'Ewa moratorium pursued despite builders' opposition

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer

The 'Ewa Neighborhood Board will let stand its request for a building moratorium in the area until transportation issues are resolved.

The board, under pressure from the building industry to rescind its action, decided last week to wait for results of a collaborative effort spearheaded by City Councilman John DeSoto and involving the city, state and area developers responsible for building roads in 'Ewa, said board Chairman Jeff Alexander.

'Ewa's population has doubled in the past 10 years, but the community still has only one main road out of the area. A second promised road may not be ready for five years. The board took a stand in October, asking the city to impose a moratorium.

The board hopes the new group will speed up efforts to complete the Kapolei Parkway and begin the "north-south" road, the second access to the community, Alexander said.

The group met last week and developed a time line, which DeSoto presented to the board Thursday. More meetings are planned.

"My suggestion to the board was let's go to some more of these meetings and review it in three months," Alexander said, adding that the board may review the issue sooner. "They gave us a time line but that doesn't mean they started the work."

DeSoto also asked the board to get involved in lobbying efforts that might speed the projects along.