Bill > SCR36

This Concurrent Resolution urges the Department of Planning and Permitting, the Mayor, and the Honolulu City Council to increase public involvement before wind machines with a rated capacity of up to one hundred kilowatts are built. Currently, these smaller wind machines, unlike larger ones, only require a "minor" conditional use permit, which involves less public input than a "major" permit. The resolution advocates for treating these smaller wind machines as requiring a "major" conditional use permit, thereby mandating more thorough public hearings and preventing waivers from Hawaii's environmental impact statement law, which is designed to assess the potential environmental effects of projects. This change is proposed because the noise, shadow flicker, and flashing lights from wind machines can negatively impact nearby communities and property owners.