Survey supports small-town Kailua
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAILUA — Residents of Kailua want better walkways, more bicycle routes and evening recreational activities for their town, according to survey results released by Kane'ohe Ranch this week.
The complete survey is on the developer's Web site, www.kaneoheranch.com/Report.3450_6-23-04.pdf
The survey, supported by the Kailua Chamber of Commerce and the Kailua Urban Design Task Force, will be discussed at a community planning meeting at 9 a.m. today at Kailua Intermediate School.
Report online
Kane'ohe Ranch plans to use the survey results and feedback from community meetings to plan for properties it manages in the Kailua business district bounded by Kailua Road, Hamakua Drive and Aoloa Street.
The survey largely validates what people have said about Kailua, said Mitch D'Olier, CEO and president Kane'ohe Ranch. But it puts the data in scientific rather than anecdotal terms.
A watchdog group formed in response to growing development pressures said the survey confirms what people have said for years: They don't want to see Kailua grow.
"They like the small-town feel, with no growth — basically a stable community without the threat of tourism," said Don Bremner, a planning consultant and spokesman for Keep It Kailua.
Ward Research sent 17,000 surveys to Kailua households, of which 2,832 were returned, he said. In addition to better walkways, the community would like to see after-school activities for youth, a community art center, a trail around Kawai Nui Marsh and an interpretive center there.
Commercial amenities that residents want most are restaurants with outdoor seating, senior housing, low-rise office space, movie theaters with stadium seating, a national book and music retailer and affordable low-rise rentals.
Kane'ohe Ranch also hired an expert in transportation planning to help resolve issues with pedestrian circulation. James Charlier said people opt to walk because of subconscious decisions about comfort, safety and convenience.
The environment shapes these perceptions, and if Kailua is to be more pedestrian-friendly, shade, wider sidewalks, protection from passing cars and eliminating long blank walls and overhead wires will help, he said.
Charlier will present his observation at today's meeting. He said he would suggest improvements and urge Kane'ohe Ranch to develop design guidelines.
Improvements need not be expensive or require elaborate planning, he noted. "You don't need to turn this into some sort of gold-plated environment. It needs to be a functional environment."
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
