Develop OHA lands with due diligence

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Apr 02, 2012

~~<p>It was an extraordinary — nay, historic — accomplishment. A land settlement between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the state, approved by the Legislature on Friday, effectively settled Native Hawaiian claims on income from public trust lands from 1978 to 2012. To settle those claims, OHA will receive about 30 acres of Kakaako Makai land currently valued at $200 million.</p>
<p>But that's not the end of the story. The Legislature was also considering a companion proposal, Senate Bill 682, that could dramatically increase the value of those 30 acres. The bill would do so by lifting the ban on high-rise residential development on the Kakaako makai lands, allowing residential development on two parcels, designated E and I. It provides that 20 percent of the units be designated for low- or moderate-income residents. The projects would also be exempt from fees normally charged to private developers by the Hawaii Community Development Authority, which is in charge of planning and development in Kakaako.</p>
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It was an extraordinary — nay, historic — accomplishment. A land settlement between the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the state, approved by the Legislature on Friday, effectively settled Native Hawaiian claims on income from public trust lands from 1978 to 2012. To settle those claims, OHA will receive about 30 acres of Kakaako Makai land currently valued at $200 million.

But that's not the end of the story. The Legislature was also considering a companion proposal, Senate Bill 682, that could dramatically increase the value of those 30 acres. The bill would do so by lifting the ban on high-rise residential development on the Kakaako makai lands, allowing residential development on two parcels, designated E and I. It provides that 20 percent of the units be designated for low- or moderate-income residents. The projects would also be exempt from fees normally charged to private developers by the Hawaii Community Development Authority, which is in charge of planning and development in Kakaako. Login for more...