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| This kind of container home could meet building code requirements. However, some families are now living in containers without the amenities. Photo from weburbanist.com |
BLOWING UP THE BUILDING CODE is the way Bob Herkes has described his bill in the 2012 Hawai`i Legislature to make it easier to construct houses. The measure passed the House Committee on Water, Land & Ocean Resources last Friday and now goes before more committees and public hearings.
Herkes told The Ka`u Calendar that it pains him to see people forced to live in lava tubes, vans, and shipping containers. He said that people should be able to build four walls and a roof and live in the structure. The measure, House Bill 2358, would allow counties to apply for changes in the state building code by going to a revised building code council.
Herkes told The Ka`u Calendar that it pains him to see people forced to live in lava tubes, vans, and shipping containers. He said that people should be able to build four walls and a roof and live in the structure. The measure, House Bill 2358, would allow counties to apply for changes in the state building code by going to a revised building code council.
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| This lava tube is protected in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, but some lava tubes in Ka`u have residents. Photo from USGS |
Honolulu Fire Chief Kenneth Silva, who also chairs the State Fire Council, testified that he is concerned about easing requirements that would protect residents from faulty building practices that could lead to fire hazards. He said the Hawai`i Fire Council should be represented on the Building Code Council.
The planning department on O`ahu also aired concerns, pointing out that Herkes wants the basic building code to revert to standards of the 1929 Honolulu Building Code. “The City and County of Honolulu has not used this building code for over 60 years,” testified David Tanoe, director of Planning and Permitting for the City & County of Honolulu. “If adopted, this building code would be the most backward building code of all states in this nation,” he said. He said the “outdated code goes against logic and would have serious detrimental affects on the life-safety and the economy.” Numerous testimonies have been submitted, acknowledging a need for change in the building code but also expressing concerns for safety.
A NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMMISSION is another Herkes measure within House Bill 2358. The volunteer commission would serve under the state Civil Defense Agency. The commission would consist of nine members appointed by the governor with expertise in climate, geology and other scientific disciplines to advise the Hawai`i state building code council on matters relating to natural disasters. It would conduct annual scientific evaluations to determine frequency, location and intensity of natural disasters here, determine the necessity and effectiveness of proposed amendments to the building code relating to natural disasters and would recommend changes to the state building code.
Much has been made of building designs that that ignore vog and earthquakes on the Big Island but are designed to withstand hurricanes that rarely come here and have caused no major damage.
The Structural Engineers Association of Hawai`i opposed the Herkes bill, noting that it would eliminate standards such as shower control valves to prevent scalding and energy conserving features of the building code.
The state Farm Bureau and an aquaculture alliance sent in testimony saying they want a representative from agriculture on the building code council and that it hopes for permit relief for ag buildings.
To keep up with testimony and proposed legislation, see www.capitol.hawaii.gov.
JAPANESE TOURISM to Hawai`i has been constant and growing, even after the tsunami and earthquake. Hawai`i Pacific University professor Jerry Agrusa has come up with a reason, following interviews of visitors from Japan. The reason is that life can be taken away so quickly that one must enjoy beauty while one can. Hawai`i is a place of beauty to most Japanese people. According to representatives of Pahala Plantation Cottages here in Ka`u, the visitor count from Japan is up, including weddings and plans for a halau to stay in Ka`u during the upcoming Merrie Monarch festival.
DISCOVER YOUR INNER SCIENTIST or mathematician at Na`alehu Elementary’s Math & Science Night tonight from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Na`alehu School Gym. Dive into learning with fun, educational hands-on activities for the whole family. Plant and take home your very own beanstalk, check out the world of kites and wind socks and peruse student projects. Free chili and rice dinner will be served, and free books given to attending Na`alehu Elementary students.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN PRACTITIONER Momi Subiono teaches la`au lapa`au, the traditional uses of Hawaiian plants, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.
THE KA`U RED HATTERS’ annual bake and craft sale to benefit Ka`u Hospital takes place this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. For more information, call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.
VOLCANO ART CENTER’S eighth annual Love the Arts benefit gala is this Saturday, Feb. 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Participants will be transported to Venice, Italy, through food, artwork and installations by some of Hawai`i’s most gifted artisans. Tickets are available at VAC Gallery, the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village, and online at www.volcanolovethearts.org. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.
The planning department on O`ahu also aired concerns, pointing out that Herkes wants the basic building code to revert to standards of the 1929 Honolulu Building Code. “The City and County of Honolulu has not used this building code for over 60 years,” testified David Tanoe, director of Planning and Permitting for the City & County of Honolulu. “If adopted, this building code would be the most backward building code of all states in this nation,” he said. He said the “outdated code goes against logic and would have serious detrimental affects on the life-safety and the economy.” Numerous testimonies have been submitted, acknowledging a need for change in the building code but also expressing concerns for safety.
A NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS COMMISSION is another Herkes measure within House Bill 2358. The volunteer commission would serve under the state Civil Defense Agency. The commission would consist of nine members appointed by the governor with expertise in climate, geology and other scientific disciplines to advise the Hawai`i state building code council on matters relating to natural disasters. It would conduct annual scientific evaluations to determine frequency, location and intensity of natural disasters here, determine the necessity and effectiveness of proposed amendments to the building code relating to natural disasters and would recommend changes to the state building code.
The Structural Engineers Association of Hawai`i opposed the Herkes bill, noting that it would eliminate standards such as shower control valves to prevent scalding and energy conserving features of the building code.
The state Farm Bureau and an aquaculture alliance sent in testimony saying they want a representative from agriculture on the building code council and that it hopes for permit relief for ag buildings.
To keep up with testimony and proposed legislation, see www.capitol.hawaii.gov.
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| Japanese wedding at Pahala Plantation House. Photo by Julia Neal |
DISCOVER YOUR INNER SCIENTIST or mathematician at Na`alehu Elementary’s Math & Science Night tonight from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Na`alehu School Gym. Dive into learning with fun, educational hands-on activities for the whole family. Plant and take home your very own beanstalk, check out the world of kites and wind socks and peruse student projects. Free chili and rice dinner will be served, and free books given to attending Na`alehu Elementary students.
NATIVE HAWAIIAN PRACTITIONER Momi Subiono teaches la`au lapa`au, the traditional uses of Hawaiian plants, tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the lanai of Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.
THE KA`U RED HATTERS’ annual bake and craft sale to benefit Ka`u Hospital takes place this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Punalu`u Beach Park. For more information, call Barbara Beatty at 929-9072.
VOLCANO ART CENTER’S eighth annual Love the Arts benefit gala is this Saturday, Feb. 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Participants will be transported to Venice, Italy, through food, artwork and installations by some of Hawai`i’s most gifted artisans. Tickets are available at VAC Gallery, the Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village, and online at www.volcanolovethearts.org. Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.
