Honolulu pushes back on notice requirements before property is set aside as farmland

The Hawaii Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday over whether Honolulu adequately notified nearly 1,800 landowners before recommending their Oahu properties be locked into agricultural use for the foreseeable future. The city spent roughly six years mapping the land, then mailed about 1,800 notices, of which 138 came back unclaimed; a second round fared better, but the Hawaii Land Use Commission still fielded around 100 complaint calls, more than on any single matter in its history.

The commission rejected the city's 2022 recommendation, finding gaps including notices sent to only one owner on jointly held properties and landowners never informed at all. Honolulu's attorney argued the law only requires reasonable effort, not guaranteed receipt, and that zoning mistakes can be fixed 'with the click of your keyboard.' The commission's attorney countered that no formal rulemaking chance to contest the designation exists once the process moves forward, a wrinkle Justice Lisa Ginoza pressed repeatedly without getting a fully satisfying answer.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.