dirt racer
08-12-2007, 08:08 PM
Paula Akana:
Honolulu City Council's zoning committee moved a step closer to rezoning land under Hawaii Raceway Park today. That move would make it more difficult for the City to condemn the property and create a permanent home for Oahu's only car Racetrack. This story from KITV's Keoki Kerr.
Keoki Kerr:
These sights and sounds are just the memory after Hawaii Raceway Park closed in the spring of 2006. And the land was sold to a Los Angeles based company. Now it's fenced off and the Council's zoning committee gave preliminary approval to up-zone the property from Agricultural to Industrial. Increasing the land value, but making it more difficult to revive a Racetrack here.
Jeanette Grace:
Whether the property gets rezoned or not, it still leaves people racing on the streets with no alternative site to go.
Keoki Kerr:
Councilman Todd Apo who represents this area has introduced 2 different proposals calling on the City to consider condemning this land, and taking it over. So that the racetrack will have a permanent home.
Todd Apo:
If we decide that this is the right place to have a Racetrack, and that's something the City is going to do. Then it may not make sense to move this rezoning forward.
Evelyn Souza:
We would like to preserve it as a Raceway Park. Where 85% of the racers in this State, reside on this island. It's only fitting that a Raceway be here, and we have nothing.
Keoki Kerr:
But Council Zoning Chairman Rod Tam says up-zoing the land will bring the City more property tax revenue. And match the zoning of most of it's neighbors at Campbell Industrial Park.
Rod Tam:
I'm a looking at it in terms of economic development - how can we best use land so we can draw more income. And one of the concerns that we've been addressing is getting our proper share of property tax.
Keoki Kerr:
Tam says the City may not have the money to buy the land and rebuild a racetrack here.
Paula Akana:
Now supporters of reviving the racetrack say Councilman Rod Tam should recuse himself from the zoning vote. Tam proposed up-zoning that same parcel of land a year and a half ago. Before it was sold to a new owner, and while the racetrack was still operating. Racetrack enthusiasts say they're suspicious because Tam doesn't represent the area, and he didn't consult with the districts' council members before introducing that measures in the fall of 2005.
Evelyn Souza:
But now, he's the head of a committee that will rezone that same property that he wanted up-zoned from the very beginning. We think that the perceived conflict, that the perceived bias, should mandate that he (Tam) be abstaining from voting.
Keoki Kerr: (to Rod Tam)
Are you going to recuse yourself from this issue?
Rod Tam:
I don't have any personal interest at all. And a, you know, I don't see how I'm making any money off it.
Paula Akana:
Tam says he has no conflict and will continue voting on the proposal.
Rod Tam's email address is rtam@honolulu.gov
Honolulu City Council's zoning committee moved a step closer to rezoning land under Hawaii Raceway Park today. That move would make it more difficult for the City to condemn the property and create a permanent home for Oahu's only car Racetrack. This story from KITV's Keoki Kerr.
Keoki Kerr:
These sights and sounds are just the memory after Hawaii Raceway Park closed in the spring of 2006. And the land was sold to a Los Angeles based company. Now it's fenced off and the Council's zoning committee gave preliminary approval to up-zone the property from Agricultural to Industrial. Increasing the land value, but making it more difficult to revive a Racetrack here.
Jeanette Grace:
Whether the property gets rezoned or not, it still leaves people racing on the streets with no alternative site to go.
Keoki Kerr:
Councilman Todd Apo who represents this area has introduced 2 different proposals calling on the City to consider condemning this land, and taking it over. So that the racetrack will have a permanent home.
Todd Apo:
If we decide that this is the right place to have a Racetrack, and that's something the City is going to do. Then it may not make sense to move this rezoning forward.
Evelyn Souza:
We would like to preserve it as a Raceway Park. Where 85% of the racers in this State, reside on this island. It's only fitting that a Raceway be here, and we have nothing.
Keoki Kerr:
But Council Zoning Chairman Rod Tam says up-zoing the land will bring the City more property tax revenue. And match the zoning of most of it's neighbors at Campbell Industrial Park.
Rod Tam:
I'm a looking at it in terms of economic development - how can we best use land so we can draw more income. And one of the concerns that we've been addressing is getting our proper share of property tax.
Keoki Kerr:
Tam says the City may not have the money to buy the land and rebuild a racetrack here.
Paula Akana:
Now supporters of reviving the racetrack say Councilman Rod Tam should recuse himself from the zoning vote. Tam proposed up-zoning that same parcel of land a year and a half ago. Before it was sold to a new owner, and while the racetrack was still operating. Racetrack enthusiasts say they're suspicious because Tam doesn't represent the area, and he didn't consult with the districts' council members before introducing that measures in the fall of 2005.
Evelyn Souza:
But now, he's the head of a committee that will rezone that same property that he wanted up-zoned from the very beginning. We think that the perceived conflict, that the perceived bias, should mandate that he (Tam) be abstaining from voting.
Keoki Kerr: (to Rod Tam)
Are you going to recuse yourself from this issue?
Rod Tam:
I don't have any personal interest at all. And a, you know, I don't see how I'm making any money off it.
Paula Akana:
Tam says he has no conflict and will continue voting on the proposal.
Rod Tam's email address is rtam@honolulu.gov