Posted on: Thursday, June 13, 2002

State land board reduces Central O'ahu plan

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Central O'ahu Writer

Signaling its intention to curb growth in Central O'ahu, the state Land Use Commission drastically reduced the size of a proposed Castle & Cooke development near Mililani and Waipio-Gentry by nearly 3,000 homes while taking the unprecedented step of requiring that area schools be built before the first residents move in.

Castle & Cooke Homes Hawai'i had sought to reclassify three of its parcels from agricultural to urban use, which would permit development. While the commission approved planned residential developments and a medical arts center for two of the parcels — totaling 761 acres — at Koa Ridge "Makai" and Waiawa, it denied construction for a 485-acre parcel at Koa Ridge "Mauka." The vote involving the parcels was 7-0, with one abstention and one member absent.

The final commission vote on the project is scheduled for June 21. The reduction in the Castle & Cooke development means the project is now down to 3,600 housing units from the 6,200 units originally planned, company officials said.

While the reduction in the project's size was not unexpected, the panel's 5-2 vote mandating early school construction caught many by surprise.

Normally, the state Department of Education builds a school after a sizable population has moved into the new area. Castle & Cooke officials were stunned by the commission's amendment, while opponents of the project were ecstatic.

Land Use Commission member Stanley Roehrig introduced the school-construction amendment, saying he was concerned about student crowding at schools in the Mililani Mauka subdivision. Mililani Middle School runs under a multitrack schedule to deal with all of its students, and Mililani Mauka Elementary remains over capacity while a second area elementary school is under construction.

Without some relief, school crowding is bound to get worse. About 25,000 homes will be added to Central O'ahu by 2025, with 14,000 of those units approved but yet to be built.

"If the Legislature does not fund these new schools promptly, we will have portable classrooms becoming permanent," Roehrig said.

Castle & Cooke Homes Hawai'i president Harry Saunders was shocked at the proposed amendment, calling the measure vague and said it would make it difficult for planned development to proceed by 2007.

"Will this jeopardize our project? Perhaps," said Saunders, who could not recall a similar condition placed on previous O'ahu development plans. "We're going to have to take a long, hard look with the (Department of Education) at this decision. It leaves open a lot of questions over who is responsible in building and opening the school."

"None of us on our side saw this coming. Another concern is whether the commission is setting a precedent for other developers wanting to build. And will we have to pass these costs on to the home buyer?"

But state DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen said education officials welcome the idea of the developer taking more responsibility in building new schools. Knudsen said he doesn't realistically see a new school ready when the first homeowner of a new development moves in. But he thinks the requirement could speed up the process in opening a new campus.

"I'm sure the proposal needs a little fine tuning, but the commission is talking in the right direction," Knudsen said. "Details would also have to be worked out on which party pays for school construction. But if the developer helps build the school, it results in a quicker turnaround; perhaps one or two years faster."

On the average, Knudsen said it costs about $25 million to build a new elementary school, $45 million for a middle school and at least $80 million for a high school.

Commission members declined to comment on yesterday's decision until a final vote is taken next week. But commission executive officer Anthony Ching admits the broad amendment does not indicate whether the developer, state or both would be responsible for the school or how many should be built.

"I don't know how you can build a school ahead of time before anyone is there," Castle & Cooke's Saunders said. "Does it mean we're responsible for the school? Even if the state builds it, how will the state legislators lobby for funds to build a school with no existing population while other places have educational needs?"

But Mililani Neighborhood Board chairman Richard Poirier said the quickly-growing Central O'ahu population makes the area an exception to Saunders' argument.

"We know that it's going to happen, so why not get the schools in there now before the population booms?" Poirier said.

Poirier said the commission's decision was a surprise, but said grassroots community opposition to the project probably helped. The Mililani board has said it would support the Koa Ridge Makai/Waiawa portion of the project only if developers met certain conditions to alleviate traffic and other infrastructure concerns. One condition by the neighborhood board that was not included in the commission's plan is having the developer share costs for a new road connecting Ka Uka Boulevard in Waipio-Gentry to Paiwa Street in Waipahu.

Sierra Club Hawai'i director Jeff Mikulina testified yesterday against the entire project, citing traffic, education and water supply concerns.

"A lot of people aren't aware that there are 14,000 other housing units already approved for the area, so this is simply urban sprawl," Mikulina said. "We totally oppose this project and feel development should be directed toward the second city (of Kapolei)."

Because the terms of two members on the nine-person commission also expire at the end of June, the panel is hopeful to reach a decision on the project before the members leave.

Reach Scott Ishikawa at sishikawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.