The Honolulu City Council has approved a resolution asking the city to get to the bottom of noxious sewer odors in Kakaako.
Wednesday’s resolution comes after the Hawaii Community Development Authority approved a slew of new developments for the urban district this year, including a controversial 46-story tower at 801 South St.
Community opposition to the building proposals mounted as residents grew more concerned about how the new high-rises will affect infrastructure.
Council members want the city to come up with short-term solutions to the sewer issues by the end of January and long-term solutions by the end of March.
Hawaii residents who testified in favor of the resolution asked why it has taken so long for the city to take action.
One testifier named Richard Baker criticized the resolution as paying lip service to the community’s concerns.
“This resolution could have been written by the development lobby,” he said, saying that the latest version has been watered down from the initial draft.
Click here to read the full resolution.
Many Kakaako residents fear how new projects like this tower at 801 South St. will affect the area’s already-faulty sewer infrastructure. (PF Bentley/Civil Beat)
Check out Civil Beat’s most recent coverage of Kakaako issues:
Hawaii Development Agency Approves Kakaako Tower Over Protests
Kakaako Rising: Is This Community Development?
The Big Stink in Kakaako Won’t Go Away Soon
Why Hasn’t Hawaii Gov Filled Development Agency Seats?— Anita Hofschneider
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