Scaled-back tower plans welcome

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Nov 23, 2012

~~<p>A proposal to build a 650-foot residential tower in Kakaako, far above all other buildings in urban Honolulu, triggered public opposition and has prompted both bidders to offer 400-foot alternatives to blend with the tallest nearby buildings. That's a reassuringly significant step, and the competing developers should press toward making many of the units affordable to working-class people with medium incomes.</p>
<p>When the Hawaii Community Development Authority announced the lofty plans for 690 Pohukaina a year ago, The Outdoor Circle condemned them as "an unwelcome, unnecessary infringement upon the viewpoint of hundreds of thousands of people."</p>
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A proposal to build a 650-foot residential tower in Kakaako, far above all other buildings in urban Honolulu, triggered public opposition and has prompted both bidders to offer 400-foot alternatives to blend with the tallest nearby buildings. That's a reassuringly significant step, and the competing developers should press toward making many of the units affordable to working-class people with medium incomes.

When the Hawaii Community Development Authority announced the lofty plans for 690 Pohukaina a year ago, The Outdoor Circle condemned them as "an unwelcome, unnecessary infringement upon the viewpoint of hundreds of thousands of people." Login for more...