Why the county protects historic places

(a) The council finds that preservation of historic properties enhances the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the county. It is deemed essential that the qualities relating to the history and culture of the city be preserved through comprehensive historic preservation planning and administration. Implementation of HRS Chapter 6E on historic preservation, the Honolulu general plan, and the adopted Oahu development plans provide the means to perpetuate the value of various cultures of which our community is comprised. (b) It is the intent of this article to: (1) Protect and preserve historic properties and artifacts in the county and encourage, where appropriate, their special emphasis and attention to the cultural resources of the native Hawaiian people; (2) Encourage the restoration, rehabilitation, and continued functional use of historic properties; (3) Encourage the identification, preservation, maintenance, development, promotion, and enhancement of those historic properties which represent or reflect distinctive elements of cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history, and to encourage the designation of historic properties, thereby ensuring that our cultural and historic heritage will be imparted to present and future generations of residents and visitors; and (4) Formulate county-wide, comprehensive, historic preservation polices, programs, and plans.