Leadership needed to turn TOD into reality

Even as construction of the rail transit guideway lurches from one problem to the next, city officials remain optimistic about their plans for development around the completed rail transit stations — the much-touted “transit-oriented development” (TOD) model that would direct future growth along the rail line.

The city is beginning to put some meat on the bones of that model. On Wednesday, the Planning Commission recommended that the City Council approve zoning changes for the Waipahu and West Loch stations, and to amend the Land Use Ordinance to create a TOD Special District, with revised guidelines and standards for developing areas around all the rail stations.

In general, the city’s aspirations are good ones, and similar to those of other municipalities with TOD zones.

The area immediately surrounding a rail transit station would be filled with mixed-use development that creates a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood: retail shops, restaurants and similar businesses at street level, oriented to face public spaces; increased density and relaxed height and setback limits to allow more amenities, including more affordable housing; more bicycle parking; reducing the required number of parking spaces for cars, and moving them away from sidewalks and building fronts.

In other words, a place where you can get a lot done without needing a car.

This “live, work and play” concept, like many development concepts, makes sense on paper. Developers presumably would be attracted to zoning that expands the types of allowable uses in TOD zones while relaxing some restrictions and cutting red tape. Nonetheless, the Council should review the proposals with an eye on ensuring they can succeed in the real world.

The primary purpose of the city’s TOD plans is to drive urban growth around the rail stations, so more people have better transit options and Oahu’s agricultural and conservation lands can remain protected from development. TOD also represents a golden opportunity to reverse Oahu’s woeful lack of affordable housing, and should be a primary goal of city planners.

But plans are one thing, and the practical application is another.

A useful 2004 study of TOD zones by the Transportation Research Board, which included 10 case studies from around the country, found numerous stumbling blocks to implementing them, including the lack of community support, lack of government leadership, and a lack of a common-sense approach to development.

“Having someone step up as the political champion of a TOD proposal is critical to marshaling resources, building a coalition, and resolving disputes that invariably crop up along the way,” the report said.

Such leadership will be necessary as TOD plans are developed station by station, neighborhood by neighborhood. It’s pretty obvious that suspicion of real estate developers and their plans to transform the islands has become more pronounced recently. Some area residents raised concerns over the city’s Waipahu/West Loch TOD plans, fearful of increased congestion and mainland-style projects that don’t match the neighborhood.

TOD zones must also make business sense to developers, who may need incentives to make their investment worthwhile.

“Red tape, institutional bickering, and multiple levels of review are sometimes enough to frighten away the hardiest of developers from station locations,” the report said.

It also noted that in interviews with developers, it became clear that “initiatives that expedite the review process, clarify the ‘rules of the game,’ and minimize uncertainties are of paramount importance to building TODs.”

The city’s proposed rules for TOD development attempt to address many of these concerns.

It will be up to the Council to make sure the reality of TODs will match the vision.