City finally taking action in Ewa’s Varona Village

Michael Esquibil, the son of a former Ewa plantation worker, and his family have waited decades for promised renovations at Varona Village. His father, an irrigation specialist, died in 1986 before those plans came to fruition.

Esquibil, who lives with his mother at their Varona Village home, said he hopes a recently adopted City Council resolution will advance redevelopment efforts, allowing his mother to purchase her home at an affordable price.

“I remember my dad’s dying wish was that this house would be his legacy to his family,” said Esquibil, who joined about 30 residents and community members, many of whom donned green shirts printed with “Support Varona Village,” at a Nov. 2 Council meeting. “We have heard many a politician make only empty promises stating that we are a priority and our housing needs were their first priority. I truly hope that decisions are made to make good on a promise to the humble community, who stands here before you through patience and resilience over many, many, many years of waiting.”

The City Council on Nov. 2 adopted Resolution 16-276, which authorizes the marketing of the 26-acre property to potential buyers for redevelopment. The resolution calls for issuing a request for proposals soliciting, among other things, a detailed program to allow former plantation workers and their families to buy their homes at affordable rates or other options that allow them to remain at Varona.

Development at Varona would be limited to single-family residential units with no commercial development permitted, according to the resolution.

The process to select a buyer would be sealed, but the Council would need to approve the sale and development agreement. The property has an assessed value of about $1.6 million, which is the recommended minimum sale price.

The selected buyer would be responsible for all site and infrastructure improvements and could develop homes on vacant lots at market rate prices. There are 46 single-family homes on the property, 43 of which are rented within the 90-lot area. Because Varona is listed on the state’s Registry of Historic Places, redevelopment plans would also need to adhere to preservation standards.

Leda Barbieto, a Varona resident whose husband worked as a plantation electrician, said she would like to buy her home at an affordable price. Barbieto pays $55 a month in rent and hopes the redevelopment efforts repair the homes and clear and clean up the abandoned houses and vacant lots, as well as preserve the community’s plantation history.

“We’ve been waiting for it (redevelopment) for a long time. We’ve been forgotten because things happened,” said Barbieto, 79. “This could be the final step. I’m just wishing for it.”

Varona, one of eight communities in Ewa Villages, was built for Ewa Plantation Co. workers and their families between 1900 and the 1950s. The city acquired Varona and nearby Tenney and Renton villages when Oahu Sugar, Ewa Plantation’s successor, shut down in 1995. The plantation workers were promised by the city that they could stay and rent their homes. While Tenney and Renton have largely been renovated and sold to residents and other buyers, redevelopment efforts at Varona have languished over the years.

Residents and officials compiled a report in 2013 that recommended, among other things, restoring existing homes, improving infrastructure, constructing a community center and seeking private funding for redevelopment plans. City officials met with residents this year to gather additional input.

The city plans to issue the request for proposals by the end of the month, according to the city Department of Community Services. Officials had initially said the RFP would be issued earlier this month but later said the city needed additional time to review the proposal. The deadline to submit proposals would be 30 to 60 days after the RFP is issued. The city would then need about two months to evaluate the proposals and get final approval from the Council.

Gary Nakata, community services director, said the city’s intent is to vet the proposals to ensure housing options are affordable.

“What really alarmed us was the number of tenants of record (former plantation workers and spouses) decreasing over time. These are people that have been waiting for some time to have this come to fruition,” Nakata said. “Just getting to this point is a huge hurdle and a major step forward. They (residents) deserve to know that it’s getting done.”

Ewa-area Councilman Ron Menor said it is a “historic moment” that the city is moving forward with redevelopment efforts.

“Promises were made to the community going back 20 years to previous administrations … that the city would move forward with the rehabilitation and the redevelopment of that community,” Menor said. “Unfortunately, those promises were never fulfilled. Varona Village has been a community that time has forgotten.”

Agnes Malate, the daughter of a former plantation worker, said she hopes the redevelopment of Varona will come to fruition for her parents, who are both in their late 70s. Malate raised concerns over the affordability of the homes and stressed the importance of preserving the community’s historic character. She added that she hopes there will be interested buyers who submit proposals.

“We hope that the right developers with an appreciation of what Varona means to Hawaii will come forward,” Malate said. “The vision would be that it’s a place where they can feel the sense of community. I really believe they (buyer and city) have a responsibility to honor the legacy. “