Letter: Mixed commercial zoning has its pitfalls
The City Council, in Bill 64, is considering allowing a mix of commercial and residential uses in local commercial zones. Zoning was originally created to regulate incompatible human activities, such as industrial and commercial uses and residential living. Any intrusion of nonresidential uses into residential neighborhoods, or residential into zoning districts, such as B-1 and B-2 commercial, will alter the zoning provisions originally adopted in the Honolulu zoning code and change the policy by increasing the levels of incompatibility with residential living. Examples include noise, odors, operating hours, crime, street safety, etc.
Another issue is competing land values. With an area that is zoned for both commercial and residential, the value of the land gravitates toward the higher value of commercial property since the purchaser has the option of using the property for the higher valued use. This, of course, will result in creating a higher cost to develop residential use on the property, something that will only aggravate housing costs.
Chuck Prentiss
Kailua
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