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Thanks for the clarification that apparently the mobile homes are not illegal, only trailer parks. But we don't see many mobile homes used for housing in Hawaii. Is there something else going on?
Inability to affordably get them to the islands? (One speaker in the clip cites the Jones Act's impact on shipping costs). Something preventing mobile home sellers from setting up shop in Hawaii? (Or building them locally.) County zoning restrictions on what type of lot they can be placed on? And what construction modifications mobile homes might need to be legal here?
Special interests who want to ban something often find it wise to use round-about methods to achieve their goal.
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Special interests who want to ban something
Probably more than one special interest at work here: an RV evades the permitting process, licensed contractors, and property taxation, all at the same time.
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Trailer parks probably aren't technically illegal, either, merely not codified as such in the HCC. Structurally, it's either "multiple dwelling units on a single property" (which can be allowed) or "a subdivision of very small lots" (possibly allowed with a variance).
At one time, developers were creating "condominiums" consisting of multiple detatched houses on a single lot, I think the rules have been tightened up since then.
Nobody wants an "unsightly" trailer park, but the rustic unpermittedness of rural Puna is totally ok...
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I forget exactly where I read it, but mobile homes and mobile home parks are now legal in Hawaii County. I'd guess Chapter 25 of the Hawaii Revised Statues, but I could be wrong. It's been about a year since I saw it.
You can also build a 320 square foot (check that number before actually using it, my memory may be faulty, but somewhere around that number) 'efficiency dwelling' for the folks who want to build a small house.
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson
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Perhaps "mobile homes" is a red herring -- focus should be on the more general question "will County relax their land-use regulations in favor of residents who need a new homestead".
Answer to that is probably "no" -- the rights of the contractor's lobby are far more important than a some random citizen who "merely" lost their home and land.
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There are at least a thousand unbuilt lots just in HPP. Anything further south has been threatened of being cut off 3 times in the last decade
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at least a thousand unbuilt lots just in HPP
Are these lots for sale? Will County "work with" people displaced by lava, or run the standard "one issue per inspection" process for a year or three?
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a thousand unbuilt lots just in HPP
...
Are these lots for sale?
Right now there are 124 vacant lots in HPP listed for sale with realtors. Plus some by owner.
https://www.alohaliving.com/search/search/?idxid=HawaiiInformationService&island=3®ion=Puna&subdivision=Hawaiian+Paradise+Park&form=LND&tenure
Portion of Hawaii’s drinking water that comes from underground wells : 9/10
Gallons of raw sewage that leak into the ground from Hawaii cesspools each day : 53,000,000 - Harper's Index
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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The local yurt builder lives in a stick built house as well as a yurt, Terracore, and has a wonderful yurt office/showroom on the highway. I'll never understand why people think there is some rule that a person who loves yurts can't love other structures as well and live in whatever the heck they decide to live in. But thanks for that snark.
To answer the great question about winds: Out yurts are rated for up to 120 mph. In hurricane Iselle we didn't have any problems in over 200 of our yurts on island at the time. The editor of Ke Ola Magazine was living in one of our yurts and was wrapping up that month's issue when Iselle hit. She was so impressed with how it handled that she wrote about in her letter from the editor that issue. To quote her exactly, "I'm here to say, YURTS WORK!". They surely do <3
Melissa Fletcher
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"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
Melissa Fletcher
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"Make yurts, not war" Bill Coperthwaite, 1973
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At last PCDP meeting Planning said that Dept of Motor Vehicles would not allow mobile homes.
