Some of Kakaako’s severest critics are noticing changes in how the Hawaii Community Development Authority is working.

In a nutshell, they say the HCDA board is working and not rubber-stamping.

Rep. Scott Saiki, the House Democratic leader who represents Kakaako, said his plans to change the makeup of the HCDA board appear to be working.

"The board members are independent. They have studied the applications, they ask questions and they deliberate," Saiki said in an interview.

"The board is meeting with interested community groups; that had not really happened before," Saiki said, explaining that in the past, while the HCDA executive director met with concerned community members, the board was not involved in the meetings.

The board and its chairman make the decisions that in the past have seen Kakaako become ground zero for the debate on urban planning, the perils of high-rise Hawaii and affordable housing in a big, dense city.

One Kakaako resident, Web Nolan, who has testified against the Kakaako district’s flurry of high-rise permits, said Saiki’s HCDA reforms are helping.

"Scott’s work to make some significant changes in HCDA turned out to be pretty awesome. And Scott was dealing with some formidable opposition," he said.

Another resident, Sharon Moriwaki, with Kakaako United, also sees a difference.

"The new HCDA is open to community input on the major issues left unaddressed by the previous board, specifically infrastructure, affordable housing, lack of new parks and open space," Moriwaki said.

Saiki doesn’t think just fresh faces will fix Kakaako’s problems, but he sees the new members giving room for change.

"What I have always asked of the HCDA board is to listen before making decisions, and that is exactly what they are doing," Saiki said.

Besides just reviewing requests for new construction, Saiki said, the HCDA must work on a list of unaddressed community worries, including "traffic issues, roadways and sewer capacity, school facilities, parks and open space. Those questions have never really been answered."

John Whalen, the former Honolulu director of land utilization and an urban planner with 40 years experience, replaced union official Brian Lee as chairman of the HCDA.

Whalen is one of five new members appointed by Gov. David Ige, under the new guidelines in Saiki’s legislation.

The veteran planner wants to work on three major changes in the HCDA culture.

First, Whalen is looking for some recognition of the problems with low-cost housing requirements. Whalen said he thinks that saying lower-cost units have to stay affordable for only 15 years is not realistic.

"It will disappear in 15 years and the prices will soar. We have to think long-term, that’s my obsession," Whalen said in an interview.

That worry is already showing up as the HCDA has had four hearings on Howard Hughes Corp.’s plan for the corner of Ward Avenue and Halekauwila Street, which would feature a 424-unit, 43-story condominium called 988 Halekauwila. The debate is over how much of it would be affordable and for how long. The developer wants 15 years; some HCDA board members want 30 years.

Whalen also is looking at the relationship between the Kakaako Makai lands, Kakaako Waterfront Park and Ala Moana Park. Thinking that this entire area should be planned, organized and dedicated for park purposes, Whalen wants "really quality open spaces for recreation."

Finally, Whalen sees a need to keep and foster some of the old Kakaako with its industrial services.

"It contributes to the economy and it is the sort of thing that any functioning urban area like Honolulu needs," Whalen said.

Much of Kakaako is already set, but for the rest, Whalen appears to be planning it and not just running the HCDA that says "yes."

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.