov at least three (3) business days before the scheduled meeting. It may not be possible to fulfill requests received after this date.

NORTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD
AG COMMITTEE MINUTES (DRAFT)
TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2024
WAIALUA COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION (WCA)
66-434 KAMEHAMEHA HIGHWAY
HALE’IWA, HAWAI’I 96712
6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.

Chair Achiu called the meeting to order at 6:12 P.M. In attendance were Chair Racquel Achiu, Mark Takemoto, Vice-Chair Casi Alexander, Ron Weidenbach, honored guest City Councilman Matt Weyer, Letani Peltier, of Council staff, and community guests. Vice-Chair Alexander assisted with notes.

BILL 64 & LAND USE ORDINANCE REVIEW. Honolulu City & County draft ordinance 64(2023) FD1 was discussed at length, discussion led by Vice-Chair Alexander.

Secretary Boyd Ready and Antya Miller arrived at 6:19 PM.

Vice-Chair Alexander’s procedural motion, seconded, to decide, at the end of the meeting, which are the
top three issues for a recommendation to the full Board, was adopted by unanimous consent.

The proposed three-acre minimum lot size was discussed at length. With AG-2 at two acres, and AG-1
5 acres minimum in State law already, members and guests offered alternatives and speculation about
why the number 3 was proposed. The value of 1-acre ag lots was emphasized by more than one guest, with anecdotes of high production farmers of various crops on 1 acre lots.

Chair Achiu expressed concern that West Oahu existing 1 and 2 acre lots not be retroactively made non-conforming, and that any amendments include language to allow existing lots in use for agriculture not be subject to a new size limitation.

The issue of proposed 300-foot setbacks for livestock raising, 500-foot setbacks for livestock processing, and the differing circumstances of ag lots adjacent to urban uses vs those contiguous with other ag lots, were discussed at length. Ag lots within ag areas should be treated differently. Distinctions between different forms of livestock were recommended as necessary, not a one-size-fits-all rule.

Member Takemoto emphasized that a residence built on an ag lot does not bring in urban zoning, it remains agricultural.

Member Miller emphasized that it is often the introduction of residential uses by non-farmers on ag lots that creates conflict and pressure on agricultural producers to respond to complaints about activities that are necessarily part of ag production.

Ag processing was discussed, with the large differences between slaughtering, animal product processing, non-animal product processing, and simply washing product, needing to be taken into account.

The use of a % of land area minimum to be considered agricultural was discussed. Member Weidenbach made the point that a parcel may include completely unusable portions, so any % minimum would need to be measured against the useable portion only. Several spoke against a % of income produced, and the notion of a % of ‘activity’ was criticized as impossibly vague.
Beekeeping ordinance was discussed. It was mentioned that bees are a form of animal husbandry and needn’t necessarily have completely separate policy. Vice-Chair Alexander reported on other conversations with beekeepers who have strong, informed opinions and suggested the committee defer to those groups.

The size of agricultural dwellings was discussed at length. Maximums of 1200, 2500, and 5000 SF were considered. The difference between ‘under roof,’ ‘accessory structures,’ ‘improved living areas,’ were discussed. Member Takemoto emphasized that a farmer should be able to build and enjoy well-earned residential structures as his or her private right. Others mentioned home sizes they considered reasonable. Member Miller mentioned the large families living in small houses as considered normal in Waialua’s agricultural past.

Chair Achiu related how her residence and agricultural uses led to extensive interaction with permitting, tax issues, and business management well beyond what a normal residence involves. An inspection finding compliance was done and also increased her awareness. Achiu emphasized that hilly, scrub and tree lands can be useful for grazing animals even if not for field crops, and such uses affect % of land in use, and property taxes.

Agricultural tourism was discussed. Grey areas in existing ordinances, and lack of enforcement, have been leading to proposed and actual uses not apparently agricultural. Mentioned were planned gondolas in ag and conservation lands, and ATV tours with numbers of machines moving about near urban uses. Special permitting for ATV uses exists but questions arise about unpermitted activities. Chair Achiu noted that a rancher’s use of a single ATV to herd animals is much different than a whole line of tour ATVs.

The proportion of income from tourist activities can sometimes be much larger than income from ranching or farming. The issue of how ordinances should address that was discussed. Some well-known operations use extensive tourism activity alongside ranching and crop and food production to remain viable and avoid selling off parcels.

Worker housing was discussed. New developments using the existing ‘ag cluster housing’ concept was discussed. Chair Achiu noted that one developer has one successful, one in-process, and a nearby project beginning with this concept. Containers and other accessory structures outside the cluster, in those developments, are effectively prohibited. An anecdote illustrated that.

Guest farmer emphasized the importance of people being able to live on their own land, work their own land, and become self-sufficient. The high price of retail food for large families is an issue that home agriculture can offset or replace. Ag theft is rampant, containers are needed to secure equipment.

Councilman Weyer spoke on the upcoming committee consideration of Bill 64 and advised on when to send in testimony: prepare in advance, but at 6 days out the agenda’s are public, so adjust testimony to the specific items on the agenda and get it in early in that 6-day prior period.

Member Takemoto raised the possibility, with Councilman Weyer, of a ‘pilot project’ for homesteading, farmer-live-on-site arrangements.

Vice-Chair Alexander asked for an informal poll of all attending to rank the various topics discussed, with each attendee having 3 picks. Secretary Ready made a point of order that polls are not in order for decision making. Vice-Chair Alexander proposed that the actual vote, by Committee members, be taken at the next meeting. Without objection the vote was postponed and polling proceeded by shows of hands for each topic, with all in attendance participating. The three issues with the most support was animal husbandry, farm dwellings, and ag tourism.

It was emphasized that every interested person can and should submit testimony on Bill 64, in addition to any recommendation the Ag Committee settles upon next time.

Chair Achiu adjourned the meeting.at 8:10 P.M.

To view agenda and minutes, visit our board website.

Event shows physical location; however, other options of participation may also include WebEx and phone.  If available, instructions for WebEx and phone can be found at the top of the agenda.