Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting issued a stop work order and notice of violation to the owners of 1532 Hanai Loop in Kalihi.
The so-called "monster home" has 14 bedrooms and has seen community criticism since its establishment in 2017. Within the last year, neighbors and lawmakers have brought forward complaints about there being an excessive amount of people living in the building.
DPP issued a building permit to the owners in March 2022. Upon review of the plans, the department found owners Junqin Chen and Maonana Wang submitted incorrect information to DPP — including the floor area ratio (FAR) that exceeded the allowed threshold under the city's monster homes ordinance.
According to DPP, the FAR is significant in determining the applicable restrictions under the law. DPP personnel also found the project exceeded the number of permitted bathrooms and doesn't provide sufficient side yards or parking.
The project was approved by third-party reviewer Jimmy Wu.
"Monster homes are unacceptable in our residentially zoned neighborhoods," said Dawn Takeuchi Apuna, DPP director. "Those who think they are above the law and can exceed codified development standards will be dealt with accordingly."
City councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam and state Rep. John Mizuno released a statement on Tuesday announcing their support to revoke the permit.
"Today is a great day as we successfully shut down a monster home being constructed in violation of the rules and regulations under the law," Mizuno said in the statement.
This is the fourth monster home project to have its building permit revoked by DPP for submitting incorrect plans. According to the department, systems have been implemented to catch potential monster homes during the code review process since last summer.
However, the Hanai Loop project "may have slipped through the net," they said.
The owners of the property now have the right to appeal the department's decision to the city's Building Board of Appeals.
