Ho’opili farming acreage satisfies state

Opponents of the proposed Ho’opili project in Ewa questioned city and state officials about their support of the plan for 11,750 homes on 1,554 acres of prime farmland Thursday during a Land Use Commission hearing.

The most pointed challenge involved a suggestion that state Department of Agriculture Director Russell Kokubun — a former farmer and state legislator who is a longtime advocate for agriculture — is a hypocrite for supporting the project proposed by the local Schuler Division of Texas-based developer D.R. Horton.

Eric Seitz, an attorney representing project opponent Sen. Clayton Hee, asked how Kokubun’s historical support for farming squared with an endorsement of Ho’opili he submitted to the state Office of Planning in July.

"I don’t think I’m being inconsistent," Kokubun said after explaining that he believes a commitment by Horton to integrate 251 acres of farming at Ho’opili, along with state efforts to expand land suitable for farming elsewhere on Oahu, can offset what is lost to development.

"How about hypocritical?" Seitz pressed.

That question drew an objection from Office of Planning attorney Bryan Yee, which cut the tension.

The exchange was another display of the high level of contentiousness over the Ho’opili plan, an estimated $4.6 billion project that would provide jobs and housing closely connected with the city’s planned rail line but at the expense of increased traffic and the loss of some of Oahu’s most productive farmland.

Hearings before the LUC on Ho’opili resumed in October after a failed attempt by Horton to obtain commission approval to urbanize the site in 2009. Besides Hee, community group Friends of Makakilo and the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter are contesting the project before the LUC.

On Thursday city Department of Planning and Permitting officials told commissioners that development of the Ho’opili site has long been part of city urban growth plans intended to prevent development of farmland elsewhere on Oahu. A Board of Water Supply representative also testified that available water exists to supply Ho’opili’s needs.

City officials have consistently supported Ho’opili. But the state Department of Agriculture refused in 2009 to endorse the project, and said that if the LUC was inclined to urbanize the site, then Horton should obtain an easement protecting about 1,400 acres of prime farmland elsewhere on Oahu in perpetuity.

In May, Schuler revised its plan to retain 251 acres within Ho’opili for farming, including 159 acres for commercial farms, 84 acres of home gardens and eight acres of community gardens.

Presently, Aloun Farms grows primarily food crops on most of the Ho’opili site once planted in sugar cane.

Kokubun, who was appointed about a year ago by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to lead the Agriculture Department, told the LUC on Thursday that the urban farming plan is intriguing and that he obtained a written commitment from Horton to ensure that the commercial farm component is on viable land made available at an affordable price.

He suggested that the commission could make Horton’s delivery on its commitment a condition of approving Ho’opili to help ensure farming continues on the site.

Kokubun also told commissioners that his department is working to make about 2,300 acres available for farming, including 400 acres in Kunia being acquired from another state agency, 150 acres in Kunia provided by another developer for an agriculture park and 1,725 acres near Wahiawa being bought from the Galbraith Estate.

The 2,300 acres need water infrastructure to make them viable for farming, but Kokubun said his department intends to provide that.

Kokubun added that the additional land isn’t needed immediately because Horton will phase out farming on the Ho’opili site gradually. According to the developer’s plan, the roughly 1,550 acres farmed would be reduced to 1,300 acres in 2015, to 700 acres in 2020 and then to 250 acres at full build-out in 2030.

The Ho’opili hearing is scheduled to continue on Jan. 19 and 20.