Rezoning sought for Ewa Beach resort

The developer of a planned resort in Ewa Beach is advancing its plan to shift around and expand hotel sites at the growing Hoakalei Resort.

Haseko (Hawaii) Inc. recently filed a zoning change application with the city, which is soliciting public comments on the proposed amendments.

The company wants to generally reduce industrial zoning around its 52-acre basin once envisioned for a 600-slip marina but now intended to become a recreational lagoon with no surface connection to the ocean.

Instead of marina-related uses like boat repair facilities, Haseko wants less intensive business zoning more suitable for uses like beach activity services along basin edges.

Haseko also is seeking to increase the area zoned for resort use by 8 acres from about 38 acres to 46 acres, and to split what is one resort-zoned parcel mauka of the basin into three parcels that include an 8-acre piece bordering the ocean shoreline at one end of the lagoon.

Resort zoning at Hoaka­lei allows for buildings up to 90 feet. Some areas that Haseko wants changed to resort use are zoned for business mixed use or industrial use, which have a 60-foot height limit.

Haseko is also seeking to add about 13 acres of medium-density apartment use with a 60-foot height limit.

Under existing permits, Haseko is entitled to build 950 visitor accommodation units for hotel, timeshare or condominium use as well as 4,850 residential units. The requested zoning change would not affect the number of resort or residential units Haseko can build.

Hoakalei and its neighboring Ocean Pointe residential subdivision are part of Haseko’s master-planned community originally named Ewa Marina, which started to be built in 1997.

The developer outlined its intention to seek the zoning changes in 2013 as part of an environmental impact statement published last year by the state Office of Environmental Quality Control.

The city Department of Planning and Permitting is accepting public comments on the zoning proposal. Comments received by Monday will be incorporated into a department report and recommendation, though subsequent comments will be presented to the city Planning Commission.

A copy of the zoning change application is available at honoluludpp.org/Planning/ZoneChanges.

Anyone wishing to comment may contact Tim Streitz at 768-8042 or tstreitz@honolulu.gov and is encouraged to reference file number 2015/Z-1.