§205-2 Districting and classification of lands. (a) There shall be four major land use districts in which all lands in the State shall be placed: urban, rural, agricultural, and conservation. The land use commission shall group contiguous land areas suitable for inclusion in one of these four major districts. The commission shall set standards for determining the boundaries of each district, provided that:
In establishing the boundaries of the districts in each county, the commission shall give consideration to the master plan or general plan of the county.
(b) Urban districts shall include activities or uses as provided by ordinances or regulations of the county within which the urban district is situated.
In addition, urban districts shall include geothermal resources exploration and geothermal resources development, as defined under section 182-1, as permissible uses.
(c) Rural districts shall include activities or uses as characterized by low density residential lots of not more than one dwelling house per one-half acre, except as provided by county ordinance pursuant to section 46-4(c), in areas where "city-like" concentration of people, structures, streets, and urban level of services are absent, and where small farms are intermixed with low density residential lots except that within a subdivision, as defined in section 484-1, the commission for good cause may allow one lot of less than one-half acre, but not less than eighteen thousand five hundred square feet, or an equivalent residential density, within a rural subdivision and permit the construction of one dwelling on such lot; provided that all other dwellings in the subdivision shall have a minimum lot size of one-half acre or 21,780 square feet. Such petition for variance may be processed under the special permit procedure. These districts may include contiguous areas which are not suited to low density residential lots or small farms by reason of topography, soils, and other related characteristics. Rural districts shall also include golf courses, golf driving ranges, and golf-related facilities.
In addition to the uses listed in this subsection, rural districts shall include geothermal resources exploration and geothermal resources development, as defined under section 182-1, and construction and operation of wireless communication antenna, as defined under section 205-4.5(a)(18), as permissible uses.
(d) Agricultural districts shall include:
Agricultural districts shall not include golf courses and golf driving ranges, except as provided in section 205-4.5(d). No landfill unit, as defined in section 342H-52, shall be located on land within the agricultural district that has soil classified by the land study bureau's detailed land classification as overall (master) productivity rating class A in a county with a population greater than five hundred thousand. Agricultural districts include areas that are not used for, or that are not suited to, agricultural and ancillary activities by reason of topography, soils, and other related characteristics.
(e) Conservation districts shall include areas necessary for protecting watersheds and water sources; preserving scenic and historic areas; providing park lands, wilderness, and beach reserves; conserving indigenous or endemic plants, fish, and wildlife, including those which are threatened or endangered; preventing floods and soil erosion; forestry; open space areas whose existing openness, natural condition, or present state of use, if retained, would enhance the present or potential value of abutting or surrounding communities, or would maintain or enhance the conservation of natural or scenic resources; areas of value for recreational purposes; other related activities; and other permitted uses not detrimental to a multiple use conservation concept. Conservation districts shall also include areas for geothermal resources exploration and geothermal resources development, as defined under section 182-1. [L 1963, c 205, pt of §2; Supp, §98H-2; HRS §205-2; am L 1969, c 182, §5; am L 1975, c 193, §3; am L 1977, c 140, §1 and c 163, §1; am L 1980, c 24, §2; am L 1985, c 298, §2; am L 1987, c 82, §3; am L 1989, c 5, §2; am L 1991, c 191, §1 and c 281, §2; am L 1995, c 69, §8; am L 2005, c 205, §2; am L 2006, c 237, §3 and c 250, §1; am L 2007, c 159, §2; am L 2008, c 31, §2 and c 145, §2; am L 2011, c 217, §2; am L 2012, c 97, §6, c 113, §2, c 167, §1, and c 329, §3; am L 2014, c 55, §2; am L 2015, c 228, §2; am L 2016, c 173, §2; am L 2017, c 12, §15 and c 129, §2; am L 2018, c 49, §3; am L 2022, c 131, §2; am L 2025, c 255, §2]