Churches, clubs and other organizations seeking to lease meeting places would have an easier time in industrial neighborhoods under a bill that has moved out of the City Council Zoning Committee.

Present law says an industrial-zoned property can be leased as meeting facility only if there isn't another meeting facility 1,000 feet or less away. The space can also only be leased as a meeting facility if it has been actively marketed for sale or lease at least three months in advance for industrial use.

City officials placed such restrictions into the city Land Use Ordinance in the 1990s to ensure industrial areas weren't inundated by churches and other community groups in search of industrial-priced leases at the expense of industrial businesses.

Now some council members want to ease the restriction. Councilman Gary Okino said he pushed for the legislation after church leaders in the community expressed concern that they are having difficulty finding leasable space they can afford in nonindustrial areas.

Both the 1,000-feet separation and three-month vacancy restrictions would be lifted from neighborhoods zoned for light industrial use under the version of Bill 61-09. Those restrictions, however, would remain in place for intensive industrial neighborhoods, as recommended by the Department of Planning and Permitting.

"We should preserve our heavy industrial areas," said David Tanoue, the city's director of planning and permitting. On the other hand, he said, light industrial areas may be a better fit for meeting facilities.

Okino, who had wanted the restrictions lifted from both light and heavy industrial areas, said he was amenable to DPP's request to keep the restrictions for heavy industrial.

The five O'ahu neighborhoods zoned for light industrial are in Pearl City, Waipahu, Royal Kunia, Hale'iwa and Kahalu'u.

More intensive industrial districts include Campbell Industrial Park, and the old quarries in Wai'anae and on the Windward side.

The Department of Planning and Permitting said there are only 11 meeting facilities on industrial properties. DPP staff said they expect that number to increase if the bill passes.

Bill 61-09 now goes back to the full council for the second of three approvals.