State’s new land developer to call Round 2 of public meetings

A state corporation formed to raise revenue through public land development will be going through a second round of statewide hearings about its proposed rules after being blasted by critics in the first round.

The state Public Land Development Corp. board voted Thursday to take the rules to public hearings again, despite calls from environmentalists and native Hawaiians to eliminate the agency.

Officials say they want to consider changes to the proposed rules.

The public hearings will probably occur in mid-November, according to a PLDC official.

The 2011 law that created the PLDC exempts projects it approves from all statutes, ordinances, charter provisions and rules of any government agency related to land use.

But PLDC Executive Director Lloyd Hara­gu­chi said his agency would cooperate with other government entities, which would provide "checks and balances" for the projects.

"This is a partnership and we will work with them," he said.

Sherman Wong, an official with the General Contractors Association of Hawaii, said his group supported the PLDC’s rule-making process.

"We see the need for more effective land utilization," he said.

Robert Harris, Sierra Club Hawaii executive director, said the agency lacks rules to prevent it from taking up projects that could cause substantial harm to the environment and cultural resources.

State Office of Hawaiian Affairs official Joce­lyn Doane said the PLDC needs to be specific in its rules about how it is going to protect cultural resources and native lands.

Doane said some Native Hawaiians have expressed fears at public hearings that the agency has too much power. "This is something very emotionally charged," she said.