In Waikiki, a polar opposite to Seaside?

On the Florida Panhandle, Robert Davis's Seaside set an important precedent three decades ago by banning tall buildings that would close off views of the Gulf of Mexico.

Honolulu accomplished something very similar in 1976, creating the Waikiki Special District, where a building could be only as tall as the open space in front of it was deep. The municipal provisions are credited with helping to prevent the famous beach from being walled off by tall buildings. 

Recently, however, the height limit has been challenged, according to The New York Times:

"Kyo-ya, which owns large swaths of Waikiki, is proposing a $700 million redevelopment of its Princess Kaiulani and Moana Surfrider hotels. The plan would include replacing an eight-story wing of the Moana Surfrider with a 26-story hotel and condo tower — at 300 feet, more than twice as tall as the 1976 rules allow.

"In August, the City Council approved the $150 million tower plan, in broad outline, which now requires a variance from the Department of Planning and Permitting. David Tanoue, director of the department, has until the middle of this month to decide whether to grant the variance. If Kyo-ya gets the required approvals, construction of the tower could begin in 2012, said the company’s executive vice president, Greg Dickhens."

"Whatever the final mix of condos and hotel rooms, critics say the building will overpower a beach that is already losing one to two feet a year to erosion."