The city has moved a step closer to buying more than 1,000 acres of land in Maunawili Valley in Kailua and He‘eia Kea in Kane‘ohe to add to its parks inventory.
The supplemental budget approved last week by the City Council includes $8 million for the purchase of 900 acres of land from Luana Hills Country Club in Maunawili Valley and 220 acres in He‘eia Kea from HKL Ltd. of California.
The Maunawili purchase is seen as way to solidify projects and provide solutions to problems the community has been discussing for years. For example, a Waimanalo vision team has proposed the creation of a greenbelt around Mount Olomana for equestrian and hiking trails, picnics and camping. There also is hope that the purchase would discourage undesirable development.
Some Kailua Neighborhood Board members say they’re not sure the city can deliver the Luana Hills land and afford to develop it.
Kailua board chairwoman Faith Evans said she is opposed to buying new parks when so many city parks need repairs.
But City Councilman Steve Holmes, who requested the allocation, said he had the support of the Olomana, Maunawili and Maunawili Estate community associations "prior to my getting the funding."
Talks on the possible purchase of the Maunawili land began last year. The city also has the option of obtaining the land through condemnation proceedings, in which a state court would determine fair market value.
About $4 million is set aside for each of the two purchases.
The managers of Luana Hills HRT Ltd. didn’t return telephone calls seeking comment.
Jack Mathis, a managing partner of HKL Ltd., said he and his partners are willing to sell the He‘eia Kea land. Several years ago they tried to sell the land for $4.95 million, which includes an agreement with the city to develop 17 acres of cluster housing.
Mathis said HKL would consider selling the property if it could be made whole, possibly by donating some of the land to a nonprofit organization and taking a tax write-off. That’s one way the land can be protected, he said.
"If that’s what everybody wants and the city didn’t have enough money, that might be a possibility," Mathis said.
