Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority adopts amendments to Kakaʻako Mauka area rules

The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority voted 8–0, with one member excused, on Nov. 6, 2025, to adopt amendments to Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules Chapter 15-217 covering the Kakaʻako Mauka area.

The vote came during a decision-making public hearing convened at 9:00 a.m. in the American Brewery Building boardroom in Honolulu and simultaneously on Zoom. Ryan Tam, director of planning and development, told the authority the presentation and the Kapakai analysis were included in board packets and he had nothing further to add to the materials presented the previous day. The authority noted it had received three written testimonies (all comments only) and that no members of the public provided oral testimony at the hearing.

Board members were asked if they were prepared to deliberate on the proposed amendments, which were described as subject to minor technical, non‑substantive corrections and to addressing comments from the Attorney General and the Legislative Reference Bureau. Member Evans moved to adopt the amendments; the motion was seconded and brought to a roll-call vote. The recorded tally was eight ayes, zero nays, one excused, and no abstentions; the chair declared the motion passed.

During deliberations a board member said that, after reviewing the presentation and the prior hearing, they were comfortable moving forward with the amendments and suggested the authority’s strategic plan could consider longer-term alignment with transit-oriented development if conditions change. The authority did not identify any additional conditions or amendments during the vote.

The chair closed the hearing at 9:10 a.m. and thanked staff and board members for their attendance. The adopted amendments will be subject to any technical edits and to the normal administrative processes required following rule adoption.