NO to Bill 47

Please send in your concerns about the development of Ko'olau Loa. No matter where you live on O'ahu, please send in testimony.

HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL EMAILS -- just cut and paste
rmenor@honolulu.gov
belefante@honolulu.gov 
jmanahan@honolulu.gov
cafukunaga@honolulu.gov 
akobayashi@honolulu.gov 
tozawa@honolulu.gov 
ianderson@honolulu.gov 
emartin@honolulu.gov 
kmpine@honolulu.gov 

You are welcome to cut and paste my testimony and send it as your own. NO TO BILL 47!!

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Aloha City Council Members,

I am writing all of you to share my thoughts on Bill 47. I have copied in the representative and senator for my voting district so they are also aware of my concerns in relation to Bill 47. I have submitted testimony to the Ko'olauloa Board and to the City Council in previous hearings. My position has NOT changed. I am in opposition of adopting the revised Koolau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan.

There is nothing sustainable about the revised plan. With large projects already in the works in Honolulu, central and west O'ahu as planned by the Oahu General Plan, I find it very difficult to understand why there would be a need to revise the Koolau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan to include even more housing.

The argument of the HRI, BYUH, and PCC is that they need work force housing. All the work force housing they could want will be available at the Koa Ridge and the Ho'opili developments as well as all the Kakaako developments. Many people commute to work from Ko'olau Loa into town. The same could be done in reverse. I am upset that HRI, BYUH, and PCC are arguing to develop such a beautiful part of our island. They say they are the largest employers in our area but barely pay above minimum wage and have no cost of living adjustment built in to the wages. This is why many people commute to town. 

The high demand for housing also comes with a high demand for food. All of our ag zoned land in Koolau Loa should remain ag. We must promote farming and true sustainability so that we are not dependent on ships from America to bring us food.

The traffic issue has not been addressed. Kamehameha Highway from Haleiwa to Kahalu'u is a parking lot because nothing has been done to alleviate the traffic. Tour buses and tourists along with residents of the area jam the highways making it unpleasant to drive or travel along Kamehameha Highway and Envision Laie wants to build more houses. 1,000 more homes in Ko'olau Loa will come with a conservative two cars per home making our roadways clogged with 2,000 more cars.  That is a conservative estimate considering our multi-family living style in Hawai'i. If we conservatively estimate 6 people per household, that's 6,000 more people clogging the beaches, over fishing, and disrupting all the natural beauty in our area. A thousand more homes will drastically change the landscape and coastline, negatively. In the short run, one generation gets to enjoy brand new homes. In the long run, we are selling the health of our environment and our ability to teach the next generation of native Hawaiians about the food that comes from the earth and the ocean.

In 2013, I wrote a letter to Kirk Caldwell expressing my opinion on Envision Laie. What upset my about his reply is the he sides with HRI's bid to develop. His exact words, "No other entity, in recent years, has come forward in proposing affordable, workforce housing for the communities of La'ie and Kahuku, on a scale large enough to really make a difference in addressing the demand." Does this mean that anybody could come in and bull doze the land to fit their needs if they pay high enough? The letter states that there is overwhelming support for affordable housing but as I stated in the first section, what kind of affordable housing is going to be provided? More than likely it will not be a public housing development. Instead we will have homes upwards of 600k.
 
The public housing issue should also be brought up. I don't necessarily like the idea of public housing projects in Ko'olauloa but the City shouldn't rely on a private entity to do something about affordable housing. If I pay taxes the same as everyone else on the island then I should be afforded the same services as in other communities. There are income-based homes all over the island. Does the City feel that it does not need to service our area of the island because its HRI/BYUH/PCC responsibility to do so? We are basically being ignored by Kirk Caldwell because HRI is willing to do it. That is hog wash! If Adolph Hitler were alive and he wanted to develop a camp here in Ko'olauloa we should just allow him to do so? All of this just boggles my mind that Caldwell would put in writing that HRI came up with a plan and so he supports it.

The revised plan only takes into consideration what HRI /BYUH/ PCC wants to do and ignores the surrounding communities. We had a plan and submitted it. HRI circumvented the public's right to have input on revising it and submitted the revised plan. That action alone should be grounds to dismiss adopting the revised plan. The overwhelming majority are against the adoption of the revised plan.

There is a divide in this community and I will continue to be very vocal about how I feel about this proposed development. What one generation benefits from may be the undoing for the generations that follow. Ponder that because I honestly think that the story that Envision Laie is selling to its followers is not exactly the one they are planning behind closed doors. I have mentioned a couple times that I follow the money trail. Who stands to profit the most? Profit is the motivation. Anything else they sell to the public is fool's gold.

Now that I have discussed some of the reasons why I do not support it, here are a number of solutions I am proposing.

1. HOUSING: I remember in the early 80's, the Kahuku housing development was part of a USDA program. I would support a small number of homes if directed by the USDA. However, I do not support a private developer because of the obvious gentrification it will cause.

2. SUSTAINABILITY: We need to promote ag and inspire the new generation to want to raise food. What happens when we have completely paved over paradise? We will rely on food from outside sources as we do now when we have all the natural resources at our finger tips. On-island food production should match the number of people on the island. It defies logic and only takes into consideration the people wanting housing now. What do we do when inventory runs out?

NO TO BILL 47!

Mahalo Nui,


NeenaLove
Address
Address

A Three-Prong Approach to envision/INVASION La'ie

Reference Post: Envision Laie… Running Out of Inventory

In the past, I have written about Envision Laie’s plan. Links that I posted in the original entry are no longer working. There is a link to Helber Hastert & Fee Planners, they worked with the City to come up with a plan. That link is still working. The Envision Laie link still works. I will never link to them again. If you want to see what they are marketing to the citizens, you can google them yourselves. HRI’s link is still working. My reference post is a really great post. Of course, it is just my own opinion and observations on the issue of development in Ko’olauloa. It is a very thorough observation, if I do say so myself.

My position has evolved since writing that post but essentially, the issues are the same. I purposely DO NOT include any background information. Please read the Reference Post if you need background on this topic. I tend to follow “the money trail” on business transactions. When you follow who stands to gain THE MOST on “the money trail” then you see the true motivation.

With this entry, I have developed a “Three-Prong” approach to Envision Laie. The three categories from which I speak from correspond with a role that I have taken on. First, I am an “informed citizen” so when I observe Envision Laie’s plans, I do so as an informed citizen of the community. I have developed my own opinions and observations over time and with the help of real life experience. Second, I view the impending development from the perspective of my ancestors. This view MUST BE addressed. Our native Hawaiian cultural practices must not be ignored. Finally, I view this from a westerner’s perspective, that being a taxpayer and/or registered voter. Please sit back and read. Stay awhile. Press play on the video and listen while you read....

The Informed Citizen's Opinion:
I have thought through the process of development of Ko’olauloa. I cannot support Envision Laie with its mega development. It tramples much of what is so beautiful about Ko’olauloa. HRI (Hawaii Reserves Inc., a for-profit arm of the LDS Church) markets this development to its followers as an affordable-housing project. Affordable like Kam IV housing project or affordable like $600k-median- price-of-a-home in Hawai’i project? If it is similar to Kam IV then I absolutely DO NOT support it. The other option - $600k is probably well outside of the realm of affordability for the average family in Ko’olauloa.Typical gentrification. HRI wants to do this to the current residents of Ko'olauloa. They want to move in the middle class and push out the low income residents. That is an easy thing to figure out.

Aside from BYUH Faculty, HRI Executives, and a select few around Ko’olauloa, $600k is not affordable. The logical thing for HRI supporters to do is to see if they will be able to afford a mortgage that high. I don’t have a problem with HRI’s attempt to make money on this deal, praying that the City Council does not allow it, but I do have a problem with them marketing it as an affordable housing project. This would mean that they are lying to the people. It will not be affordable. No, they cannot save a house for you just because your family has lived in the Ko’olauloa area forever. None of that is happening. HRI’s loyalty is to its stock holders, its Board of Directors, and ultimately to The Presiding Bishopric of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the corporate name).

Go out and see if you can qualify for a mortgage of 600k. It is pretty difficult if you consider the median income of the average resident of Ko'olauloa. This is what gentrification does... it essentially drives out the lower income families to make room for the middle-class, without regard. BYUH faculty and VP's have housing provided to them at a very discounted price. The average blue collar worker and support staff worker at BYUH (like myself)  DOES NOT have a cost of living adjustment built in to our at-will employment. We have to face different challenges to save money for a down payment on a home. On top of that, we make less money than what is paid at sister-schools in Idaho and Provo. With the recent release of a statement by the LDS church, "disavow[ing] the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse," one has to conclude that those "theories" have trickled into all LDS organization. It seems odd that the Church releases this in 2013, 35 years after it first tried to separate itself from its racist past.... but I digress!

Anyway, I think people are sorely mistaken about their support for Envision Laie. A vast majority of the people supporting it will find themselves excluded from buying a home in La'ie and their ability to remain in the town they love.
         

The Native Hawaiian's Opinion:
My ancestry leads to the indigenous people of these islands. One of the dying practices of our culture is the respect and maintenance of the natural environment. The Hawaii Tourism Authority would have you believe that Hawai'i is only about hula and surfing but my ancestors survived time because of their careful observance of nature. Sustainability is a buzz word in recent years. Going Green is the new industry. This development that BYUH and HRI are attempting to push through is FAR FROM being green or sustainable. It is my contention that the ag land and pasture land must be preserved for the health of our entire moku. Why does HRI want to develop to match the developments in central O'ahu (where I currently reside), west O'ahu, and Kaka'ako? Why are we not adding to the island's ability to sustain itself by encouraging more pastured animals and agriculture? 

BYUH and HRI's development will drastically change the landscape and coastline, negatively. In the short run, one generation gets to enjoy brand new homes. In the long run, we are selling the health of our environment and our ability to teach the next generation of native Hawaiians about the food that comes from the earth and the ocean. I don't think its a coincidence that our culture thrived for hundreds of years BEFORE western contact. On-island food production should match the number of people on the island. Right now, we rely on ships to bring us food when we have the perfect weather to produce our own agriculture, year round. The only ones making full use of our growing season are the big chemical companies that happen to be poisoning our lands with GMO and pesticide tests... and we let them because we accept it without protest. Why would any person agree with the paving of paradise? If we follow the money trail, the people who stand to gain the most is the developer. In the development of Ko'olauloa, it would be The Presiding Bishopric of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the owner and developer of Turtle Bay. 


The Western/Tax Payer/Registered Voter Opinion:
Earlier this year, I wrote a letter to Kirk Caldwell expressing my opinion on Envision Laie. I publish the letter here so you can verify with your own eyes that I did actually receive the letter.

What upsets me about this correspondence is that he sides with HRI's bid to develop. His exact words, "No other entity, in recent years, has come forward in proposing affordable, workforce housing for the communities of La'ie and Kahuku, on a scale large enough to really make a difference in addressing the demand." Does this mean that anybody could come in and bull doze the land to fit their needs if they pay high enough? The letter states that there is overwhelming support for affordable housing but as I stated in the first section, what kind of affordable housing is going to be provided? More than likely it will not be a public housing development. Instead we will have homes upwards of 600k.

The public housing issue should also be brought up. I don't necessarily like the idea of public housing projects in Ko'olauloa but the City shouldn't rely on a private entity to do something about affordable housing. If I pay taxes the same as everyone else on the island then I should be afforded the same services as in other communities. There are income-based homes all over the island. Does the City feel that it does not need to service our area of the island because its HRI/BYUH/PCC responsibility to do so? We are basically being ignored by Kirk Caldwell because HRI is willing to do it. That is hog wash! If Adolph Hitler were alive and he wanted to develop a camp here in Ko'olauloa we should just allow him to do so? All of this just boggles my mind that Caldwell would put in writing that HRI came up with a plan and so we support it. 

How can we support such a large expansion without addressing the infrastructure?

FINAL THOUGHTS:
I am not attached to the outcome. Whatever is allowed to fruition is a reflection of the active participants in this struggle. I cling to organizations like the Defend O'ahu Coalition as I feel their values are more aligned with my own. That is sad to say considering who my employer is. I am grateful for my job and actually do enjoy what I do. And I do enjoy a good portion of my co-workers. It is still difficult for me to go to work though as my father was one of six men that was terminated in February of this year. I will leave it at that as I cannot continue to speak on it without getting very candid about the current leadership.

There is a divide in this community and I will continue to be very vocal about how I feel about this proposed development. What one generation benefits from may be the undoing for the generations that follow. Ponder that because I honestly think that the story that Envision Laie is selling to its followers is not exactly the one they are planning behind closed doors. I have mentioned a couple times that I follow the money trail. Who stands to profit the most? Profit is the motivation. Anything else they sell to the public is fool's gold. Don't believe the hype!

Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan

From the Defend Oahu Coalition website:

The draft Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP) does not reflect the needs of the majority of residents and communities of Ko'olauloa. Laie Developer HRI (the for-profit arm of the Mormon Church) circumvented public process and forced massive expansion plans for BYUH, PCC, and Malaekahana into the draft. The developer at Turtle Bay Resort also met behind closed dorrs with DPP and successfully pushed through an untimely and unsustainable expansion plan calling for 5 additional hotels and 1,000 additional condominiums. According to the KSCP's vision statement for the region (Chapter 2-1) the plan "seeks to preserve the region's rural character and its natural, cultural and scenic resources." In its current draft form, the plan will not maintain that vision.

The website has a form letter that you can send to several key people in government that are involved in the governmental processes regarding the North Shore of O'ahu's proposed expansions. The following has combined my personal opinions along with the form letter (highlighted). If you so feel inclined to question this behind-closed-doors-expansion, please go to the DOC site and submit your opinion.

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Aloha,

I am writing to respectfully ask that DPP change the draft Ko’olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan to reflect the needs of the residents of all communities in Ko’olauloa.
                     
Through an entirely transparent process, the public recommended sustainable and forward-looking changes to the existing plan, all the while remaining true to the vision for Ko’olauloa. Over 5,000 residents signed a petition to remove the massive expansion plan at Turtle Bay Resort from the Sustainable Communities Plan. The vast majority of residents recommended deleting provisions that exempted the resort from complying with current laws and conditions because the expansion is no longer consistent with the community's sustainability goals. This request to remove the Turtle Bay Resort expansion (after overwhelming community opposition and the Hawaii Supreme Court ruling on a supplemental EIS) was completely ignored by DPP. Changes also made to the draft at the departmental level (i.e. the proposed “Envision Laie” plan) were based on a development proposal not vetted through a process that was proper and transparent.  DPP should (at the very least) bring their version of the plan back out to the Public Advisory Committee for review. I also request that the City and County of Honolulu put off adoption of the Sustainable Communities Plans until the General Plan is adopted. 

I would like to address specific topics and ask that you consider them carefully:

Family Sustainability :: With the proposed expansions by Turtle Bay and HRI's Envision Laie, the Ko'olauloa Community and adjoining communities will be implants from Provo or tourists. None of the families that have existed in this community have been taken into consideration!

Housing :: Expansion of Malaekahana is ridiculous. It will use all the ag and pasture land for development of homes. The land adjacent to HRI's property belongs to a chum of Steven Wheelwright. Once HRI/BYUH gets the okay to develop Malaekahana for housing, the adjacent 450 acres will get developed. Once the initial inventory is gone, we will face this same crisis in the future. With rising cost of fuel to ship goods to Hawai'i -- we should be encouraging the development of agricultural parcels and return to small-truck farming. This will ease the cost of food to the people that exist in these islands!

JOBS:: If the ag land remains, we can develop the ag land as farms. Jobs can be created by developing farms. This is much more sustainable in the long run considering that much of the money will remain here in the islands.

TRAFFIC:: With this looming development of our beautiful ahu, there is no way this can happen without a traffic study. It is already ridiculously crowded during the day and evening. Residents of the area are held captive until after the Polynesian Cultural Center's evening show has completed; 930pm at the earliest.

Polls and surveys by HRI/BYUH are not indicative of the community at large. In fact, their results are highly skewed in their favor. Suspect!
                 
Neither the expansion plan at Turtle Bay Resort, nor “Envision Laie” fit within the confines of the Oahu General Plan, which specifies that “Ko’olauloa’s natural resources and predominately ‘country’ character should be maintained by allowing only limited development in established communities, and that agricultural lands along the Windward, North Shore, and Wai’anae coasts are to be maintained for diversified agriculture”.

No expansion of our precious community, please!

Envision Laie.... Running Out of Inventory

I've been putting off doing this post for a couple days because it takes so much energy for me to "gather" my thoughts. This is my personal opinion and not a personal attack on your opinion. Agreed? That means that I'm not criticizing your opinion so don't take it personal!


December 7th, Helbert Hastert & Fee Planners (on behalf of the City & County of Honolulu) held a meeting at Kahuku High School and opened the forum up to the public for commentary on the proposed Envision Laie expansion. I haven't put a great deal of time into researching Envision Laie specifically. I don't think a person really needs to do the in depth research to oppose it. In the opposite direction, if you did do the in depth research to find a reason to support it, I think you'd find that there's no basis for supporting it.

Let me set up what I think are pertinent facts to the ongoing controversy.

• The current plan for Ko'olau Loa (pdf document of the actual plan) does not include expansion of Malaekahana.
• Hawaii Reserves Inc. (HRI) manages property for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which means all of La'ie.
• In 2003, HRI purchased Malaekahana and began the planning process for "Envision Laie".

The current City and County of Honolulu sustainability plan for Ko'olau Loa wishes to preserve the agriculture land and preservations land. In fact, it seeks to develop agriculture rather than build houses. 

There are several guidelines that must be followed when dealing with the City and County of Honolulu and other governmental agencies. There are specific procedures in place. In the case of Envision Laie's proposed expansion of La'ie, their proposal was never a part of the City's plan. Envision Laie is seeking to extend the deadline for proposed changes to the City plan and eventually amend the City plan to include the expansion of La'ie. A good example of a well-executed City plan is Kapolei whose proposed development was many decades in the making.

The meeting held on December 7th was just one in a series of several public opinion meetings. SIDENOTE: I must say that I am grateful that my community is so passionate about the future of our ahupua'a. Every single meeting I have attended in regards to this issue has been standing-room-only. At the heart of the argument is HRI is petitioning the City to first, convert ag land into residential. Second, "permit" them to begin construction (by amending the City plan). The opposition prefers that the City maintain its current stance of preserving ag land. 

HRI and Envision Laie was very clever in that they hired a mainland marketing firm (rather than an economic development firm) to push forward their development plan. Several sources point out this fact. I think it is a valid point to consider in determining an opinion on the issues. 

Some of the points I have gathered from sitting in on several of the Envision Laie meetings are as follows:

• Proposed construction of over a thousand new homes and condo's
• Proposed new shopping center
• Expansion of BYU-HAWAII
• Full expansion of Turtle Bay that was previously struck from the City plan based on community opposition

I don't know why La'ie community members are enamored with this plan. What is attractive about more houses and more hotels? At the meeting, I was so taken aback by the community members who support Envision Laie. They did not give me one valid reason for the expansion. Many testified that they wanted this to go through for their kids. What exactly does that mean? Many said that additional housing is moving toward sustainability. Last I checked, houses can't be eaten. BYU students testified that they didn't have anywhere to live. Fluff!

I really could go on and on about this topic and maybe I will revisit it in the future. For me, HRI/ Envision Laie cares only for the interests of the LDS Church. (Yes, I am LDS and No, I don't have to follow blindly.) It is HRI's right to protect their interests. I just get all irritated with community members who have effectively been "sold" the plan without really truly thinking about how sustainable the plan is or isn't. Most supporters like the idea of "affordable" housing. A thousand homes will go very fast. Then what? What will be the next proposal? Will it still be "affordable" after the inventory is gone? How does HRI plan to impose a measure where 50% of the homes will go to community members? Isn't housing discrimination illegal?

I am just NOT SOLD on this plan and I haven't even touched on the economics of Envision Laie or the imposition of colonial practices onto the host culture of these islands. Maybe that will be another post. I just can't see the long term benefit of the development of La'ie.  

Sources:

Photo: http://apdl.kcc.hawaii.edu/~oahu/stories/koolauloa/index.htm

http://honoluludpp.org/PermitInfo/

http://www.hhf.com/

http://www.hawaiireserves.com/about_links.htm

http://kaaawa.net/