Vegetable farming in Ewa will yield to a residential community on the scale of Mililani or Hawaii Kai under an estimated $4.6 billion plan called Ho‘opili approved Friday by the state Land Use Commission.
The commission voted 8-1 to urbanize 1,554 acres for 11,750 homes, commercial buildings, schools and parks planned by the local Schuler Division of Texas-based developer D.R. Horton.
The vote followed an approval Thursday of the 5,000-home Koa Ridge project in Central Oahu planned by developer Castle & Cooke Homes.
Ho‘opili, however, was more contentious, and in some ways represents a more dramatic change to the balance between agriculture and urban development on Oahu because of the project’s size and the exceptional farming attributes of the site regarded as the last big piece of Oahu’s "golden triangle" of agriculture.
Horton officials touted Ho‘opili as the last component for fulfilling the more than 40-year-old vision to create a secondary urban center in the greater Kapolei region that includes the City of Kapolei, Ko Olina Resort & Marina, the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, the Salvation Army Kroc Center and thousands of homes.
"Obviously we’re excited," said Cameron Nekota, a vice president with the development firm. "From our company’s perspective we’re happy and grateful for the Land Use Commission’s decision."
Ho‘opili opponents — primarily community group Friends of Makakilo, the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter and state Sen. Clayton Hee — felt that a growing recognition and need to increase Hawaii’s food security was sacrificed to big-business interests.
Eric Seitz, an attorney representing Hee, vowed to appeal the commission’s approval in court. Kioni Dudley, head of Friends of Makakilo, said he would join in. The Sierra Club has yet to make an official decision but is prepared for an appeal.
To proceed with development, Horton needs a zoning change from the City Council and other permits, which if obtained without delays could enable construction to begin by the end of next year with delivery of initial homes in 2014. Full build-out is projected to take 20 years.
The commission’s vote capped a regulatory saga that began in 2009 but was halted by Horton because it didn’t break the project into phases. Then after two years, the developer introduced a redesigned project that included "urban farms" on 16 percent of the property, including 159 acres for commercial farms, 84 acres for home gardens and eight acres for community gardens.
Commission hearings resumed in October and attracted testimony from hundreds of people, including the general public, expert witnesses and even past governors.
On Friday, 23 more people spent two hours telling commissioners why they should approve or reject Ho‘opili, trying to make last-minute impressions. Of those, 13 were in favor of the project, and 10 were against it.
Jason Espero, an Ewa Beach resident since 1989, said he wants to see Ho‘opili built because it will give him an opportunity to own a home, perhaps work in the community, attend UH-West Oahu and ride the city’s planned rail system that is slated to make two stops on the Ho‘opili site.
Glenn Oamilda, president of the Ewa Beach Community Association, said Ho‘opili will degrade traffic in the area and hurt food security.
Much of Horton’s public support has come from construction industry workers and representatives, or companies and organizations that have financially benefited from business or support from the developer. But Ho‘opili also garnered endorsements from three area neighborhood boards and the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.
The city Department of Planning and Permitting supports Ho‘opili because the site is within the city’s urban growth boundary set decades ago to direct growth within the boundary while preserving farmland outside it.
The state Department of Transportation, Office of Planning and Department of Agriculture also support the project.
Some commissioners said their decision was incredibly difficult, though it largely boiled down to placing value on housing and economic growth versus locally produced food and farming.
The only no vote came from commissioner Jaye Napua Makua. She expressed concerns over traffic but mainly said she wasn’t convinced by Horton experts and state Department of Agriculture Chairman Russell Kokubun that there is plenty of viable farmland elsewhere on Oahu to shift food production from the Ho‘opili site.
Commissioner Tom Contrades disagreed. "There is plenty of land (for farming)," he said.
Several commissioners expressed serious concerns over traffic and the effectiveness of mitigation measures planned by Horton and the state Transportation Department. But on balance they felt the need for more housing — including many entry-level homes — outweighed the displacement of farming on the site mostly by Aloun Farms.
"There’s definitely a need for new homes, and new affordable homes," said commissioner Lisa Judge.
Dudley and other opponents repeatedly pointed to city statistics indicating there are 35,000 or more homes permitted for development on Oahu. But other testifiers said most of those homes either won’t be built or won’t be for primary housing.
Commissioner Chad McDonald said the development-or-preservation balance tipped to development for him in part because city planners long ago decided urban development should fill out the greater Kapolei region, which includes the Ho‘opili site. "I believe we need to stay committed to the vision of the second city of Kapolei … this vision that includes Ho‘opili."
