Central O'ahu growth plan to get last input
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer
This week the city will present to area residents its final draft of a plan regulating development in Central O'ahu for the next 20 years.
The Central O'ahu Sustainable Communities Plan, which covers the region bordering Waiawa, Royal Kunia and Wahiawa, discusses how to pace residential and commercial growth in the area through 2025.
New housing
Previously approved Units
•
Launani Valley 362
•
Mililani Mauka 2,402
•
Royal Kunia I 888
•
Royal Kunia II 2,000
•
Waiawa Gentry 7,095
•
Waikele 383
•
Total 13,130
Proposed projects Units
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Koa Ridge Makai 3,300
•
Mililani Mauka 750
•
Waiawa Castle & Cooke 2,000
•
Waiawa Gentry 5,000
•
Total 11,050
•
Overall unit total 24,180
Among its key points:
• Experts estimate the area's population will grow from almost 150,000 in 2000 to 173,000 in 2025.
• Significant area job growth is also projected, rising from 39,000 jobs in 2000 to more than 65,000 in 2025.
• New homes yet to be approved would be limited to 11,000 through 2025 in the Mililani Mauka, Royal Kunia and Waiawa subdivisions, plus a makai portion of the proposed Koa Ridge project.
• With many of the future homeowners most likely being younger families, the report also calls for two more high schools, three intermediate schools and seven elementary schools. Some future campuses already have sites reserved, with others yet to be determined.
The plan — to be discussed tomorrow from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Wahiawa District Park — was prepared by the city Department of Planning and Permitting and concludes a community input process that began in 1995.
The city Planning Commission is expected to hear the Central O'ahu plan March 6. If accepted by the commission, the plan moves to the City Council for review, revision and adoption as an ordinance.
Bob Stanfield, of the city Planning and Permitting Department's Community Planning Division, said the latest draft of the plan has not changed much from its 1999 version.
But not everyone is happy with the plan. Some wonder if it does enough to deal with growth. The Sierra Club and the Mililani Neighborhood Board recently raised issues regarding traffic, schools and water availability.
Richard Poirier, Mililani Neighborhood Board chairman, said the board is skeptical of the city plan.
"When you look at the plan, it provides no answers to the infrastructure problem," Poirier said. "Honestly, they should change the title from 'sustainable communities' plan to 'development' plan because that's what it is.
"Eleven-thousand housing units is going to mean 20,000 to 25,000 more cars on the freeways. We can't even deal with that right now."
Stanfield defends the plan, saying it has forced developers to scale back initial development plans for the area. He said reductions have been made to the number of planned homes for the Waiawa region, and the city report will not include Castle & Cooke's initial plans to build Koa Ridge Mauka community below the Mililani Mauka subdivision.
Stanfield said a commission was formed in 2000 to discuss some of the infrastructure concerns, but admits transportation options are limited with the lack of space for new roads or lanes. The plan instead focuses on the city's bus-rapid transit (BRT) project and "hub-and-spoke" route system to get more single-occupancy vehicles off the road during rush-hour commutes.
Copies of the plan are available to the public at the city Department of Planning and Permitting at 650 S. King St., seventh floor. Neighborhood boards in Central O'ahu are also being briefed this month on the plan.
Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.
