Advocacy
Bill 147 Moves One Step Closer to Becoming Law
The July Planning Commission recommendation, RM zoning concerns, and the next stage at Council.
Yesterday, the Leeward Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of Bill 147, including Recommendations #7 & #8, sending the bill on to the Hawaiʻi County Council for its next stage.
While this isn't the outcome I was hoping for, I appreciate the commissioners taking the time to ask thoughtful questions throughout the process. Several important clarifications were made regarding existing legal vacation rentals, hosted versus unhosted rentals, agricultural properties, healthcare worker housing, and how the proposed registration process is intended to work.
One of the biggest issues remains Recommendation #8. As I've discussed previously, this recommendation removes the long-standing RM zoning provision that has allowed condominium projects to operate short-term vacation rentals for decades. Under the proposal, that ability would be limited to properties located within resort nodes. Existing legal operators would be allowed to continue under grandfathering provisions, but the policy for future use changes significantly.
During my testimony, I encouraged the commission to recognize that this goes beyond simple "housekeeping." In my opinion, changing long-established property rights affecting more than a thousand condominium units outside the resort nodes should be viewed as a major policy decision, not merely a housekeeping amendment. Council Member Heather Kimball acknowledged that point during the discussion. The Hawaiʻi County Council will now decide whether this truly is housekeeping—or a significant change in policy
You can watch the full Planning Commission hearing here, or FORWARD TO THE 4:00. Mark for just Bill 147:
As Bill 147 now heads to the Hawaiʻi County Council, I'll continue following the process and providing updates as they occur.
Click the photo below to see the entire Recommendation presented by County Council and Planning Dept.
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More on Bill 147
I've been following Bill 147 throughout this process. If you'd like more background, here are my other articles:
- September 17, 2026: Bill 147: Why Remove Bed & Breakfasts From CN Zoning? Read the article
- September 16, 2026: Bill 147: Please Stop Calling This “Housekeeping” Read the article
- August 3, 2026: Bill 147 Update: County Schedules Public TVR Webinar Read the article
- July 17, 2026: Bill 147 Moves One Step Closer to Becoming Law Read the article
- July 1, 2026: Bill 147 Deferred Until July 16 (Hawaii County Short Term Rentals) Read the article
Also take a look at the Kona CDP Action Committee Meeting on July 14, 2026
If you haven't been following Bill 147 from the beginning, I encourage you to read my earlier article first.
Hashtags related to article:
#HawaiiCounty #Bill147 #ShortTermVacationRentals #STVR #VacationRentals #PropertyRights #HawaiiRealEstate #BigIsland #PlanningCommission #LandUse #Condominiums #RMZoning #WestHawaii #Kona #RealEstateNews
Originally published on LinkedIn. Republished here October 16, 2026.
