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Council adopts revised Primary Urban Center plan; community urges biocultural space and warns on density
Summary
The Honolulu City Council on second reading adopted a revised Primary Urban Center development plan that directs most city growth to the Pearl City–to–Kahala corridor while public speakers urged an amendment to create a dedicated biocultural resource space in lower Aiea and warned denser development could raise wildfire and infrastructure risks.
The Honolulu City Council on second reading adopted a revised Primary Urban Center (PUC) development plan, a policy document that guides growth from Pearl City to Kahala and is intended to concentrate housing and services in the island's urban core.
Dina Wong, chief planner at the Department of Planning and Permitting, told the council that the PUC covers the most populated region on Oahu and updates the 2004 plan to add matters such as climate change and sea-level rise. "The primary urban center is, 1 of the 8 planning regions on Oahu. It is the most populated region. It runs from Pearl City to Kahala," Wong said.
Supporters of amendment language said the plan should go further than general policy and protect local ecosystems, groundwater and cultural practices. Kehaulani Lam, president of the Ipohai Hawaiian Civic Club, urged the council to insert new wording that would prioritize and fund ‘‘biocultural restoration’’ in lower Aiea — a package of actions she described as including loʻi kalo, loko iʻa (fishpond) and native planting intended to help stormwater management, reduce wildfire risk and recharge groundwater. "This biocultural space will help us to reclaim not only the area that used to be the rich loʻi kalo lands," Lam said.
Several public speakers stressed carrying capacity and public-safety risks from added density. Kelly Herther, an educator from the area, told the council she opposes the plan “as it stands” and supports adding language that would prioritize biocultural restoration as an adaptive strategy for stormwater, flooding and urban heat island mitigation. Raquel Achu, who testified on behalf of a North Shore community, said infrastructure limits — ambulance coverage, hospital access and police staffing — must be considered before adding housing capacity.
Council members said there will be further committee review. Councilmember Kia Aina, who led community outreach on the draft, and Committee Chair Cordero said they want more time to consider technical amendments and community requests before the plan advances to final readings. Chair Waters noted the measure will return to committee, giving members and departments another chance to propose edits.
Why it matters: the PUC is the principal vehicle for directing growth under the city’s broader general plan. Changes to the PUC influence where the city concentrates housing, transit investments and resilience projects; the council will weigh community requests for more explicit protections for cultural practices and natural systems in areas facing groundwater and wildfire risk.
What happens next: the revised PUC passed second reading and will return to committee for further amendment and public hearings. Council members and DPP staff said they will continue outreach with neighborhood groups and technical agencies before third reading.
