We did it! History has been made! 
 

Effective immediately, Bill 24, including the 600' setback and other cell tower/antenna permit requirements, has been adopted into law by unanimous vote of the Hawaii County Council! 

This is the first of its kind in the state of Hawaii! 

No other County has a protective ordinance! That means Hawaii County now requires telecom corporations to go through an application process with a sizeable list of requirements in order to obtain a permit for tower/antenna deployments.  

A huge MAHALO to all who participated - with written and oral and in-person testimony - in support of a telecom ordinance for Big Island! 

It's been a long, drawn out, process (believe it or not, we started back in 2021!) made more challenging due to unprecedented dueling Bills, fierce objections from telecom corporations, and a County process that is biased against the people. 

But you persevered, and together we did it - against all odds! 

Is the ordinance perfect? No! It can be tweaked later.  

Is it better than nothing? Yes! 

Highlights include: 

• A 600 foot setback from residences and schools
• Building plans certified by a licensed structural engineer verifying that the tower will survive winds of 100mph or more
• Documentation proving the facility cannot feasibly be co-located at an existing site 
• Documentation showing the chosen site is the least intrusive 
• Documentation of proactive efforts to notify the affected community 
• Verification of notification letters sent to all land owners and lessees within a 500 foot perimeter 
• A visual impact analysis 
• Documentation of a completed National Historic Preservation Act review 

Does the ordinance regulate 5G small cells? No! 5G is a special animal, so a separate ordinance is required for that. The work is not done! 

But for now, we celebrate an historic win for Hawaii! 🎉🎈🙌

Help us celebrate? We've been working on this ordinance for 4 years, with 3 years behind the scenes, meeting with Council members and other authorities. Please consider a donation today. Every little bit helps. We are a grassroots, all-volunteer group. Click here to help out.