aloha,
i am here to make comments on the proposed enforcement of
building codes….me main objection to standard building codes is that
it is one size fits all, and is geared toward consuming large amounts
of expensive materials from far away….especially today, not all are
in the same income bracket, so why only one code arrangement for
all????…this is favoring those with more money….it is wasteful and
unsustainable….
certainly commercial businesses that invite customers in might have
more strict codes, but not simple natural living folks in the
country….for thousands of years native peoples lived without codes
for their personal shelter needs, and had few if any problems related,
except perhaps for severe weather conditions in which we can be warned
to leave the area today….
if a local neighbor deems another’s house dangerous, let them then
file a complaint for an inspection….. but before that happens,
please leave us alone….the previous mayor felt this way too, why all
of the sudden a change????……is it for more development and greedy
consumer mentality to take over the island????…many of us came here
to get away from that….that is part of what makes big island hawaii
special, not a bunch more hotels and condos and rich retired people,
as most of the other islands have, and have also lost much of the
aloha spirit also….
if those more wealthy unnatural living people, who do not build their
own homes need codes for security, fine, give it to them in specially
designated areas, but give alternative simple natural people, who want
to build their own home a few options, or better yet leave them alone
unless a neighbor complains…..we are not all rich, nor do we all
wish to build expensive, ungreen unsustainable type
buildings……..this code thing in general is not green or
sustainable….get with the new greener age, before we destroy more of
nature with coding as usual….
codes, of many and various kinds, can be designed to prevent
unsanitary or dangerous conditions….this can easily be done with
alternative code arrangements, for those who prefer simple alternative
living close to nature….we have all seen dangerous and unsanitary
situations in codes houses too…..
much of the mainland type coding is overbuilt for hawaii, we do not
have heavy snows on roofs as some mainlanders do, yet the standard
codes do not account for such things…we do not need double, triple
wall construction for cold weather, since we are living in the
tropics….one size fits code systems are not practical or economical
or sustainable…we are in a difficult economic period, this code
mentality is not economical….let those who want to go by a code
system do it, and give others an alternative instead of one size fits
all…one size fits all is very unfair….we do not wish to be coded
clones living in a system that pollutes the earth and is
unsustainable…some of us wish to demonstrate an alternative more
sustainable living system….we should be honored, not
harrassed…..we build beautiful unique structures if left alone, in
harmony with the earth and landscape….
some people are content to live a simple low income life…we are
content to live close to nature in more natural shelters or houses
built with materials gotten more locally and from the land or
recycled….we are not commercial enterprises or store
fronts……there is no injured party if our house falls apart over
time, except the house owner, so why not leave us alone, and/or only
consider inspections for these type people only if some neighbor
complains….even code houses can cause injury in extreme weather….
if given alternative code systems, hawaii could be a better greener
more sustainable example than the mainland usa, by showing examples of
more economical, simple, natural, housing….there are a few places
on the mainland who already allow this type thing, where they have
petitioned the local government for more choices in codes, rather than
one size fits all….why can’t we do that here????….
we alternative building people are valuable to the government, but the
government it seems is controlled by the more wealthy competitive
folks it seems, who have little respect for nature, and rather have
a keep up with the jones’s mentality…this mentality is destroying
nature….please consider giving some of us greener folks, simpler
living folks options, so we can demonstrate a better
example….especially in the tropics, where housing is less critical
or important….
i came to hawaii to get away from traditional codes, and have never
been injured in any building i ever built in me life, and i have built
many….i love creating low cost, creative, beautiful, simple,
natural, sustainable buildings more in harmony with nature….standard
codes take this freedom away…..please leave me alone to live simple
with nature….i will not pollute or become unsanitary or build
dangerous buildings….mahalo and aloha,
w greenwald, land owner
and house builder in hawaii…..
