City Council passes sit-lie ban for Kapalama, Iwilei

KAPALAMA (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Honolulu City Council on Wednesday passed a bill banning sitting and lying on sidewalks in parts of Kapalama and Iwilei.

In Kalihi, the zone would span between parts of North King Street and Dillingham Boulevard as well as Waiakamilo Road and Kohou Street.

In Iwilei, the zone includes segments of four roads off Nimitz Highway.

The law bans people from sitting or camping on certain sidewalks in front of businesses.

Getting to this point hasn't been easy. In 2015, Mayor Kirk Caldwell vetoed a bill that would expand the city's sit-lie law into parts of Iwilei and Kapalama, citing legal concerns. But after a revision to the bill that would keep the enforcement zone in industrial and commercial areas rather than residential areas, he said he now supports it.

Caldwell is expected to sign the bill by mid-May.

It's estimated that close to 140 people live in the combined encampments. Outreach workers say they're trying to move campers into shelters and prevent the encampments from moving into other neighborhoods.

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