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Commissioners raise transparency concerns as Office of Recovery rolls out RCD6 for Historic District Assessments
Summary
Staff briefed the Commission on Recovery Coordination Directive No. 6, which allows limited administrative approval of like‑for‑like commercial rebuild HDX applications in Historic Districts 1 and 2. Commissioners expressed concern that administrative approvals reduce public oversight and asked staff for regular reporting on RCD use; staff said 17 HDX applications remain from 2025 and committed to regular updates.
The County’s Office of Recovery directive RCD6 (Recovery Coordination Directive No. 6) — intended to speed administrative processing of qualifying like‑for‑like Historic District Assessment (HDX) applications for commercial properties in Historic Districts 1 and 2 — drew concern from members of the Cultural Resources Commission at the May 7 meeting.
Staff explained the directive was developed to address backlog and permit timeline pressures following the Lahaina fires; it allows administrative approvals for narrowly defined, like‑for‑like commercial rebuilds rather than requiring full Commission review. Vice Chair Jen Mather and other commissioners voiced concern that delegating reviews to staff reduces Commission oversight, eliminates public opportunity to comment on projects that alter the historic district and may undercut careful cultural review. Staff said that to date one HDX had been processed administratively (an ABC store) and that the Department will require applicants to meet SHPD conditions (for example, 100% archaeological inventory if requested) as part of any administrative approval. Staff also said there are 17 HDX submissions in the queue from 2025 — five previously approved by CRC, seven commercial applications still open, and four residential HDX’s — and committed to reporting administratively processed HDX decisions to the Commission and to prioritize projects where CRC review remains required.
Commissioners requested more transparency and asked staff to provide a standing update of administratively processed HDX applications and the list of pending HDX files. Several commissioners suggested recruiting additional members or pursuing changes to code or appointment processes to reduce quorum risk in the long term.
