O'ahu briefs
Advertiser Staff
WINDWARD
Discussion on schools slated
Decentralizing Hawai'i schools will be discussed by two education leaders at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Windward Community College, Hale Kuhina, Room 115.
Karen Knudsen, second vice chairwoman of the Hawai'i Board of Education, and Mary Ann Reywid, a teacher, writer and consultant on school governance, will discuss "Hawai'i's School Governance: Is Decentralizing the Answer?"
The discussion is open to the public and is sponsored by the Windward Branch of American Association of University Women and the Windward Soroptimists.
For details, call 262-5406.
More sewer work sought
The city wants to extend hours of construction for a sewer rehabilitation project on Hamakua Drive, and consultants for the project will discuss the proposal at the Kailua Neighborhood Board meeting beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow at Kailua District Park, 21 S. Kainalu Drive.
The project, which is in its final stage of design, will run from Kainehe Street along Hamakua Drive to Keolu Drive.
The extended hours, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., will occur only on Hamakua Drive, south of Aoloa Street to Keolu Drive.
The city said extending the hours will expedite the project, which is scheduled to begin early next year.
Two other presentations are also on the board agenda. They are a drainage improvement project on Kailua Road from Hahani Street to Wana'ao Road and a rezoning request for properties located in Kailua Town.
Kane'ohe Ranch is seeking to change industrial zoned properties on Hamakua and Hekili Street to commercial and industrial mixed use.
EAST HONOLULU
City looks into building height
The city will look into setting a building height restriction on Diamond Head that protects the view plane along the eastern slopes so that views of the historic monument can be preserved.
The measure was sparked by the construction of a home in the Diamond Head community that was approved for 25-foot height.
Most of the homes in the area are below that. Residents were unsuccessful in trying to stop the construction of the home, which is still being built.
A resolution asking the city Department of Planning and Permitting to look into setting a height restriction was approved yesterday by the City Council Zoning Committee.
The full council will vote on the measure at its Sept. 11 meeting.
Board meeting tomorrow
The Kuli'ou'ou/Kalaniiki Neighborhood board will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. tomorrow at 'Aina Haina Elementary School.
The board will discuss the survey that recently went out to the community and hear presentations from area representatives.
For details call 523-4344.
CENTRAL
Development plan on agenda
The state Land Use Commission will discuss Castle & Cooke Homes' plan to develop up to 7,500 more homes in Central O'ahu at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at 235 S. Beretania St., Room 405.
The Koa Ridge project would be built on nearly 1,200 acres of former pineapple land. It would be built in three segments — Koa Ridge Makai, Koa Ridge Mauka and Waiawa.
The commission has granted intervener status to the Sierra Club and the Mililani Neighborhood Board, which are raising issues about traffic, water availability and overdevelopment of agricultural lands.
The state Office of Planning is recommending approval of urban designation for the Koa Ridge Makai and Waiawa portions, but that Koa Ridge Mauka be kept in agricultural use.
The mauka portion above Mililani Memorial Park is outside the urban growth boundaries under the city's proposed Central Oahu Sustainable Communities Plan.
The mauka portion is not scheduled to be developed until at least 2020, according to Harry Saunders III, president of Castle & Cooke Homes.
The makai portion would be the first developed and would include a medical park, with the first medical facilities ready by 2003.
LEEWARD
Ship worker stable after fall
A 30-year-old shipyard worker was airlifted to the Queen's Medical Center in stable condition yesterday after he fell about 40 feet from a ship in Kapolei, fire officials said.
The fall happened about 8:48 a.m. as the man was working on a drydocked ship at Marisco Ltd., fire officials said.
The man had a cut on his forehead and complained of back pain. He was fitted with a cervical spine brace and airlifted to Queen's.
