4/11/21 - Bill 2822 - Amends the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO) to limit "Developed Campgrounds"
The active history of Bill 2822.
View how a Bill becomes an Ordinance.
- April 7th, 2021
At the County Council meeting held on Wednesday, April 7th, 2021 Council members Luke Evslin and Vice Chair Mason Chock introduced Bill 2822. This bill seeks to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO) to prohibit commercial “Developed Campgrounds” on land zoned Open, Agricultural or Residential. It allows commercial Developed Campgrounds on Resort or Commercial-zoned properties.
Bill 2822 unanimously passed first reading at the County Council meeting and has been referred to the Planning Commission. (County Planning Director Ka‘aina Hull was in attendance at the Council meeting and answered specific questions from the council members regarding the bill prior to the vote). It will be reviewed by the Planning Commission and there will be a public hearing. The bill will require a second reading at the County Council and then there will be a final vote. If passed, it will go to the Mayor for his signature. If Bill 2822 becomes law it will prohibit “Glamping” on the Makai Golf Course and all golf courses in Princeville.
View the Council Meeting on video. You can jump to the point where they talk about Bill 2822 starting at 1:45:00.
- July 14, 2021
Bill 2822 was discussed at a July 14, 2021 public/video conference hearing held by the Planning Commission. In a nutshell, the Commission deferred the Bill till it's September 14, 2021 meeting to decide to vote it's passage and return to the County Council for its second reading. This was after the Commission heard supportive testimony by members of the community, input from Director Hull of the Planning Department and 141 supporting submitted testimonials. View the full written summary and watch a video of the proceedings. We still believe this Bill will ultimately be passed, with some adjustments, but the basic premis of keeping Developed Camping off zoned Open Space will remain.
View an annotated version of Bill 2822 as it was sent to the Planning Department and as it was returned with modifications as well as the Planning Department's Preliminary Recommendation. (Wi-Fi recommended)
"Based on the foregoing evaluation and conclusion, it is recommended that the subject request to amend Section 8-1.5, Section 8-2.4, Section 8-4.9, Section 8-8.7, and Section 9.6 of the Kaua'i County Code (1987), as amended, be TENTATIVELY APPROVED and DEFERRED pending further analysis with community groups and government agencies."
- September 14, 2021
Bill 2822 was unanimously PASSED by the Planning Commission at their monthly meeting.
Now, what does that mean, and how does it affect our specific Princeville-related glamping issues?
- Passage of Bill 2822 by the Planning Commission does NOT immediately terminate the proposed glamping development by Starwood Capital Group. It is not yet law. It will go back to County Council for a second reading and will then make it to the Mayor’s desk.
We expect SCG will continue to pursue their glamping proposal for a special use permit on the Woods Golf Course, in hopes it will be accepted by the Planning Department and approved by the Planning Commission before the final signing of the Bill in the coming weeks.
- Passage of the Bill means the Planning Department had an opportunity to review its merits. They proposed only a few key changes. First, they proposed language to make the definitions of Developed and Undeveloped Campgrounds more clear; and second, they agreed with the Bill’s original authors, Councilmembers Chock & Evslin, that removing the section about TVRs within a VDA (as there are some in Open-zoned space now) for consideration at a later time was the best way forward. Finally, the bill also prohibits commercial developed campgrounds on commercial space; they will now only be allowed on Resort zoned land, which is appropriate.
The Planning Commission accepted the revisions from the Planning Department and voted unanimously to accept the Department’s version of Bill 2822.
- So, what does this mean to you?
Bill 2822 was designed to cover all of Kauai, not just the SCG resort expansion/glamping fiasco we are all experiencing in Princeville. There were several mentions of that by Planning Director Hull and members of the Commission in their deliberations.
We believe it should be taken as a positive step towards Kauaʻi’s recognition that adding more tourist accommodations results in more pain for the Island with more stress on all of the people and all of the infrastructure – water, sewer, roads, traffic, parking, everything. It should be a clear signal to SCG that county officials recognize and agree that the proposed glamping development is a non-starter, and we hope they will recognize that their project is ill-conceived for this Princeville community and the county at large.
What it does say is that we can be thankful that our voices have been heard, but let’s not let our guard down—we have more to do to close down any glamping development on Princeville’s Open Space.
View the full version of the oral testimonies and commission discussion posted on the (https://www.kauai.gov/Webcast-Meetings) website.
*View the recorded testimony in support of Bill 2822 starting at minute 41:30 in the full video.
*View the commission discussion & vote regarding Bill 2822 starting at hour 3:41:00 in the full video.
View the agenda for the Commission meeting.
- Passage of Bill 2822 by the Planning Commission does NOT immediately terminate the proposed glamping development by Starwood Capital Group. It is not yet law. It will go back to County Council for a second reading and will then make it to the Mayor’s desk.
- THE NEXT STEP WILL BE 2nd READING AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
We are hoping the Council will place Bill 2822 on the October 2021 agenda for it's second reading and a vote for passage of the Bill. We will update the website once we have an agenda and date.
- WHAT IS BILL 2838 AND WHY DID IT SUDDENLY APPEAR?
In a nutshell, Bill 2838 is a modified version of Bill 2822 with modifications based on feedback from the County Planning Department after they reviewed Bill 2822. We will update this entry with more details as they become available, but wanted to make the contents of Bill 2838 available.
View how a Bill becomes an Ordinance.