Editorial: Major changes for Ewa Beach

A decades-long saga involving the build-out of the Hoakalei Resort and Ocean Pointe communities is nearing a key stage, as Haseko Development Inc. prepares to open a recreational and commercial complex that includes a mega surfing wave pool and a lagoon once meant to be a private marina in Ewa Beach.

While residents continue to air concerns over excessive water use and traffic effects, the Wai Kai lagoon and commercial complex project is nearing completion, scheduled to open to the public on Feb. 10. It encompasses the lagoon, a dock and rental stands, the Wai Kai Wave pool, a boutique, two restaurants, a coffee shop and bar, along with grassy lawns where events can be held. Visitors will be able to rent stand-up paddleboards and kayaks, or take a lagoon tour in a 12-passenger electric boat.

Good times at the wave pool and recreation at the lagoon will come at a cost, however. Not only admission and rental charges — though Wai Kai has those too — but increased traffic and water use, an influx of visitors and an end to any expectation of unfettered access to swimming or boating at the lagoon.

While Haseko expects to initially attract more locals than visitors, a $40 million, world-class wave pool, suitable for rides by amateurs and pro surfers alike, will attract tourists in increasing numbers. Reportedly, surf and waterman competitions are planned for the wave pool and the lagoon; these could cause an influx of hundreds of cars at a time.

Hoakalei and Ocean Pointe neighbors, and residents of the greater Ewa community, should keep their eyes open to what’s ahead, and be prepared to press the developer and city agencies for solutions to potential problems.

All in all, the transformation of the Hoakalei Resort and Ocean Pointe developments from their original conceptions show how developments can morph unexpectedly, despite buyers’ expectations.

In the 1990s, the centerpiece of the 1,100-acre residential and resort community was expected to be a 120-acre marina. This shrank to less than 60 acres.

In 2008, Haseko finished digging a 20-foot-deep basin for the planned marina — but before work started on a channel to the ocean, it announced in 2011 that a recreational lagoon was the better idea. Some homeowners sued, and a state judge in 2018 awarded about 3,000 homeowners $20 million in damages. Haseko’s appeal is still pending.

Water quality tests show the lagoon’s water is cleaner than at some of Oahu’s most popular beaches, and just this year, a bill to allow swimming in the lagoon became law. But Haseko’s Wai Kai development once again restricts swimming in favor of stand-up surfing, kayaking and the like. Users will have to rent equipment or pay a fee to bring their own.

Haseko’s full build-out plan, announced in 2017, includes a $300 million retail village on 25 acres next to the lagoon, including restaurants, a specialty market and health club.

It was once projected to be complete in 2020, but there is no current timeline, leaving community residents who anticipated commercial development focused on services for locals frustrated.

Haseko also is permitted to develop up to 950 hotel, timeshare and condominium units. As these plans develop, issues of restricted access and degree of tourism activity will surely arise.

If residents want to maintain input on their neighborhood’s build-out, vigilance will be required in holding both Haseko and city regulators accountable for providing adequate access, responsible management, and benefits to the immediate community.