Kauai County, HI Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)

Article 14 of the Kaua'i County Code establishes the Kaua'i Historic Preservation Review Commission (KHPRC) to protect, preserve and promote the historic resources of the County of Kaua'i, including goals in General Plan Chapter 7 on Historic, Archeological and Cultural Resources and in Hawai'i Revised Statutes Chapter 6E. "Historic resource" or "historic site" is defined in Sec. 8-1.5 as any property, area, place, district, building, structure, site, neighborhood, scenic viewplane or other object listed on the National or State Register or having special historical, cultural, architectural or aesthetic value to the County. A "Monument" is separately defined as a commemorating freestanding structure supported by an internal framework or integrated into landscaping.

The KHPRC has nine members: eight appointed by the Mayor and Council under Charter Sec. 23.02(B)(2), with disciplines including architecture, archaeology, history, planning and Hawaiian culture, plus a ninth member chosen by those eight. Members serve staggered three-year terms after the initial appointments, capped at two successive terms, and receive no compensation beyond expense reimbursement. The Commission must meet at least quarterly and hold public hearings under HRS Chapter 91.

Under Sec. 8-14.3, KHPRC's powers are advisory: it adopts criteria for identifying historic resources, maintains a countywide inventory per Sec. 7-3.7 of the General Plan, recommends National Register nominations to the State Historic Preservation officer, administers the Local Certified Government federal assistance program, and assists the Planning Commission in developing standards for uses proposed within historic districts. Funding comes primarily from the annual Federal Historic Preservation Grant; if that grant program ends, the Council may repeal the KHPRC and this Article unless substitute funds are secured.