Ka Iwi shoreline plan advances at council

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Bureau

The state's plans for the Ka Iwi shoreline met with approval yesterday by the City Council Zoning Committee, setting the stage for a final vote.

The state needs the city's approval for a special management area permit that would enable it to bury utility lines along Kalaniana'ole Highway, build two parking lots and change the scenic lookout by Makapu'u. The full City Council will consider the measure Tuesday.

At the committee meeting yesterday, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources plan drew praise from residents and preservationists for incorporating community concerns.

"The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has done a really good job of consulting with the communities and coming up with a plan that balances the interests," said Theresa McHugh, a member of the Ka Iwi Action Council. "There is a desire to protect and preserve the area and, at the same time, we want to get out there and hike and enjoy the view and fish."

The plan before the city is a scaled-down version, one that preservationists persuaded the state to adopt after a round of community meetings.

Once the state revamped the plan and scaled back the parking lots from 80 cars and five buses, both the Waimanalo and Hawai'i Kai neighborhood boards reversed themselves and voted to support the plan.

City Councilman John Henry Felix lauded the state's responsiveness.

"We strived to reach a consensus," Felix said. "What we have isn't perfect, but it's better than what we have there now to protect this precious resource."

Construction for the improvements could begin next fall. The improvements are part of a master plan adopted in 1996 after much public debate.

It's an ambitious plan that could ultimately include a visitor center, cultural center, restrooms, picnic areas, trails and wetland restoration.

Not one of those amenities has been approved or financed, however. What is going forward is Phase 1.

The state is able to go forward with the help of a $5 million grant from the federal government.

The money went toward purchasing the land from Kamehameha Schools earlier this year, but had strings attached, said Dan Quinn, state Department of Land and Natural Resources parks administrator.

The federal government is requiring the improvements in the name of safety, Quinn said.

"We're not proposing any fake rocks," Quinn said. "The area of focus for the (permit) is on the road and the lookout."