The Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission on Thursday will consider a bill banning the opening of paid parking lots on the island — an effort supported by the Planning Department but opposed by some business leaders.

Read more Rats, leaks and broken elevators: Repair backlog plagues federal buildings

The Hawaii County Windward Planning Commission on Thursday will consider a bill banning the opening of paid parking lots on the island — an effort supported by the Planning Department but opposed by some business leaders.

Bill 154 would prohibit new commercial parking lots and garages from operating in a long list of land zoning categories, including general, village commercial, industrial-commercial mixed, limited industrial and general industrial, as well as in the Downtown Hilo Commercial District.

This would outlaw the practice of charging fees for use of privately operated parking services, except at commercial lots opened and operating before the bill’s passage. These formerly established lots would effectively be “grandfathered” in under the law and be allowed to continue functioning and charging drivers under “nonconforming use” rules.

According to the legislation’s text, paid parking lots “contribute to additional vehicle circulation, traffic congestion and land use patterns that are inconsistent with the county’s planning objectives, including the efficient use of land for housing, agriculture and community benefit.”

It distinguishes between publicly owned paid parking facilities and private ones, stating the former are operated for public purposes, providing access to government services and supporting policy-based transportation goals, while being subject to public planning and oversight.

According to the bill, this new ordinance would not deprive property owners of “all economically beneficial use of their property, as other permitted uses remain available.”

Hawaii County Council’s Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use and Economic Development voted 6-3 on May 4 to refer the bill to the planning director and dual planning commissions for review. Hilo Councilman Dennis Onishi, Hilo Councilwoman Jenn Kagiwada and Ka‘u Councilwoman Michelle Galimba cast the three “no” votes.

Since last month’s committee vote, the Planning Department has weighed in on the proposal, offering support for its encouragement of “efficient land use patterns” and reduction of “automobile dependency.” The department also praised how the bill would limit the expansion of large paved surfaces, which would “reduce impervious surface coverage, stormwater runoff and urban heat island effects.”

However, its recommendation report did suggest two exceptions to the ban: retain commercial parking lots as a permitted use within the Downtown Hilo Commercial District, and allow lots to operate in the Resort-Hotel District with a required Use Permit.

“Downtown Hilo contains a concentration of historic structures developed prior to modern parking standards, many of which have limited opportunities to provide on-site parking due to constrained lot sizes and established development patterns,” the report said. “As a result, businesses, employees, customers and visitors often rely upon shared parking resources to support commercial activity and maintain the economic vitality of the district.”

Explaining the need to shield Resort-Hotel zoned properties from the bill’s broad reach, the department said it would prefer to retain the flexibility to consider proposed commercial parking lots in these areas on a case-by-case basis.

Read more Lionel Messi makes more World Cup history as Argentina beat Jordan

“While unique circumstances may occasionally warrant standalone commercial parking facilities, such situations are more appropriately evaluated through the Use Permit process, which allows the county to consider site-specific operational, land use, and transportation impacts,” the report said.

Some business leaders have expressed misgiving about the bill, including Ross Wilson, executive director for the Kailua Village Business Improvement District. Wilson submitted written testimony to the commission claiming the measure would turn private lot operators into a “protected class of property owners” by removing competition from new lots. This, he said, would cause parking fees to surge — contrary to the bill’s original intent.

“Anytime you restrict supply but demand stays the same or increases, prices go up because the existing paid lots would then have greater control over limited parking resources,” he said.

He also contended that without adequate spaces to accommodate customers’ cars, businesses would suffer revenue losses.

“Parking availability is not merely a convenience issue — it is an economic vitality issue,” he said. “Private parking infrastructure supports commerce in the absence of county-supplied parking.”

Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce Executive Officer Carla Kuo also submitted written testimony saying that paid lots are still better than nothing.

“While no one generally wants to pay for parking, paid parking provides an option when free parking is unavailable and creates additional parking opportunities that may not otherwise exist,” Kuo said. “For many, having the choice to pay for convenient parking is preferable to not finding parking at all.”

She said the measure would “remove opportunities to increase parking supply and further constrain an already limited resource,” which could have unintended consequences for the day-to-day lives of residents.

“This could discourage customers from visiting local businesses, hinder efforts to revitalize our town center, and create real barriers for families simply trying to attend their children’s activities, appointments, and community events,” she said.

“Rather than an outright prohibition,” she added, “we respectfully encourage a more balanced approach by identifying where commercial parking may be appropriate and what types of parking facilities could be permitted to address land use concerns while preserving flexibility to meet our community’s parking needs.”

Read more Governors reflect on U.S.-Hawaii history, look ahead

Email Stefan Verbano at [email protected].