HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0739.376 2016-2018 wowed
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Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council =,-
County of Hawaii Dm
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Bldg E
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 op --
RE: PROPOSED CHANGES AND DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO BILL 108
Dear Members of the County Council,
We want to thank you for your thoughtful consideration of short-term rental regulations in
the County of Hawaii.Allowing local residents and property owners the opportunity to
share their homes has been beneficial to local residents earning extra income,and to local
businesses and the economy. .
Comments on Bill 108
Based upon our review of Bill 108 and in particular based on feedback we received from
our hosts in the community,we want to take this opportunity to provide comments on the
current version of the proposal. We have taken the liberty of preparing draft changes to
Bill 108 consistent with the comments below. The draft markup of the bill is attached.
Opportunity to Rebuild: We have heard from many hosts who were directly or
indirectly affected by the volcanic eruption,including many residents who lost their
homes. The current bill, as drafted,would prevent residents affected by the volcano,
who may not yet be ready to rent their home or who lost their home,the ability to
list their space in the future since they could not be grandfathered in at the time of
the bill's enactment.As a result,we recommend the County provide anyone who had
a home affected by the volcano, either directly or indirectly,the ability to apply for
and receive a non-conforming use certificate (NUC) for up to a 5 year grace period
following the enactment of this legislation. It is only fair that hosts impacted by the
volcano should be given more time to recover from the disaster.
Baseline and Renewal of Future Vacation Rentals: There is a clear need for
vacation rentals in Hawaii County.They help support the local community and are
essential to accommodating visitors for important events like this weekend's
Ironman Triathlon and the Merrie Monarch festival. Although the current proposal
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grandfathers existing short-term vacation home rentals,there is no mechanism for
Hawaii County to adapt to future growth.A solution to ensure Hawaii remains
sustainable as new tourism and housing development evolves is to establish a
baseline of how many vacation rentals exists in Hawaii once all of the properties
that have applied to be grandfathered in have been approved.Then, in subsequent
years,if the number of vacation rentals dips below the baseline number,the County
will have a clear, data-driven,and equitable way to maintain a stable number of
vacation rentals. As an example,if after the law is established, and 500 rentals in
residential and ag zoning are grandfathered,if in future years 100 of those permits
expire or cease to exist for some reason,then the County can issue up to 100
additional permits,but no more.
New Vacation Rentals in Agricultural Zones: To ensure all parts of the island have
access to the benefits of short-term rentals,we strongly believe the County should
allow for new vacation rentals in agricultural zones.This proposed ban affects large
portions of the island, many of which have limited opportunities to earn other
income.
Mahalo for the opportunity to comment on this important matter.We are committed to
working with the County of Hawaii to find a balanced approach that ensures the short-term
rental regulations put forth are fair and responsive to our community and the residents of
Hawaii Island.
Sincerely,
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Matt Middlebrook
Head of Public Policy, Hawaii
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