Hawaii council passes bill to slow growth of monster houses

HONOLULU: A Hawaii city council has passed a bill to restrict the size of monster houses.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported April 18 that the Honolulu City Council passed a bill by a 9-0 vote April 17 that sets maximum density for detached dwellings.

The council bill says homes cannot have a floor area ratio of 0.7, meaning a floor area greater than 70 per cent of a house lot’s size. Houses with floor area ratios greater than 0.6 would need to be owner-occupied and meet additional rules.

Monster houses often go up quickly, defy building rules and dwarf other homes in older residential neighborhoods.

Critics say they overburden parking and are used as illegal rentals or other non-conforming businesses.
The Building Industry Association of Hawaii says new regulations may create additional delays in obtaining permits. AP