Posted on: Tuesday, March 30, 2004

EDITORIAL
Agricultural heritage has plenty of value

Hawai'i Kai may see the development of its last virgin valley. Stanford Carr, creator of a nearby development, The Peninsula, wants to build 200 homes on 87 acres of former swamp land in the Kamilonui Valley. Some of the valley's farmers are considering selling their leasehold interest while others have yet to decide whether to stay or go.

Meanwhile, the City Council will have to decide whether it makes sense to rezone the agricultural area at a time when we don't have enough infrastructure to support existing development. Many Hawai'i Kai residents say the area cannot sustain more growth, and we share their concerns.

In a separate but not wholly unrelated case of vanishing agricultural history, 300 former Del Monte pineapple workers are being evicted from Poamoho Camp near Wahiawa. Del Monte is not renewing its lease on the Galbraith Estate land, which includes the camp.

Unlike the Kamilonui farmers, these retired plantation workers, many of whom have spent most if not all their lives at the camp, have no choice in the matter. Efforts to negotiate with Del Monte so far have failed.

Granted, we cannot stop the wheels of modernization. Land and housing are too valuable and sought after. Developers are responding to the boom, and that's to be expected in a free-market economy.

That said, let's not undervalue our agricultural heritage. We should not take lightly the loss of farming lands to development. Nor should we casually accept the displacement of plantation workers who toiled hard to build our economy.

Once you bulldoze history, it's gone for good.

As policy-makers deal with these two different, but related, situations, they are obliged to look at the global picture and decide what is best not just for landowners and developers, but the entire community.