He'eia Kea project faces diverse ideas

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

•	Public meeting What: For more information about the He'eia Kea project, attend the next Kane'ohe/Kahalu'u vision team meeting. When: 6:30 p.m. May 21 Where: Kane'ohe Community and Senior Center, 45-613 Pu'ohala Road

The properties — 218 acres in He'eia Kea across Kamehameha Highway from He'eia Kea Boat Harbor, 453 acres in state-owned wetland He'eia Uli next to Crown Terrace and the 20-acre He'eia State Park — have been at the center of controversy at one time or another because of proposed development that has been fought off by the community for decades.

Finally the community has been able to secure the properties, but now that preservation has been guaranteed, discussion has shifted to what, if anything, should be done with the areas. One of the primary emphases of the discussions has been the importance of public access to the land. All but He'eia State Park have been closed to the public for decades.

Proposals include a cultural restoration in the wetland, a passive park at He'eia Kea and recreation opportunities such as biking and hiking trails in those areas. Some people have said they want more there, and others have said nothing should be done. Planners say they are working out the differences.

"Everybody is focusing on having a passive park (at He'eia Kea)," said Rocky Kaluhiwa, vision team champion for the area. "Passive meaning not football, not basketball. We're mostly concentrating on picnicking and hiking."

Biking and horseback riding are out because Ma'eli'eli Ridge, which rises above He'eia Kea, is sacred, Kaluhiwa said. But a Hawaiian herb garden, a botanical garden and a natural amphitheater are meeting with approval.

The area vision team has set aside $100,000 for a master plan for He'eia Kea, but how the recent announcement of a plan to clean World War II ordnance from the site will impact plans is unclear. The Army Corps of Engineers has established a Restoration Advisory Board to involve the community in the restoration process, but no cleanup plan has been approved yet.

Kane'ohe Neighborhood Board chairman Roy Yanagihara said biking and hiking trails in He'eia Kea and the wetland are exactly what Kane'ohe residents need. He also would like to see He'eia State Park become a recreation center, offering kayak rentals and other water sports activities for the community.

Carole McLean, executive director of the Friends of He'eia, which maintains and runs He'eia State Park, said more cooperation is needed among all the entities involved in planning for the properties.

People are focused on their particular area of interest and may not be considering how their plans could affect the entire community, McLean said.

McLean, who supports the idea of a bike path and wants to discuss kayak rentals with her board of directors, said a primary concern for her is public access to the city and state lands and conservation of those lands.

The Ahupua'a Restoration Council of He'eia has been working for three years to gather information, iron out a plan and negotiate a $1-a-year lease with the state for the wetland. Any projects the group wants to carry out in the wetland would have to be paid for through fund-raising.

Donna Camvel, president of the council, said the group doesn't want to limit access. In fact, many people are cooperating in restoring the wetland, which she said could take decades to accomplish.

"It's all about preserving spaces where we can take our kids and make a connection with the land," she said. "I'm really not for preserving land and slamming it shut."