The Hawaiian legislature is considering a bill that would redefine what the state considers as a “historic property.”
Maui Now reports Senate Bill 15 seeks to update the definition of “historic property” by requiring the site either meets the criteria for inclusion in the Hawaii Register of Historic Places or provides cultural importance to Native Hawaiians or other ethnic groups.
The state’s current definition of “historic property” is entirely age-focused – any structure, site or district 50 years or older are covered, regardless of whether it has any significance to Hawaiian history. As a result of this broad definition the State Historic Preservation District receives between 2,400 and 2,700 permits per year because any structure built before 1975 is considered a historic property.
Hawaii’s Senate has passed the bill, which is now being considered by the state House of Representatives. Dawn Chang, chairwoman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, welcomes its passage.
“The current definition of ‘historic property’ is overly broad and does not take into consideration if a historic or cultural resource maintains sufficient integrity and significance to be identified as an ‘historic property,’” Chang said. “This bill will make a critical change to the definition of ‘historic property’ that allows a resource to be evaluated on its integrity and significance, rather than just its age. Additionally, the definition change will be similar to the definition of ‘historic property’ under federal regulations. This will allow historic preservation reviews that require compliance with both federal and state historic preservation policies to be completed in a more streamlined manner that is easier to understand and complied with.”
Photo by CoolCaesar / Wikimedia Commons
