A legal settlement designed to preserve scenic and historic Waimea Valley on O'ahu's North Shore quietly won approval yesterday from the City Council.

Five council members voted to approve the settlement, months after a plan to develop part of the valley rallied hundreds in the community to call for an out-of-court settlement to the dispute.

The future of the valley had been in question since New York investor Christian Wolffer acquired it in 1996. The city had condemned the property, but worries over the potential rising cost for the city to pay for the valley prompted city officials to consider a settlement that would have allowed limited development in the area.

In January, a group of government agencies and nonprofit organizations agreed to buy the valley for $14 million and keep it undeveloped.

Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz, whose district includes the valley, praised the long-awaited move.

"It ensures that Waimea Valley is always going to be preserved, and the public will always have access to it," Dela Cruz said. "And that development will always be restricted."

The other groups financing the deal are: the Army, the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the National Audubon Society.

Four of the nine council members were absent when the vote was taken: Romy Cachola, Charles Djou, Ann Kobayashi and Rod Tam.

Earlier in the day, Cachola had questioned whether the deal was costing taxpayers more than it should.

But Deputy Corporation Counsel Donna Woo testified that yesterday was the deadline for the council to accept or reject the settlement offer.

"We do not have any wiggle room," Woo said.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.