HONOLULU — A Hawaii task force of archeologists, lawyers and others are planning to meet to figure out how to deal with thousands of homes turning 50 years old.
HONOLULU — A Hawaii task force of archeologists, lawyers and others are planning to meet to figure out how to deal with thousands of homes turning 50 years old.
KITV reports the milestone is significant because building permits for homes older than 50 require a review from the state Historic Preservation Division.
Honolulu City Director George Atta said the state is already overwhelmed, and more problems will come as more homes age.
“We can see it coming,” Atta said.
Executive Director Kiersten Falkner of the Historic Hawaii Foundation said the state simply looks at every building that is old, not necessarily those that have historic significance.
“There are some things right now that we are reviewing that maybe we shouldn’t or we don’t have to,” said William Aila, chairman of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Some 53,000 homes turned 50 on Oahu last year.
Atta said those numbers are increasing, in neighborhoods all over Oahu including Enchanted Lake, Hawaii Kai and Millilani.
“Because they are doing it case by case one at a time instead of doing it in a systematic way, unnecessary properties get caught in his bureaucracy,” Falkner said.
Faulkner said the task force has the potential to work together rather than leaving homeowners in the middle while state and local agencies place blame on one another.