Hibiscus Drive fire victims given building permit priority by city

The city is giving higher priority to building permit applications from property owners affected by last month’s tragedy on Hibiscus Drive.

The City Council Zoning, Planning and Housing Committee on Thursday passed Resolution 20-20, which calls on the Department of Planning and Permitting to expedite the processing of any permits submitted by the affected Diamond Head neighborhood owners.

But DPP acting Director Kathy Sokugawa told committee members that her staff already has had a meeting with many of the residents and assured them they would get priority. DPP is also speaking to other agencies involved in the building permit process about doing so, she said.

“We cannot, obviously, help them with some of the other long-lasting effects of the event, but we will be helping them with their permits and getting them back to normal, at least as far as their properties,” Sokugawa said.

On Jan. 19 two Honolulu police officers were shot and killed, a 77-year-old woman was murdered and another woman badly injured after being attacked with a garden tool by a man who lived at one of the houses on Hibiscus Drive. Jerry J. “Jarda” Hanel, whom police have identified as the killer, is also believed to have started a fire that destroyed or damaged a number of homes. Hanel’s body was found in the Hibiscus Drive home where he lived.

DPP spokesman Curtis Lum said about a dozen affected residents or their representatives met with agency officials last week at the request of the residents. They were assured that their applications would be flagged and expedited, he said.

No permit applications from those addresses along Hibiscus Drive and Diamond Head Road had been received by DPP as of Friday morning, Lum said.

Two DPP inspectors who looked at the properties in the days after the tragedy determined four of the homes to be completely destroyed and four others at least 50% damaged, he said.

Councilman Tommy Waters, who co-introduced the measure with Council Chairman Ikaika Anderson, said it’s appropriate to help those who suffered losses.

“The community really needs some help. They want to rebuild as quickly as possible,” Waters said. “I know sometimes the building process is lengthy. We’re just asking that DPP take a look at these building permits and perhaps give them a little bit of priority so that they can get back their homes and back on with their lives.”