A call to accommodate population growth with more housing won out over a desire to protect farmland Thursday, as the state Land Use Commission approved the bulk of the planned Koa Ridge community with 5,000 houses, a hospital and a commercial center in Central Oahu between Mililani and Waipio.
The commission voted 7-0 to allow an initial phase of development on 768 acres being used to grow vegetables and for ranching.
Though there was heavy opposition to the estimated $2.2 billion project from some residents, the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, state Sen. Clayton Hee and Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board Chairman Richard Poirier, many observers expected the approval because Koa Ridge developer Castle & Cooke Homes obtained a similar approval two years ago that later was invalidated in state court on a technical issue.
Bruce Barrett, executive vice president for Castle & Cooke in Hawaii, said he was pleased with the decision, which followed several public hearings that began in February and included testimony from hundreds of people.
"Balancing sound land use policies and mandates with the needs of the community for growth, housing and preservation is not an easy task, and we appreciate the thoroughness of the hearing process," Barrett said.
If county rezoning and various permits can be obtained without undue delay, Barrett estimated that construction could begin next year leading to first homes being completed in late 2014.
There is, however, the prospect that the commission’s approval might be appealed in court. The Sierra Club sued to invalidate Koa Ridge’s 2010 approval after a 6-1 vote, challenging the eligibility of one commission member to vote. The environmental group prevailed, and the approval was overturned because six votes are needed from the nine-member commission to urbanize land the state classifies for agriculture.
Eric Seitz, an attorney representing the Sierra Club and Hee, said his clients will certainly appeal the Koa Ridge decision if the commission votes to approve another controversial project called Ho‘opili in Ewa.
A vote on Ho‘opili could be made as early as today or by the end of the month.
If the commission rejects Ho‘opili, which developer D.R. Horton’s Schuler Division proposes for 11,750 homes on 1,554 acres of highly productive farmland, Seitz said his clients will still carefully consider appealing Koa Ridge.
The Sierra Club and Hee primarily challenged Koa Ridge over the loss of prime farmland they contend needs to be preserved for Hawaii to become more self-sufficient for its food supply.
Poirier and many Central Oahu residents have opposed Koa Ridge because it will add more cars to an already overloaded freeway system, particularly where H-2 merges with H-1.
Castle & Cooke’s chief argument was that the land for Koa Ridge is within the city’s urban growth boundary, outside of which lies farmland designated for protection.
To offset the displacement of farming on the Koa Ridge site primarily by Aloun Farms, Castle & Cooke committed to lease 335 acres near Wahiawa to Aloun, plus an option for an additional 333 acres. Aloun leases 446 acres at the Koa Ridge site.
Other benefits the developer touted were affordable housing, a new medical facility by the Wahiawa Hospital Association and creation of 2,500 permanent jobs.
Normand Lezy, commission chairman, said commissioners benefited from arguments made for and against Koa Ridge, and carefully weighed all input. "I believe in this instance the positives far outweigh the negatives," he said.
The city Department of Planning and Permitting supported Koa Ridge, as did the state Department of Agriculture, Office of Planning and Department of Transportation.
The commission did impose some conditions on Koa Ridge, mainly to address traffic effects.
One requirement is that Castle & Cooke complete traffic mitigation measures. One piece of mitigation, the construction of a new H-2 interchange at Pineapple Road, would have to be completed before occupancy of 1,800 homes or 328,000 square feet of commercial space.
Also, Castle & Cooke will be limited to an initial phase of 3,500 homes and commercial space known as Koa Ridge Makai on 576 acres.
A 192-acre second phase with 1,500 homes won’t be approved unless certain conditions related to access and infrastructure are satisfied.
The conditional approval of the second phase, known as Castle & Cooke Waiawa, was made because much of the infrastructure providing access and utilities to the site relies on uncertain plans for an adjacent 12,000-home project called Waiawa Ridge on land owned by Kamehameha Schools. Waiawa Ridge is partially permitted, but a development partnership led by Gentry Homes abandoned the plan in 2009.
