State scales back proposal for Ka Iwi park

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Bureau

KA IWI — As promised, the state has responded to community concerns and scaled back its plans for the shoreline park in this rugged area of East Honolulu.

	Public hearing
•	What: The city Department of Planning and Permitting will hold a public hearing on the state's revised Ka Iwi proposal.
•	When: 7 p.m. tomorrow.
•	Where: Koko Head Elementary School.

"The state was very receptive," said Adrienne King, a spokeswoman for the Ka Iwi Action Council, a group of organizations and individuals who have worked to preserve the coastline. "We're behind the project. ... Our goal is to keep the area in the wild and natural state."

But, "in order to appreciate the area you have to experience the area. To experience the area you have to have lookouts and parking lots," King said.

The state's master plan for the area called for building off-road parking lots that lead to the lookout and to the hiking trails.

Initially, the state wanted to build two parking lots with a road leading off Kalaniana'ole Highway to the lots, which would have held 40 cars and five buses each.

The current plan calls for one parking lot for 40 cars near the lighthouse trail and another for about 20 cars near the Makapu'u lookout and no bus parking, said Dan Quinn, state parks administrator for the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

"The parking by the (Makapu'u) Lookout has been revised along the lines of what we presented to the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board," Quinn said. "The revised idea came about from the community."

The improvements will cost about $4 million, Quinn said, but could be less with the revisions.

Both the Waimanalo and Hawai'i Kai neighborhood boards opposed the state's original proposal. Early on, though, state officials indicated a willingness to rethink the plan.

The proposal has been in the works since 1996 but had not moved forward until about $4.9 million in federal money became available last year.

The state has amended its application before the city, and now must hold a public hearing, scheduled for tomorrow.

The proposal will ultimately go before the City Council for final approval.

The Ka Iwi Coastline had been the subject of a tug of war between preservationists and the land owner, Kamehameha Schools that over the years pitched plans to build hotels, golf courses and homes. In May, the land owner and its lessee, Kaiser Aluminum, agreed to sell the property to the state for $12.8 million, far less than the $80 million it had said the land was worth.

The city will carefully examine the state's proposal, said Ben Lee, city managing director. The current environmental study will not have to be redone, as the revisions have reduced the scope of the project, not added to it, Lee said.

"We'll be taking a close look at what the state is proposing," Lee said. "We're very concerned about the design and want to make sure it will have a minimal visual impact on this scenic resource."

Parking for tour buses has been eliminated, the number of spaces for automobiles has been reduced by one-fourth and a supplemental road connecting the two parking lots has been scratched from the state's overall plan to improve safety for users.