Group keeping eye on North Shore project

By David Waite
Advertiser Courts Writer

Although a recent Hawai'i Supreme Court decision appears to clear the way for the development of country-zoned lots on the bluffs overlooking Sunset Beach, the Life of the Land environmental watchdog group says it plans to make sure "fake farms" are not the real intended use of the site.

On Oct. 20, the Supreme Court upheld a January 1998 ruling by a lower court that the City Council acted within its powers and legally redesignated 765 acres of agriculturally zoned land to "country" use for the controversial project known as Lihi Lani.

Life of the Land, the Sunset Beach Coalition and three individuals challenged the zone change and maintained that developer Obayashi Hawaii Corp. intended to develop one-acre luxury homes and had no intention of trying to get buyers to devote a portion of their lots to agricultural use.

Attorney John Komeiji, who represented Obayashi in the appeal, did not respond to requests to comment on the Supreme Court ruling, and an Obayashi official familiar with the project could not be reached to comment on its status.

Henry Curtis, Life of the Land executive director, said the land has remained vacant during the past five years while the council's rezoning approval was being appealed. He said he believes Obayashi is trying to sell the property.

In their ruling, Hawai'i Supreme Court justices said any concerns that little or no farming would take place if the project proceeded were premature.

"If Obayashi plans to grow fake farms instead of real agriculture, we'll be back," Curtis said.