We request that Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi and the Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting halt issuing all Notice of Violations (“NOV”) for plantings and trees in the Pearl City District. During the Corona pandemic, the City has rapidly and unexpectedly processed hundreds of NOV’s. Each NOV has placed the sole financial burden of removing or permitting the existing plants on the current residents. However, many of these plants have grown in plain sight of the City for decades and most do not pose a safety risk.

The NOV’s are also inconsistent with City sustainability and planning initiatives including the Aiea Pearl City Livable Communities Plan and the Aiea Pearl City TOD Plan both of which encourage trees, plantings, and other green spaces.

The Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting is empowered by the Revised Charter of Honolulu and the City’s Standards and Procedures for Planting Street Trees to modify standards whenever existing conditions make it impractical or when the procedures conflict with the public’s interest.

We ask the Mayor and the Director to exercise this discretionary power to stop all NOV’s for plantings and actively collaborate with residents to develop a community strategy to 1) sustain public safety on sidewalks; 2) relieve the individual burden caused by the NOV; and 3) preserve the unique natural character of our Pearl City communities.