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Just for clarity there is no statue for a land swap - Ruderman clarified what HRS 171.93 does.
https://www.facebook.com/senator.russell...5866769435
What the statute allows for is the Board of Land and Natural Resources to make state lands of their choosing available for purchase, lease, or lease to buy, at fair market rates in cases of natural disasters. This is not a trade out of any kind, and should not be construed or interpreted as such in any form.
As for zoning/building codes changes, I still wonder what are the pragmatic steps it takes to get such things changed? We might not all agree on a single end-point, but having a better understanding of the process would help everyone hopefully achieve something.
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I agree that we need to take action on the zoning in Hazard Zone 1. But relaxing building code standards is absolutely the wrong way to go. The County has been negligent in allowing unpermitted construction in Puna - but relaxing the codes is just another example of short term gain while increasing the risks of long term pain that the original approval of these subdivisions is now generating. Construction of substandard houses runs the risk of more massive homelessness with the next hurricane. And I think the County is in the process of demonstrating that they don't have anywhere near the shelter space to accommodate even a modest number of displaced home-owners and renters.
"Innovative" waste disposal systems - don't get me started. We've got huge and growing problems with substandard septic/cesspool systems in Puna. The idea that those 'innovative" systems won't just become waste dumps is fantasy at its worst. Everyone likes to play the "green" card when it suits them, but most will do everything they can to dodge the costs of proper, safe disposal of waste...
"Live'n the dream" is expensive - cutting corners to do it, can be more expensive still as a lot of unfortunate folks are learning right now... We're not doing anyone any favors by facilitating substandard construction in high risk environments.
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The idea that those 'innovative" systems won't just become waste dumps is fantasy at its worst.
Again: LZ1 "camping lease" with "sanitation permit". You get a yearly "safety" inspection for your car, right? But once a building is finaled, it's forever -- why is that?
Containerized micro sewage treatment plants: these would have to be maintained, and service fees charged, presto, there's oversight.
County allows (tolerates? encourages?) unpermitted construction in the vast unimproved "private" subdivisions -- what kind of waste disposal do those people have? No way to tell. Some of these residents would do the right thing if it were reasonably priced and didn't include having their "substandard" housing condemned.
Seems like most problems eventually end up at the "one size fit all". Invite the permitting process, now you need a full-blown septic system that costs more than your shack.
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Yesterday Harry Kim was asked about whether or not people would be allowed to rebuild in the impacted areas and he said for some areas it will be an individual choice, and for some areas adjacent to the rift, nobody should go back. Job was to work with the community and try to rebuild out of harm's way. Also a brief mention of what was done after the 1960 tsunami.
https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiNewsNow/v...611885479/ (~29m)
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This what "innovation" looks like:
https://3dprintedhouse.nl/en/project-inf...milestone/
ICON can 3D-print a house in less than 24 hours for under $4000. (El Salvador, of course, not the US of A.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCzS2FZoB-I
Too bad the local trade unions have decided that we're all going to use wood.
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he said for some areas it will be an individual choice, and for some areas adjacent to the rift, nobody should go back
...but nobody's proposing that the rift zone be changed to "conservation" with a prohibition on new construction...
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geochem, when was the last hurricane to cause massive homelessness in Puna? While I agree in an ideal world we should all live in super-safe homes, there are two problems with that:
- Not everyone can afford those homes, yet shouldn't be denied housing or forced into renting, further widening the gap between haves and have nots.
- The cost of such homes makes them inappropriate for lava-risk areas. Either through personal loss, rising premiums, or increased taxation, we will all bear those costs unnecessarily.
I think the nanny-state approach (mandating safety) is short-sited, in that it will create a society where most cannot afford to comply, and the rich will ultimately dismantle such protections anyway. The law should instead focus on preventing harm to others (through pollution, disturbance, sale without disclosure or safety inspection, etc).
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the nanny-state approach (mandating safety) is short-sited
Yes, but requires tort reform.
a society where most cannot afford to comply
Already have this, mostly in places with "Acres" or "Estates" in the name.
law should instead focus on preventing harm to others
All possible harm cannot be prevented. Need more "personal responsibility", not more lawyers.
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Don't think of it as "relaxing" the building codes; think of it as adapting the codes to our unique environment.
$450,000, 4000 sq ft, steel studs, modern materials, reinforced concrete slab.......That oughta stand up to a lava flow.
Modular, home power, composting toilet.......doesn't have to stand up to a lava flow.
