Kahalu'u park fulfills 30 years of local activism

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KAHALU'U — A raging flood caused by torrential rains that swept away homes and cars almost 40 years ago gave rise to the tranquil 20-acre pond behind the Hygienic Store in Kahalu'u — and the new regional park finally taking shape there.

Hundreds of people in the community have been involved with the project over the decades, pushing for flood control, protesting industrialization and helping to plan the park.

'New activism'

Coming as it did in the 1960s and early '70s, when government made decisions with little community influence, this "new activism" helped change the way business was done and protected the Windward landscape from development, according to experts and community members.

"This project represents a period of history where, not only did the community finally get invited to the table, but now by resolution government had to listen," said John Reppun, a member of the park planning committee who got involved in the process 28 years ago.

A deep-draft harbor and shopping center have been among plans for the park site. Hotels, an off-shore island and an oil refinery were in a 1957 plan for the community, which some envisioned as O'ahu's "second city," a moniker that now belongs to Kapolei.

But the community had other plans, and a history of floods — 21 of them between 1936 and 1971 — lent weight to a request to turn the area into a flood-control project and major park.

Flood of protest

Dozens of houses were being built in Kahalu'u in the early 1960s, and the rural area seemed destined to become a Honolulu bedroom community.

Then came the May 1965 flood, a particularly severe one that was blamed on development and mobilized the community to oppose grand plans for the area.

The storm dumped 8 inches of rain in six hours and more than 12 inches overnight, destroying bridges and lifting homes off their foundations, carrying one down Ahuimanu Stream with a family trapped inside, according to newspaper accounts. Water roared down Kamehameha Highway at 30 mph.

The second severe storm in three months, it prompted residents to form the Kahalu'u Flood Control Committee to pursue solutions. A $6.9 million flood-control project involving the city, state and federal governments was adopted in 1971 and begun in 1975. The cost swelled to $12 million, with the federal government picking up $5.6 million and the rest paid by the state, city and private interests.

The project included a new $1.7 million bridge across Kamehameha Highway built by the city. The lagoon was expanded to collect floodwaters and silt heading out to sea. The city also spent at least $4.8 million to acquire land for a park, said city spokeswoman Carol Costa. In the process, a whole village was moved.

There has been no major flooding since the project was completed, though some question the effect it has had on the ecosystem.

Staying country

A backstop has gone up at Kahalu'u Regional Park, where planners also hope to include uses that celebrate the area's culture and history. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

But in the late 1960s and early '70s, community groups such as Hui Malama 'Aina O Ko'olau and the Kahalu'u Coalition formed to fight proposals to industrialize or build hotels, and to ensure that the area retained its rural character.

Snookie Mello became involved while attending Windward Community College in 1973. With members of Hui Malama 'Aina o Ko'olau and the Kahalu'u Coalition, she unearthed plans for hotels and a deep-draft harbor.

"All of Ahuimanu, if I remember correctly, was going to be industrial," Mello said. "He'eia Kea was to have a power plant. This was going to be the 'second city.' Can you imagine the wreck Kane'ohe Bay would be?"

Slow growth

Today, Kahalu'u residents' wish to remain a farming community is reflected in the city's general plan and the sustainable community plan recently adopted by the City Council, said Karl Kim, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Hawai'i and a former professor of urban and regional planning. "There's been a long-standing community sentiment to preserve the rural character of the area," Kim said.

The result is a community characterized by slow growth, though farmlands are under increasing pressure. Ahuimanu has been transformed into a residential community with wide streets, sidewalks and a shopping center.

Farmland acreage has been subdivided into one- and two-acre residential lots. Some residents grow ti, ornamental plants, banana and vegetables. Tiny subdivisions dot the community, but several larger lots remain where taro and pigs are being raised, among other things.

It took 25 years from the time flood-control work was completed until park construction began. One big obstacle was that the area was interpreted to be a wetland, said Mayor Jeremy Harris. It was years before the Army Corps of Engineers modified its interpretation, Harris said, crediting activists for sticking with their vision and involvement in park planning.

Beyond recreation

The park has been under construction since late last year. The first baseball field has been laid out and a backstop has risen from the ground. A football/soccer field will soon follow, then a parking lot, all on about 10 acres and at a construction cost of $1.03 million.

But planners of the 40-acre facility, the largest of its kind in Windward O'ahu, also want the park to offer uses that celebrate the area's history and culture, including educational and cultural activities.

They want the mountain and sea connected by trails along the rivers and streams. They envision wider use of the lagoon and expansion of the canoe club area across the street.

Reppun noted that taro and rice were grown in the area at various times, and the community has yet to explore all the archeological sites in the park. Visitors to the park should also see a slice of history, he said.

"Kids will pull up to play soccer, but when they go home they'll have mud up to their knees because they've been in a loi (taro field)."

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.