In a move designed to keep in check the increasing number of large-scale houses on Oahu, a Honolulu City Council committee Tuesday gave preliminary approval to a temporary ban on building permits for houses with more than 3,500 square feet of living area.

The City Council Planning Committee gave its approval to Bill 110, which would impose a moratorium on the issuing of building permits for large residential structures, so-called “monster homes,” until more permanent measures can be approved. Under the latest draft, proposed by Council Planning Chairman Ikaika Anderson, such a structure would be defined as a one- or two-family detached dwelling that has a “conglomerate square footage” of 3,500 square feet or more.

Requests for exemptions during the moratorium would require Council approval and be subject to stringent requirements, including limits of one laundry room and two wet bars; additional parking; yard setback requirements; and proof that trash disposal can be adequately met.

Acting Planning Director Kathy Sokugawa told committee members that DPP has another eight months to submit to the Council a bill for permanent rules. It would likely take an additional three months for the bill to be approved by the Council, so the moratorium would likely be in place until December or next January.

Anderson told reporters after the meeting that he wants to speed up approval of the moratorium because of indications that some builders are rushing through permit applications for monster houses. Unofficial DPP numbers provided to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser showed that during a two-month period ending Dec. 23, it had received 15 applications for building permits for homes described as having eight or more bedrooms.

The full Council is expected to hold the second of three votes on the bill at its regularly scheduled meeting Jan. 31. Anderson said he’s calling for the final committee vote to take place at a special meeting on Feb. 5, and then a final full Council vote at a special meeting on Feb. 13.

Sokugawa proposed that floor-to-area ratio, or density, be used to determine which structures would fall under the moratorium, arguing that using density “would allow larger lots to have larger houses.”

The committee, however, chose to use the flat, 3,500-square-foot measurement. Anderson said that using density to define a large-scale house could be part of the Council’s later discussion for a permanent ban.

Council members are being inundated with complaints by constituents demanding that they address the rapid proliferation of monster houses. Opponents say even when built legally, many are overtaxing the sewer system, street parking and other infrastructure, and are being used to illegally house too many people, operate an illegal vacation rental or are violating other land use or building laws.

Kaimuki resident Sarah Chinen told committee members that the large-scale houses are also out of character with their neighborhoods. “A tidal wave of new cash buyers are buying older properties, putting up duplexes and then they’re somehow getting a permit or zoning and then subdividing a lot,” Chinen said. “So then they get more money. Actually, it’s a brilliant strategy but it’s criminal to our neighbor­hoods. Please stop them because once a ‘monster’ is built, it’s here to stay.”

Permits for accessory dwelling units would not be affected by the moratorium, Anderson said.