Views on housing, food security clash

Residents, labor union members and farmers packed a room at Kapo­lei Hale Monday night and debated whether Hoo­pili, a proposed 1,554-acre development plan by D.R. Horton-Schuler Homes, should be built on prime agricultural land between Ewa and Kapo­lei.

"We’re the only island that cannot handle if disruption" of our food supply should occur by hurricane or strike, Wai­anae farmer Ken Koike said. He implored the City Council to dig deep to find solutions to providing food for Oahu, which is the only county that lacks a plan to provide for its residents, he said.

"We cannot have bruddah fighting bruddah over essentials," he told the City Council Zoning and Planning Committee, acknowledging the heavy presence of construction labor union members wearing orange T-shirts.

Of the 1,554 acres, only 500 to 600 acres will be dedicated for residential use, said company President Bob Bruhl. Of the 11,750 homes, 70 percent would be high-end.

Of the 30 percent affordable units, or 3,525 homes, the majority will be multifamily townhouses or condominium units. Roughly 200 to 250 acres would be to develop commercial, industrial and mixed-use areas, Bruhl said.

About 200 acres will be set aside for small farms.

More testimony on the project will be taken at 9 a.m. Thursday at Hono­lulu Hale, where the committee will vote on the measure to change zoning from agricultural to allow for residential, commercial-industrial and mixed use. Bill 3 will still require another committee vote and two more approvals of the full Council.

Wynnie Hee questioned how Council members could allow development on flat, fertile farmland with plenty of sun and access to water — possibly the best agricultural land in the state.

"Do you have a conscience, or do you have a cash register that goes ka-ching?" she asked.

Alicia Maluafiti, an Ewa Beach resident, told the audience to be cautious about people who talk about food security because they don’t represent farms.

"I don’t see them testifying" at the Legislature about agricultural bills, said Malua­fiti, executive director for Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, which represents the genetically modified organism industry.

Pele Lui-Yuen, a Kapo­lei resident, said, "I’m hoping my kids get a chance to live out here. … We need the revenue."

Another man testified, "Your kids are not going to be able to afford it at $400,000 to $500,000."

Michelle Tomas said she interviewed young people who told her, "How the bleep are we going to afford something that costs so much when we can’t afford what we got now?"

She said they opposed "turning our best farmland into an upscale rich community."

Tomas brought along her grandchildren, who chimed, "We can’t eat cement."

Others like Dean Kalani Cape­louto said the area lacks the infrastructure to support this growth and said traffic would be in gridlock if this occurs.

"Traffic is already insane and enough is enough," he said.

Others maintain the project would create a livable, walkable community.