The Honolulu City Council Committee on Energy, Environment and Sustainability heard an informational briefing on Sept. 25 from the Department of Planning and Permitting on the public review draft of the North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan, which is open for a 60-day public comment period that began Sept. 15 and runs through Nov. 14.

The draft, DPP staff said, summarizes community workshops and technical work and emphasizes proactive climate change planning, a “residents first” approach to tourism, resilient infrastructure and economic diversification that includes support for agriculture and emerging practices such as agrivoltaics.

"The public review draft is a culmination of a tremendous multi year effort led by a citizens planning advisory committee," Franz Kranz, branch chief for the Community Planning Branch in DPP’s Planning Division, told the committee. Kranz said the update follows extensive outreach including 10 policy workshops, 24 stakeholder interviews and 1,200 returned survey responses from about 5,200 mailed surveys.

Why it matters: Committee members repeatedly pressed staff about areas where the plan interacts with zoning, state land use designations and transportation and infrastructure projects overseen by state agencies. The plan’s recommendations could shape where future housing, visitor management and agricultural supports are prioritized on Oahu’s North Shore, and several council members urged clearer, implementable steps and funding paths so the plan does not “sit on a shelf.”

What’s in the draft: According to Kranz, the draft is organized into 11 chapters that cover open space and natural environment; residential; country towns and commercial areas; agriculture; parks and recreation; mobility and connectivity; energy; tourism management; climate change and natural hazards; water resources; and public services. Major ideas highlighted during the briefing included planning for managed retreat or other adaptation approaches in coastal areas, measures to manage visitor volume at popular sites, siting of solar and other renewable energy with attention to agrivoltaic opportunities, expansion of multimodal paths (including a proposed coastal path), and potential shuttle systems to move visitors along the North Shore.

Growth boundary and specific parcels: Kranz told the committee that the future land use map largely remains the same as the 2011 plan except for a notching of the community growth boundary to accommodate the Mill Camp project in Wailua. Committee members pressed staff to clarify how the plan’s guidance interacts with zoning changes and the state land use process. Kranz said adjustments to the district boundary for the Haleiwa Backyards parcel previously required a district boundary amendment through the State Land Use Commission before any change of zoning could be considered.

Timeline and next steps: DPP said staff will collect and incorporate public comments through Nov. 14, prepare a draft final to return to the neighborhood board in January, seek Planning Commission review in late winter or early spring, and—if the review path proceeds as expected—forward a recommendation to the City Council by early summer. Kranz also said staff is considering extending the statutory review interval from five to 10 years because of the time required to prepare these plans.

Council concerns and implementation: Multiple council members raised implementation and specificity concerns. Questions included how the plan will direct which city-controlled facilities could be managed like Hanauma Bay to limit visitor impacts, whether the plan should explicitly address wind energy siting for areas where residents have raised concerns, how proposed Kamehameha Highway realignments and any Dillingham Airfield improvements would align with state Department of Transportation plans, and how to prioritize a small number of implementable projects so the plan results in action rather than remaining aspirational. One councilmember asked for clearer guidance on where housing should be prioritized so future parcel- by-parcel debates are reduced.

Staffing and capacity: Kranz introduced DPP’s new hires (Dina Wong as division chief; planners Makai Morisato, Alazaz, Devon Banks and Elliot Filinski were named) and said the department remains short of senior planner positions. He told the committee that the update has benefited from consultant support and that implementation will rely on coordination with other city and state agencies, and on identifying funding and partners for action items.

Public comment: One registered testifier, Angela Melodi Young, spoke on behalf of CARES and urged more marketing and distribution support for farm businesses, saying locally grown products need stronger outlets and promotion. "Farm Business does need marketing opportunities and, you know, for a state to put its logo on the Hawaii Festival is a huge shift in the right direction to support coffee farmers," Young said.

How to participate: DPP said the public review draft and comment submission form are on the project website (northshorescp.com) and on the DPP public input tab. DPP scheduled a third community meeting for Sept. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Waialua Elementary School cafeteria and said it may host popup events in October in Sunset Beach–Pupukea. Staff reiterated that they will incorporate public comments into revisions after Nov. 14 and return a draft final to the neighborhood board in January.

No formal action: The committee’s session on Sept. 25 was an informational briefing; no motions or council votes were taken on the plan during the meeting.

The briefing record and public review draft remain available online while DPP collects comments through Nov. 14; staff said the plan will return to neighborhood and planning commission review before the Council receives a recommendation.