Posted on: Friday, April 4, 2003

Council advances Waimea park resolution

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

A resolution asking the city to sell Waimea Valley after it acquires the North Shore park drew some opposition yesterday, but City Council members approved the measure for a final vote later.

The resolution asks the administration to consider selling the 1,875-acre property to a nonprofit or public organization so that the city could recoup the more than $5 million it has put into escrow for the purchase, as well as save the city future operation and maintenance expenses.

Although they voted to advance the resolution for final approval, Council Chairman Gary Okino and Councilman Nestor Garcia both expressed reservations. Garcia's concern was that the resolution would not allow private entities to bid for the property.

Don Clegg, representing the current park operator Waimea Management LLC, warned that if the city gave up ownership of the park, it would lose control over how the new owner interprets a provision in the resolution that the site must be operated as "a botanical, cultural, educational, historical and recreational facility open to the public."

"There is no indication that they will be appropriate stewards," Clegg said.

However, when asked by Councilman Charles Djou, Clegg said that he would not oppose the resolution if it opened up purchase to for-profit organizations. Even so, he said, "I don't think it would work," noting a previous failed attempt to run it as a private entity.

The city took control of the park in 2002, a year after East Coast developer Christian Wolffer put the property under bankruptcy protection.

While the city filed for condemnation last year, the court date that will set the purchase price for the property has been delayed until June. The condemnation proceedings could take years, which could complicate the council's attempt to find a buyer before acquiring the property.

Meanwhile, the administration is reviewing proposals from at least two organizations interested in a long-term contract to operate the park, including Waimea Management and the National Audubon Society.

While Cachola mentioned Audubon as a prospective buyer, project director Diana King said such a decision is premature. "We can't really say until we have a firm purchase price," she told the committee. "I think it would probably be better for the city to wait until the condemnation proceedings are through," she said.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which had expressed interest in the property before the city condemned it, did not comment before the committee. However, Cachola said the state agency had told him that its primary concern was finding an entity to provide operation and maintenance.

Some community members who testified in favor of the sale suggested that OHA owning the property and Audubon operating it would be ideal, but Okino pointed out that the buyer might not be interested in hiring Audubon.

Okino also brought up the possibility that it could be hard to find a buyer if the city has already awarded a long-term lease to either Waimea Management or Audubon, forcing the new owner to renegotiate the lease.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.