IBC 2006 (pending)

The International Building Code (IBC) 2006 is working its way through the City Council.

Significant changes between the 2003 and 2006 International Building Codes (IBC) include:

• Providing new inspection requirements for construction in flood zones.
• Amending the I-I and 1-2 Adult Residential Care Facilities definition.
• Permitting unvented attics.
• Defining wind-borne debris regions.
• The amendment to the Adult Residential Care Facilities definition was proposed to be consistent with the State’s licensing definition as it relates to the Building Code.
• Safe-rooms are not a requirement but there are standards for it in the 2006 IBC.

The latest amendments CD2 have yet to be posted on the City website. You can see the previous CD1 proposed local amendments here.

Per Tim Hiu, Acting Bldg Division Chief, although not official adopted, the Dept of Planning & Permitting is currently allowing permits to be issued under the amended 2006 IBC. The local amendments will make the IBC 2006 less restrictive in determining the wind load requirements.

You can view the IBC 2006 online FREE. But it's piecemeal and does not include the local amendments.

Energy Hog Buildings (not just your car)

Video from the Rocky Mountain Institute on the potential role of architecture and design, linking our ecological and financial future.



More videos from the RMI, including Amory Lovin's TEDx Talk.

Cost of Water Rising in the USA

http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2012/world/the-price-of-water-2012-18-percent-rise-since-2010-7-percent-over-last-year-in-30-major-u-s-cities/

Water prices are increasing faster than inflation. Although not mentioned in this article, examination of our water bill suggests that in Honolulu, BWS does not encourage water conservation. While sewer charges are based on usage, the flat sewer service charge is such a large part of the water bill that saving water doesn't save you that much money. Instead, to incentivize water conservation, BWS might want to consider increasing the amount charged per 1,000 gals of water usage and decreasing the fixed sewer fee per dwelling unit.

Here's another article on the price of wastewater =)

ADU's in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is currently considering an ADU Ordinance.
Their planners have provided some interesting options that address the concerns that neighborhoods will be overrun by cars.

A few of the options they are considering
1) limit the number of ADU permits to 25/year
2) limit ADU eligible properties to those that are within 1/2 mile to a transit hub
3) specify min # of stalls that must be provided
4) limit occupancy to a specific # of people

It should be noted that just because the options are listed, does not mean that City Dept staff supports it. For example, verifying owner-occupancy is difficult and the inspectors have recommended that specific criteria or tests of owner-occupancy be written into the ordinance. Interestingly, another Dept Staff member objected to limiting the # of ADU permits.

One of the reports (see below) was issued June 22, 2011. It shows the thought process other cities go through when considering a 2nd unit ordinance that supports seniors, promoting sustainability and affordable housing. Salt Lake City appears to be carefully weighing their options and taking the time to gather public opinion, input from various city agencies and other programs around the world.

The report below was released more recently on May 16, 2012.It seems to be more focused on the language of a proposed ordinance and how to address concerns for parking and neighborhood character. The report also quantifies the number of residential properties that would be affected if the bill passes.That sounds like a great idea for Honolulu to do as well. However, I would add that many of the properties that could host a legal 2nd dwelling unit may already have an illegal rec room rental, so it would not be a straightforward calculation. One would want to estimate the number of illegal units.

2012.05.16_Salt Lake City_Options for ADU Ordinance

2011.06.22_Salt Lake City_Planning Commission Staff Report_ADUs

How Santa Cruz got fed funding for ADU Program

The above image is from Santa Cruz's 2002 application to the CDBG for $1M in federal funding to support implementation of their ADU Program. Passing the law is only the first step. Their plan included helping homeowners determine who is eligible, obtaining financing to build the ADU, matching homeowners with construction industry apprentices, assistance being new landlords (ie. what licenses to get, how to do a credit check), and also monitoring effectiveness of the program.

2002_Santa Cruz_Program Descrip and Applic for CDBG Grant Funding

Data.gov: Open Data Initiative

About Data.gov page states:

Data.gov is the world’s preeminent Open Data initiative. The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the United States Federal Government. Data.gov is a large-scale, distributed program involving the public, federal agencies, Open Data and civic developers, as well as several communities ranging from health, public policy and education to energy and technology. The data catalog website that put Open Data on the worldwide map, in May 2009, is undergoing a transformation into a cloud-based open data platform to deliver universal access to citizens, enablement for developers, and more effective collaboration options for government agencies.

Found some other fascinating websites.

Examples of what Cook County, IL is doing -- mapping data (mentioned in previous post) in some cases. But the integration of the data could be improved. For example, clicking on the # of violations issued does not categorize the information into types of violations, provide information on outcome or map them to a neighborhood. But it does provide a function where you can leave comments, contact the department/source of the data, or leave a comment to discuss the information.

The Cook County website is powered by Socrata.com Their page, "Maximizing the Utility of Your Data Assets" is amazing.

Access to Public Records (or the Importance of Institutional Memory and Past Precedent)

• Why is it important for gov't to keep good records (ie. Institutional Memory)? and
• How can geo-spatial organization and searchable parameters create a more transparent and democratic gov't?

While land use permit information is technically already available from the Building Dept records, it is not searchable or mapped onto GIS. In some cases, a customer would need to specify the address in order to see what permits have been approved for that property. For example, what action did the Building Department take the last time an illegal sea wall was discovered? Were variances ultimately approved or were the owners forced to retreat mauka from the shoreline? Were there mitigating circumstances? As our legal system knows, being able to identify cite precedents is important. But as the system is now, unless the specific site is known, the public is not given sufficient access to the database to search past precedent cases. It is questionable if even the City could locate the information either. 

It is well known that the urban core of Honolulu is "built-out,"[1] which makes  development especially challenging, often necessitating variances or interpretations of the zoning code, even for simple additions/alterations. However, without an historical database or un-biased Institutional Memory to serve as a resource, decisions are highly subjective. Whether true or not, the perception is that to get anything done, requires backroom-type deals heavily dependent on who-you-know, rather than being a fair, open or democratic exercise of the law of the land.

When a gov't has Institutional Memory, ordinary citizens have the ability to track past precedent and can see for themselves whether or not they are being treated fairly (ie. policies are consistently enforced and the gov't is doing what it says it will do). Thus granting public access to the database of Institutional Memory can be a form of gov't transparency. There is also greater continuity of how policies are administered.

For example, if your Variance was DENIED, you would be able to quickly and easily search the database (of Institutional Memory) to review similar cases and see the outcome of those variances. This would enable individuals to point out preferential treatment or lapses in policy: Why were the previous 4 variances approved but mine was not? 

Such a database, if mapped, would also allow the gov't to visualize patterns and relationships from the forest of data. As patterns emerge, officials would be able to forecast trends and guide urban growth. On the other hand, Institutional Memory would also allow the community to see a clearer picture of how well its officials are managing urban growth vs what those officials' claim.

Therefore, we recommend the following be added to the list of gov't documents to be made available. Its purpose will be explained shortly:

• All Land Use Permits (discretionary and ministerial): Partial list follows:
• Zoning Variances (w/ description)
• Zoning Adjustments (w/ description)
• Administrative Variances
• Conditional Use Permits (major and minor)
• Adult Residential Care Homes, etc.
• Group Living Facilities
• Meeting Facilities
• Cluster Permits
• Existing Use Permits
• Building Permits + approved plans
• Flood Elevation Certificates
• Subdivisions
• Grading Permits
• Easements
• Ohana Permits
• Nonconforming Structures
• Board of Appeals (Zoning, Building Code) Minutes and Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law
• Research Reports ordered by Inspectors as to potential Violations
• Interpretations
• Planning Commission Minutes
• Correspondence from Bldg Dept in response to various inquiries, for specific properties
• Notices of Violation (Bldg Code, Housing Code, etc)
• Notices of Order
• Permits Revoked
• Certificates of Occupancy
• Park Dedications
• Sewer Connection Applications
• Maps of Sewer Capacity (neighborhoods at near max capacity)
• Sewer Connection Applications (and outcomes)
• Certified Shoreline Survey Maps
• Building Code Product Approvals
• Inventory of Historically significant structures
• Archaeologically significant sites
• Police Crime incident reports

Integrating this information into a GIS layer and making the contents searchable (at least the permit description), will allow users a much more powerful analysis and allow greater transparency of gov't. 

As a side note: this database serves as an inventory of a community's assets and is also useful during the recovery phase of a disaster. A key question for responders is how to "build back better." Being able to visualize the cultural and social assets (ie this writer is suggesting that mapping land use permits and other information on the list above), can help administrators visualize the intangible social fabric of a community and how these cultural assets are physically distributed and possibly relate to each other. This early understanding can help jumpstart the process of rebuilding. Moreover, the same system of organizing and mapping will help a community better manage its resources in times of calm and crisis. (ie. How many large meeting facility spaces within a 3 mile radius can serve as impromptu evacuation centers? The floor area, # of stories, and type of construction might yield further clues as the the suitability of each site.)

Perhaps this new geo-spatial awareness can hep answer the following questions:  

• What areas of the island are experiencing growth (new permits issued for refurbishment or new construction permits)? Where are the most expensive construction projects occurring? 
• Which neighborhoods have the least amount of building permits issued? Are these areas more vulnerable since they have an older housing stock that might not be retrofitted with hurricane resistant tie-downs or other floodproofing measures? 
• How is the construction sector of our economy doing this year vs last, vs 3 years ago when the recession began? Based on this, what does the future look like for construction on Oahu? Where on the island are new commercial facilities being built? 
• Which neighborhoods have experienced the most foreclosures?
• What area had the highest number of revoked permits or notices of violation? These areas might be especially hurting in terms of not being able to afford an architect or licensed builders.
• Which regions are spending the most on photovoltaic panels or installing solar water heaters? 
• Have any of my neighbors submitted a flood elevation certificate? (The flood elevation relative to sea level is given on FEMA maps, but they do not tell specifically what is the flood elevation relative to the existing grade. Thus how high off the ground a structure must be elevated is unknown.)  
• An esoteric example of the usefulness of this data: Homeowner is cited by the Inspector for not having enough wood-earth separation under the house. Are there any cases where the Bldg Dept has OK'd alternatives? (ie. Is it possible to add a 6" layer of BTB in lieu of a concrete slab, which at this point, is very difficult to pour under an existing post and pier home.)  
• Another esoteric case: A wall that is required to be fire-rated was built incorrectly and does not provide the required fire-rating. What alternative solutions are available that might be more cost effective than replacing the wall? Have there been cases where an intumescent coating was approved in lieu of standard construction? What documentation was required/submitted in those cases? What conditions did the Bldg Dept impose in granting approval?

While the above information is technically already available from the Building Dept records, it is not searchable or mapped onto GIS. In some cases, a customer would need to specify the address in order to see what permits have been approved for that property. For example, what action did the Building Department take the last time an illegal sea wall was discovered? Were variances ultimately approved or were the owners forced to retreat mauka from the shoreline? Were there mitigating circumstances? As our legal system knows, being able to identify cite precedents is important. But as the system is now, unless the specific site is known, the public is not given sufficient access to the database to search past precedent cases. It is questionable if even the City could locate the information either. 

The direct benefit to city employees is that providing an elaborate database of information directly accessible by the public can reduce the volume of phone calls and provide an interactive database where customers can be directed to conduct their own self-paced, self-help research. With added wiki features and bulletin board style features, users might engage to help each other, further reducing direct contact between irate citizens and city administrators.

In such a regulatory  environment, not only do development and construction costs increase due to the unpredictability of how zoning laws will be interpreted, but improvements to land use policy can be difficult because data on the location, condition, and exemptions granted to existing improvements, which are extremely usefully in shaping policy decisions, are not readily available.

Such a database can be integrated into the other apps and database management software available so that this information isn't a dead end or useful only to planners or policy makers.
 
I eagerly look forward to seeing more of CityCamp's efforts to make Honolulu's government more transparent, efficient and user friendly.







Institutional Memory also serves as a reference, a trail of past precedent clues that might explain why we have the laws that we have today.


[post last revised Jan 17, 2012]

Hawaii Planning Study 2011 shows future of Building Activity in Honolulu

As posted on HHFDC website, here are just highlights of my favorite parts:

 This chart suggests that construction and Building Permit activity will remain at recession levels until 2020 -- that seems to be the year the blue and red bar climb over the horizontal gray line (2,000 housing units) threshold. 

So if you're in the construction industry, buckle your seat belts or look for a 2nd job (not in the same industry). Or go back to school and don't graduate until 2020.

Graph at left shows price resiliency of Honolulu market as compared to other major metropolitan areas. Particularly evident in recent years preceding the Great Recession, Honolulu real estate prices went up quickly but did not correct or revert to the mean, as other markets did. 

One explanation for this is that the Honolulu market is over-regulated and therefore suffers from a more severe supply-demand imbalance where the  demand for housing in Honolulu far exceeds supply. Simply put, we need more housing.

Rent Controls needed in Honolulu?

According to the HHFDC website, a person earning 100% of the median income in Honolulu would pay $1,428/month for a studio. I think the HHFDC affordable rent amounts are probably close to if not higher than market prices; therefore i wonder whether affordability controls on Accessory Dwellings would be needed in Honolulu.

The table further states: 

*Please note that are market rents may be lower than these rent  guidelines.
**Monthly rent levels would include the cost of the following utilities: water, sanitary sewage services, electricity and gas (where applicable). Please refer to the Utility Allowance Schedule for each island.

Santa Cruz County vs City of Santa Cruz

OK so this might have been obvious to some of you, but apparently the City of Santa Cruz is not the same as the County of Santa Cruz.

Both allow Accessory Dwelling Units, but they have slightly different requirements.