Hawai'i YIMBY

Passed & Signed Into Law!

SB 1263 - "Reducing SHPD Permitting Backlog in TOD" - was signed into law on June 3, 2025

Why Hawaiʻi YIMBY Support This Bill:

Historical review is an important process to preserve the cultural and historical importance of any given place or structure.

However, there are many TOD areas in our state that counties have identified for targeted redevelopment and more housing. In addition, many of those area have low risk of having any cultural or historical significant resources, and are already highly developed in their current state.

This bill seeks to create a process to expedite historical reviews in TOD areas with low risk of affecting historically significant resources.

Also, this bill would require a response within 90 days, or the project will be allowed to continue on to the next permitting process. There are numerous layers of permit applications and a backlog at a single department could prevent a housing project from proceeding through the permitting process, which adds an unknown variable of time. By allowing a housing project to proceed in the permitting process after 90 days, helps to keep the process moving rather than having indeterminant delay.

Bill Description:

• Amends the procedures and required information for the Department of Land and Natural Resources historic preservation review of proposed state projects, privately owned historic property, and other proposed projects that require entitlement for use.
• Establishes procedures for the review of transit-oriented development identified by the counties and Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority, or Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation. (CD1)