Consider revival of Barbers Point

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, May 15, 2012

~~<p>The relocation of 2,500 Marines and their families from Japan to Hawaii is welcome for their addition to the economy, but the question is where to put them. The Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe has too little extra sleeping space to fully accommodate them. While much of the onetime Naval Air Station at Barbers Point is vacant — certainly an attractive and intriguing option — the trick is finding a way to keep the newly arrived Marines from adding to the nearby H-1 highway traffic jam on their way to Kaneohe.</p>
<p>The Barbers Point base was decommissioned and closed by the Navy in 1999 and most of the land was transferred to the state. The Navy keeps beach cabins and a golf course, and some of the airfield is inhabited by the Coast Guard and the National Guard. Enough land is empty to provide enough housing for the Marine newcomers. Some of the base has become privately owned, including housing rentals.</p>
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The relocation of 2,500 Marines and their families from Japan to Hawaii is welcome for their addition to the economy, but the question is where to put them. The Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe has too little extra sleeping space to fully accommodate them. While much of the onetime Naval Air Station at Barbers Point is vacant — certainly an attractive and intriguing option — the trick is finding a way to keep the newly arrived Marines from adding to the nearby H-1 highway traffic jam on their way to Kaneohe.

The Barbers Point base was decommissioned and closed by the Navy in 1999 and most of the land was transferred to the state. The Navy keeps beach cabins and a golf course, and some of the airfield is inhabited by the Coast Guard and the National Guard. Enough land is empty to provide enough housing for the Marine newcomers. Some of the base has become privately owned, including housing rentals. Login for more...