§6E-8 Review of effect of proposed state projects. (a) Before any agency or officer of the State or its political subdivisions commences any project which may affect historic property, aviation artifact, or a burial site, the agency or officer shall advise the department and allow the department an opportunity for review of the effect of the proposed project on historic properties, aviation artifacts, or burial sites, consistent with section 6E-43, especially those listed on the Hawaii register of historic places. The proposed project shall not be commenced, or if it has already begun, continued, until the department has given its written concurrence. If:

(1) The proposed project consists of corridors or large land areas;

(2) Access to properties is restricted; or

(3) Circumstances dictate that construction be done in stages,

the department may give its written concurrence based on a phased review of the project; provided that there shall be a programmatic agreement between the department and the project applicant that identifies each phase and the estimated timelines for each phase.

The department shall provide written concurrence or non-concurrence within ninety days after the filing of a request with the department. The agency or officer seeking to proceed with the project, or any person, may appeal the department's concurrence or non-concurrence to the Hawaii historic places review board. An agency, officer, or other person who is dissatisfied with the decision of the review board may apply to the governor, who may take action as the governor deems best in overruling or sustaining the department.

(b) The department of Hawaiian home lands, prior to any proposed project relating to lands under its jurisdiction, shall consult with the department regarding the effect of the project upon historic property or a burial site.

(c) The State, its political subdivisions, agencies, and officers shall report to the department the finding of any historic property during any project and shall cooperate with the department in the investigation, recording, preservation, and salvage of the property.

(d) The department shall adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91 to implement this section. [L 1976, c 104, pt of §2; gen ch 1985; am L 1990, c 306, §7; am L 1995, c 187, §2; am L 1996, c 13, §1 and c 97, §7; am L 2008, c 228, §2; am L 2009, c 4, §2; am L 2013, c 85, §2]

Case Notes

Where rules implementing this section and §6E-42 required that historic properties be identified in the "project area", and the broad definition of "project area" contained in the rules encompassed the entire rail project, the rules did not permit the state historic preservation division (SHPD) to concur in the rail project absent a completed archeological inventory survey (AIS) for the entire project area; because an AIS was not completed before the SHPD gave its concurrence in the project, the SHPD's concurrence in and the city's commencement of the project were improper. 128 H. 53, 283 P.3d 60 (2012).