Waikïkï Special District Amendments 2010 Initiative

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Thomasina Smith
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1 Waikïkï Special District Amendments 2010 Initiative Eliminate the Resort Commercial Precinct and merge it with the Resort Mixed Use Precinct Merger of the two precincts conforms to the intent of the Waikïkï Master Plan (1992) and Land Use Map in Primary Urban Center Development Plan (adopted 2004) The present Resort Commercial Precinct does not accurately reflect actual land use, since several apartment buildings and hotels are located in this Precinct (see Figure 1) and are rendered nonconforming as a result. Furthermore, the development standards for this Precinct do not realistically match market potential. The allowable floor area is higher than for the Resort Mixed Use Precinct, especially when floor area bonuses for public open space and arcades are applied. However, these bonus incentives are rarely used because the Resort Commercial Precinct allows only office and retail commercial uses. There is insufficient demand for retail use above the second floor or for office space to develop the additional floor area allowed by the bonuses. There is therefore little incentive to provide public open space or arcades in new developments. On the other hand, these floor area bonuses would be more responsive to market conditions in the Resort Mixed Use Precinct, where added floor area could be used for the development of hotel, timeshare, and dwelling units above the second floor. Instead of offering a floor area bonus, however, the Resort Mixed Use Precinct takes a requirements-based approach by establishing an allowable floor area ratio based on lot size and requiring that a lot provide a minimum percentage of open space, although not necessarily public Revise Figure (Precinct Map) to show all areas designated Resort in the Primary Urban Center Development Plan as Resort Mixed Use Precinct. Remove references to Planned Development-Commercial (PD-C) projects in Section (d). Repeal references to development standards for the two precincts in Sections & 7 and Table and replace with the following standards for a merged Resort Mixed Use Precinct: - Minimum lot area, lot width and yards remain unchanged, - Maximum density (w/out bonus) = 1.0 FAR, with same provision that one-half of adjoining right-of-way may be counted as lot area. - Floor area bonuses, to a maximum of 3.5 FAR: o 5 sq ft floor area:per1 sq ft public open space, inclusive of required yards o 3 sq ft floor area:per1 sq ft of arcade or landscaped open space at ground level, exclusive of required yards, o 1 sq ft floor area per 1 sq ft of rooftop landscaped area - Transitional height setback remains unchanged - Maximum building height per zoning map (Exhibit ), except that

2 open space. The misalignment of allowable uses and development standards for these two precincts can be eliminated by merging them into a single precinct (see Figure 2.) To encourage the public amenities of public open space and arcades, the base floor area ratio (FAR) should be lower than in the present Resort Commercial Precinct so that developers will have sufficient incentive to use the floor area bonus. additional height may be allowed if the increased height does not adversely impact existing views of Diamond Head and the ocean from the vantage point of Punchbowl Lookout. Provide incentives for the redevelopmen t or major improvement of properties within the Apartment Precinct The 1992 Waikïkï Master Plan (WMP) documented properties throughout the district that were susceptible to change, using as a primary indicator a low building value-to-land value ratio. The WMP then identified sites (see Figure 3) where there were opportunities for significant redevelopment that could transform Waikiki in a positive way if guided by sound urban design principles. Several of these sites were located in the Apartment Precinct. Since 1992, several new development projects have been built, but most are located in the Resort Commercial or Resort Mixed Use Precinct. The two most significant of these projects Waikïkï Beach Walk and Grand Waikikian were developed under the Planned Development (PD) provisions that were adopted as an amendment to the Waikïkï Special District in Without the PD provisions, it is very unlikely that this scale of property reinvestment and renewal would have occurred. PD would be a useful tool to encourage property reinvestment in the Apartment Precinct, as well. Many of the properties in the Apartment Precinct are developed as residential condominiums, so they unlikely to be redeveloped, but the PD provision may provide an incentive for Add provisions for Planned Development-Apartment (PD-A) projects in Section (d), with the following standards for maximum floor area ratio (FAR): Maximum project floor area shall not exceed an FAR of 3.0, except: 1. If the existing FAR is greater than 3.0, an increase in maximum density by up to 20 percent may be allowed, not to exceed If the existing FAR is greater than 4.0, then the existing maximum density may be the maximum density.

3 the improvement of some properties that are current developed with non-conforming hotels or rental apartment buildings that exceed present Apartment Precinct floor area ratio standards. Expand the mixed use provisions in the Apartment Precinct The Apartment Precinct limits allowable floor area to a sliding-scale ratio based on lot size and requires that 50 percent of the lot be in open space. The standards are more restrictive than those of the Resort Mixed Use Precinct. The restrictions are greatest on small lots -- i.e., less than 10,000 sq. ft. -- which represent approximately 31% of all lots in the Apartment Precinct. The rationale for the basing the floor area ratio on lot size is to encourage the assembly of small properties in order to create larger development sites. However, this strategy has been generally ineffective in Waikiki and elsewhere in apartment-zoned areas of urban Honolulu because small lot owners tend to hold on their properties for a variety of reasons. Reducing the minimum open space requirement and the floor area ratio restriction on small lots would give these small property owners greater incentive to invest in improvements, Furthermore, it would provide a variety of housing types in Waikiki, by retaining small, low-rise buildings to complement the high-rise apartments that are prevalent on the larger lots. A subset of the Apartment Precinct -- the Apartment Mixed Use Sub-precinct -- was created in 1994 largely to recognize existing nonconforming commercial uses along the mauka frontages of Kuhio Avenue and Ala Moana Boulevard, A significant concentration of nonconforming use at the Eaton Square development in the Hobron Lane area was omitted from this new Amend Table (B) by adjusting the sliding scale for floor area ratios and the minimum open space requirements, as follows: Lot Area (sq. ft.) FAR calculation Less than 20,000 FAR=( x lot area) ,000 or more FAR= 1.9 Minimum open space % of lot FAR less than FAR 1.0 to FAR 1.26 to FAR greater than % Either expand or replace the AMX Subprecinct as follows: - Alternative 1: Amend the map in Exhibit to expand AMX to the street frontages described in the column to the left.. - Alternative 2: Remove references to AMX in Section ,

4 Sub-precinct, but it should be included because of its size and the services that the commercial uses provide to the high-density apartment neighborhood. It would also be extend this Subprecinct to along additional street frontages to encourage a more active presence along streets (Lewers, Nahua and Ala Moana Boulevard) that serve as links between the center of Waikïkï and popular destinations e.g., Ala Moana Center and Ala Wai Canal. (See Figure 2.) Exhibit , and Table (A) and add provisions to allow the limited AMX commercial uses along the street frontages described in the column to the left. Eliminate off-street parking requirements for retail establishmen ts and eating establishmen ts for small properties The Waikïkï Livable Communities Project (2003), as well as previous parking demand and use studies in Waikïkï, found that hotels and businesses in the district have substantial amounts of off-street parking that is idle for much of the time. Retail and eating establishments do not need additional parking supply to accommodate customers, most who are walk-in. Instead, they need better, more coordinated management of both the off-street and on-street spaces that are already available. Amendments to the Waikïkï Special District in December 2003 eliminated the off-street parking requirement for all uses on the ground and basement levels. However, there are many small lots -- less than 10,000 sq. ft. in area -- that contain two- or even three-story buildings with commercial uses on the upper floors, as well. It is very difficult to provide off-street parking on these small lots or to find parking spaces to acquire within the required 400-ft distance to satisfy LUO parking requirements. The slight impact these upper floor uses on small properties have on parking demand is disproportionate to the hardship on these property owners and their tenants. Relieve these properties from off- Amend Section by exempting commercial uses on lots less than 10,000 sq. ft. in area from offstreet parking requirements.

5 street parking requirements would further the stated objective in Section (l) to emphasize a pedestrian orientation in Waikiki and the design controls in Section to minimize curb cuts (driveways) and parking facilities along street frontages. Present WSD design controls for uses in required front yards allow outdoor dining areas that are adjacent and accessory to an indoor eating establishment and vending carts for selling fresh flower leis and food and non-alcoholic beverages, subject to certain limitations. Make small additional allowances for vending carts and outdoor dining in front yards Outdoor dining areas may not exceed more than 40 percent of the required yard or have awnings that exceed 50 percent of the depth of the lot. Furthermore, the outdoor dining area is required to have a planter or hedge to define the perimeter of the dining area, whereas an attractive railing could be just as effective and aesthetically pleasing, especially if other nearby landscaping is part of the ambience. These limitations are particularly discouraging for lots with smaller frontages. On the other hand, the limitation of one vending cart per zoning lot discourages this type of activity on lots that have wider frontage. Both outdoor dining and vending carts enliven the sidewalk environment and stimulate to desirable pedestrian-oriented activity. Current limitations should be relaxed a bit to encourage more of this type of use. Amend Section (a)(5) to relax coverage limitations and perimeter planter requirement for accessory outdoor dining areas, especially on lots with less than 100 feet of frontage, and to allow one vending cart per 100 feet of lot frontage or fraction thereof rather than one cart per zoning lot.

Background Report Revisions to Waikiki Special District

Background Report Revisions to Waikiki Special District - 2011 Introduction The Waikiki Special District (WSD), originally enacted as the Waikiki Special Design District in 1976, has been amended several