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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Hawaii bed-and-breakfast bill rejected

Advertiser Staff

The Honolulu City Council today shot down a bill that would have allowed the permitting of new bed-and-breakfast operations.

The bill failed to pass after only four council members voted in favor. Six votes were needed to approve the measure.
Members Ikaika Anderson, Todd Apo, Nestor Garcia and Rod Tam voted for the measure. Members Donovan Dela Cruz, Charles Djou, Ann Kobayashi and Gary Okino were opposed.
Councilman Romy Cachola is out of state and was absent from the vote.
The measure would have allowed for up to 1,250 new B&B permits islandwide, no more than a third of them in any council district.
Only owner-occupants would have been eligible to apply for a special use permit, which would have allowed up to three B&B units with a maximum of two guests per unit.
Forty people testified in favor of the bill, 30 against.
Supporters said B&Bs provide a necessary service for the community, help bring business into an area, and allow a source of income for homeowners trying to stay financially afloat.
Opponents, however, say B&Bs disrupt the fabric of neighborhoods, take away from the existing housing inventory and compete with mainstream hotels and resorts.