Urban Renewal

HRS div. 1, tit. 6, ch. 53, pt. II

in effect

HRS §53-51 Urban renewal projects

53-51. Urban renewal projects In addition to its authority under any other section of this chapter, a redevelopment agency may plan and undertake urban renewal projects within urban areas. As used in this chapter, an urban renewal project may include undertakings and activities for the elimination (and for the prevention of the development or spread) of slums, or other blighted, or deteriorated, or deteriorating areas and may involve any work or undertaking for the purpose constituting a redevelopment project or any rehabilitation or conservation work or a program of code enforcement, or any combination of such undertaking or work. For this purpose, "rehabilitation or conservation work" may include (1) carrying out plans for a program of voluntary or compulsory repair and rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements; (2) acquisition of real property and demolition, removal, or rehabilitation of buildings and improvements thereon where necessary to eliminate unhealthful, unsanitary, or unsafe conditions, lessen density, reduce traffic hazards, eliminate obsolete or other uses detrimental to the public welfare, or to otherwise remove or prevent the spread of blight or deterioration, or to provide land for needed public facilities; (3) installation, construction, or reconstruction of streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds, and other improvements necessary for carrying out the objectives of the urban renewal project; and (4) the disposition, for uses in accordance with the objectives of the urban renewal project of any property or part thereof acquired in the area of the project; provided that the disposition shall be in the manner prescribed in this chapter for the disposition of property in a redevelopment project area under part I. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-51; am L 1965, c 101, §1(m); HRS §53-51]

HRS §53-52 Urban renewal plan

53-52. Urban renewal plan Any urban renewal project undertaken pursuant to section 53-51 shall be undertaken in accordance with an urban renewal plan for the area of the project. As used in this chapter, an "urban renewal plan" means a plan, as it exists from time to time, for an urban renewal project, which plan (1) shall conform to the master plan for the county as a whole; or if there is no master plan for the county as a whole, then to the master plan for the urban area as a whole of which the urban renewal project area constitutes a part; and (2) shall be sufficiently complete to indicate such land acquisition, demolition, and removal of structures, redevelopment, improvements, and rehabilitation as may be proposed to be carried out in the area of the urban renewal project, zoning and planning changes, if any, land uses, maximum densities, building requirements, and the plan's relationship to definite local objectives respecting appropriate land uses; improved traffic, public transportation, public utilities, recreational and community facilities, and other public improvements. An urban renewal plan shall be prepared and approved pursuant to the same procedure as provided in this chapter with respect to a redevelopment plan, except as specifically provided in this part. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-52; HRS §53-52]

HRS §53-53 Powers with respect to urban renewal

53-53. Powers with respect to urban renewal A redevelopment agency shall have all the powers necessary or convenient to undertake and carry out all urban renewal plans and urban renewal projects, including the authority to acquire and dispose of property, to issue bonds and other obligations, to borrow and accept grants from the federal government or any other source, and to exercise the other powers which this chapter confers on an agency with respect to redevelopment projects. For the purposes of this part in connection with the planning and undertaking of any urban renewal plan or urban renewal project, the agency, the county, and all public and private officers, agencies, and bodies shall have all the rights, powers, privileges, and immunities which they have with respect to a redevelopment plan or redevelopment project, in the same manner as though all of the provisions of part I of this chapter applicable to a redevelopment plan or redevelopment project were therein expressly made applicable to an urban renewal plan or urban renewal project; and for such purposes as used in part I and in this part elsewhere than in this section, except where the context clearly indicates such meaning to be inappropriate or as otherwise expressly provided in this section: (1) The word "redevelopment" (elsewhere than in section 53-1) means "urban renewal"; (2) The word "slum" and the word "blighted" (elsewhere than in section 53-1) mean "blighted, deteriorated, or deteriorating"; provided (A) that nothing in this part shall be deemed to change the meaning of the terms "local redevelopment agency" or "agency," or the corporate name of any local redevelopment agency; and (B) that the finding by the council that the project area is a blighted area prescribed by section 53-6 shall not be required. In addition to the surveys and plans which an agency otherwise may make, an agency may make (1) plans for carrying out a program of voluntary repair and rehabilitation of buildings and improvements, and (2) plans for the enforcement of laws, codes, and regulations relating to the use of land and the use and occupancy of buildings and improvements, and to the compulsory repair, rehabilitation, demolition, or removal of buildings and improvements. The agency may develop, test, and report methods and techniques, and carry out demonstrations and other activities, for the prevention and the elimination of slums and other urban blight. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-53; HRS §53-53; am L 1999, c 18, §2]

HRS §53-54 Assistance to urban renewal by counties and other public bodies

53-54. Assistance to urban renewal by counties and other public bodies Any county or other public body may (without limiting any provision in section 53-53) do any and all things necessary to aid and cooperate in the planning and undertaking of an urban renewal project in the area in which the county or public body is authorized to act, including the furnishing of such financial and other assistance as the county or public body is authorized by this chapter to furnish for or in connection with a redevelopment plan or redevelopment project. A redevelopment agency may delegate to a county or other public body any of the powers or functions of the agency with respect to the planning or undertaking of an urban renewal project in the area in which the county or public body is authorized to act, and the county or public body may carry out or perform such powers or functions for the agency. Any public body may enter into agreements (which may extend over any period, notwithstanding any provision or rule of law to the contrary) with any other public body or bodies respecting action to be taken pursuant to any of the powers granted by this part, including the furnishing of funds or other assistance in connection with an urban renewal plan or urban renewal project. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-54; HRS §53-54]

HRS §53-55 Urban redevelopment coordinator, office created

53-55. Urban redevelopment coordinator, office created In any county which shall, by resolution adopted in the manner required by law for an ordinance, announce its intention to devise and adopt a "workable program" for urban renewal, pursuant to this chapter, the county may by ordinance create the office of urban renewal coordinator. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-55; HRS §53-55]

HRS §53-56 Workable program, definition

53-56. Workable program, definition "Workable program" means a program (including an official plan of action, as it exists from time to time for effectively dealing with the problem of urban slums and other blighted, deteriorated, or deteriorating areas within the community and for the establishment and preservation of a well-planned community with well-organized residential neighborhoods of decent homes and suitable living environment for adequate family life) for utilizing appropriate private and public resources to eliminate, and prevent the development or spread of, slums and other urban blight and deterioration, to encourage needed urban rehabilitation, to provide for the redevelopment of slum or other blighted, or deteriorated, or deteriorating areas or to undertake such of these activities or other feasible activities as may be suitably employed to achieve the objectives of the program. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-56; HRS §53-56]

HRS §53-57 Coordinator, appointment, term, removal

53-57. Coordinator, appointment, term, removal The urban renewal coordinator, hereinafter called the "coordinator" shall be appointed by the mayor of the county, with the approval of the council for a term of four years, at a salary fixed by ordinance but not less than the lowest compensation paid any of the county cabinet officers provided for by the Honolulu Charter, in the case of the city and county of Honolulu, or by section 62-1, in the case of any other county. The office of coordinator shall not be subject to any law relating to civil service or classification. The coordinator shall be removed only for cause by the mayor of the county with the approval of the council, after a hearing at which the coordinator shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to be heard. Note Section 62-1 referred to in text is repealed. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-57; HRS §53-57; gen ch 1985]

HRS §53-59 Coordinator, duties and powers

53-59. Coordinator, duties and powers The coordinator shall among other things: (1) Prepare and submit to the council data and recommendations necessary or proper to enable the council to adopt a workable program best calculated to meet the requirements of this chapter and the needs of the county in relation to the workable program. (2) Prepare and submit to the council from time to time additional data and recommendations for improving and rendering more effective and efficient the workable program and its operation. (3) Consult with any department, board, commission, agency, entity, or officer of the State or any political subdivision thereof, or of the government of the United States, and with any other persons, firms, corporations, or private entities which might be affected by the workable program, or might contribute to the successful operation of the same, and make recommendations to the council and to them for coordinating their functions and operations to the extent feasible in order to integrate all related activities into a unified program best calculated to achieve the objectives of urban renewal as set forth in this chapter and in the laws of the United States relating to urban renewal. (4) Perform such functions and activities as may be necessary or proper for coordinating the activities or carrying out the workable program as adopted or amended from time to time by the council, and perform such other related functions and activities as may be granted or authorized to be delegated to the coordinator by the council pursuant to this chapter. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the council may grant to the coordinator duties and powers concurrent with those of other county departments, boards, commissions, agencies, or officers, necessary or proper, in the judgment of the council, to enable the coordinator to achieve the most effective coordination of the activities in the operation of the workable program; but nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to impair or reduce the authority or jurisdiction of any existing department, board, commission, agency, or officer. [L 1955, c 271, pt of §1; RL 1955, §143-59; am L 1959, c 226, §2; am L 1961, c 112, §3; HRS §53-59; gen ch 1985]

Source: Hawaii State Legislature (capitol.hawaii.gov), via Internet Archive capturesURL: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol02_Ch0046-0115/HRS0053/HRS_0053-.htmFetched: 11/10/2026