HAR §15-23-81. Flood hazard district

(a) These standards provide building and urban design strategies that supplement the regulations presented in the city and county of Honolulu flood hazard areas ordinance (chapter 21A, revised ordinances of Honolulu), which do and shall apply in the makai area. These standards help assure that flood measures implemented are seamless with existing fabric in terms of scale, frontage, and fenestration. The standards help ensure that measures implemented do not impede pedestrian access from abutting thoroughfares. (b) Applicability. The following standards apply to all new buildings within an identified Honolulu or Federal emergency management agency flood zone that are required by code to have raised ground floors. (1) Design and location standards for the americans with disability act-compliant wheelchair access ramps within flood zones: (A) A wheelchair ramp may occupy only up to fifteen per cent of building face; (B) Wheelchair ramps and ramp handrails on all ramps greater than twenty feet in length must be placed behind street 15-23-64 3529 §15-23-81 walls or landscaping features such as hedges; (C) All buildings occupying less than one hundred twenty feet of frontage shall use internal wheelchair ramps (see Figure 7.1 (flood zone design, internal wheelchair ramp), dated November 2023, made a part of this chapter, and attached at the end of this chapter); (D) All buildings occupying more than or equal to one hundred twenty feet of frontage may use external wheelchair ramps (see Figures 7.2 and 7.3 (flood zone design), dated November 2023, made a part of this chapter, and attached at the end of this chapter); and (E) For all buildings, no wheelchair ramps are allowed in the public right-of-way or front setback, except in the following circumstances: (i) When the ramp fronts the side of a building near a corner; (ii) When the ramp is shielded from the thoroughfare or covered under an element such as an arcade (see Figure 7.4, dated November 2023, made a part of this chapter, and attached at the end of this chapter); or (iii) If the length of the ramp within the public right-of-way or front setback is less than or equal to twenty-five per cent of the width of the sidewalk. In this case, handrails are not permitted in the public right-of-way or front setback; and (2) Other design standards for flood zones: (A) Measures undertaken to avoid floods shall not result in large blank walls along the building frontage. At least seventy-five per cent of a building's frontage shall be activated with shop 15-23-65 3529 §15-23-81 front windows, seating areas, steps, landscaping, or street furniture; and (B) There shall be breaks in any flood control intervention such as raised sidewalks every thirty feet, stairways, entrances, planting features, and other elements approved by the executive director. (c) The applicable provisions of the city and county of Honolulu flood hazard areas ordinance relating to flood hazard districts shall apply to all affected activities and properties within the Kaka'ako district. [Eff 2/24/90; comp 10/10/98; comp 2/2/02; comp 12/9/02; comp 11/3/05; am and comp 11/10/98] (Auth: HRS §§206E-4, 206E-5, 206E-7) (Imp: HRS §§206E-4, 206E-5, 206E-7)