Building Permit Frustration on Craigslist

[Mangosteen]

https://honolulu.craigslist.org/big/grd/...74722.html

Poor guy. Feel sorry for him.

Farm Dwelling. I assume there is already a home on the property and he wants to add another. Is it really that difficult to add a "Farm Dwelling" to your property?

[kalakoa]

"Farm Dwelling" usually means you did something to confuse/irritate the Building Official.

Ag includes "primary dwelling by right", which is how we ended up with this "faux residential" problem.

[Hotzcatz]

Yes, it is that difficult to add a farm dwelling to an agriculturally zoned property that already has a residence on it. He would have to prove enough farm income that a farm worker is necessary. He'd probably have better luck going for an ohana permit. But he doesn't give enough details to have any idea of what could be the actual snag.

Building without a permit, which used to be very common if not actually the 'norm' in most of Puna, has now become a thing of the past, IMHO. I mean, it can still be done, but now it's much more likely that the unpermitted building will be turned in. I've also heard they're starting to use satellite imagery (i.e. Google Maps, except I think they use a different program) to locate illegal structures.

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"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales."
Kurt Wilson

[kalakoa]

they're starting to use satellite imagery (i.e. Google Maps, except I think they use a different program) to locate illegal structures

Pictometry. It can correlate multiple aerial photos to determine height.

They're more than happy to tax "illegal" structures instead of actually enforcing.

[Seeb]

If there is already a permitted house on the land, you can have detached bedrooms ( no kitchen) last I knew

[Mangosteen]

There is an Ohana permit?

[Rob Tucker]

I was pressing Council member O'hara about getting Ohana Dwelling Units allowed for AG zoning. She told me it was already done.

Someone check it out and confirm.

[Midnight Rambler]

Ohana dwellings are allowed in ag zoning, but not in the agricultural district, which nearly all ag-zoned lots (including Puna) are in. I got berated by someone at the planning department for asking for an ohana permit and citing the law ("What? You think I don't know my own job? You think you know better than me?"), though naturally without them actually explaining the contradiction between those two sections.

[kalakoa]

allowed in ag zoning, but not in the agricultural district

Zoning is County; District is State. County can only Zone within what State has declared for the District. (Which is to say ... County has very little land-use authority.)

[Midnight Rambler]

The boundaries of the district is set by the state, but the rules for it are set by the county. It was changed several years ago which is why there are so many lots in Puna with multiple permitted houses. Here's the relevant County Code, Section 25-6-30:

Ohana dwellings shall be permitted on a building site within the [county] RS, RA, FA and A districts; provided
that:
(a) The building site is a legal lot of record as determined by the director;
(b) Any building site which is within the State land use agricultural district shall be subject to agricultural
requirements for farm dwellings