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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, March 21, 2002

City studies senior center plan

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

'AINA HAINA — Some residents want to turn the defunct Maunalua Bay Tennis Club into East Honolulu's first community senior center, but with some of the immediate neighbors already opposing the idea, a Saturday meeting on the proposal could prove pivotal.

Public meeting

• What: A consultant will gather ideas on what residents want in a senior community center

• When: 9 a.m. Saturday

• Where: Church of the Holy Nativity, Glantz Hall, 5286 Kalaniana'ole Highway

• More information: Call 941-4388 or e-mail bcarch@gte.net

The idea for the city to acquire the property for a senior center came out of a community vision meeting, which appropriated $30,000 for a feasibility study.

The waterfront, two-acre parcel with its tennis courts and two-story clubhouse has been on the market for three years with a $5.9 million price tag. It is located on Kalaniana'ole Highway across from the Church of the Holy Nativity.

"First we need to establish what the community wants," said Bill Chang, the consultant hired by the city to evaluate the proposal. "Then we will analyze the value of the building, cost of renovating the buildings, operational costs and all the things the city needs to determine the worthiness of the project."

Depending on the outcome of the first information-gathering meeting this weekend, the city may decide to acquire the property or abandon the idea, Chang said. He has sent notices to residents on either side of the property inviting them to Saturday's meeting, the first opportunity for public feedback on the idea.

Gregg Kashiwa, a neighbor of the tennis club, opposes any development on the site other than homes. He said it's a residential neighborhood and the noise and traffic that a community center would generate will affect his quality of life.

"The immediate next-door neighbors are opposed to the idea," Kashiwa said. "We feel it should be residential, single-family homes."

Any kind of activity center should be located in a commercial area where there is adequate parking and access, Kashiwa said.

"The shopping centers in the area have a lot of vacant space and the city should look into that," he said. "That's where the area is zoned for that kind of use. They don't need to use a residential area."

In Hawai'i Kai, 13 percent of the residents are 65 and older, according to census figures. In the area from Kalani Iki to Kuli'ou'ou, 21 percent of the residents are 65 or older.

But there are no community centers for seniors in East Honolulu, Chang said, though area parks and churches often hold senior programs. There are several senior living facilities in the area, but they have their own community centers.

The YMCA had put in an offer at one time for the tennis club, but the deal fell through, he said. Nearby residents also opposed that sale, Kashiwa said.

The nearest YMCA facility is in Kahala.

"I like the idea of a senior center," said Sheridan Spangler, a member of the Kuli'ou'ou Kalani Iki Neighborhood Board, at a recent vision meeting. "But this is a sensitive community and the residents need to be included."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.