Does O'ahu need more growth? If so, where should growth occur and, more importantly, where should it not? What does smart, visionary growth look like? Will it look similar to what's been built in the past, or will it be something entirely different?

These critical questions were raised more than 20 years ago when Campbell Estate, state and city planners envisioned a new urban city in West O'ahu to accommodate growth and provide residents an alternative to an overcrowded and overstressed Downtown Honolulu. The Secondary Urban Center or "New City" was planned to be the focus of major economic activity, housing development and a center for government services.

This approach to control growth has proved to be one of the most visionary land-use decisions in Hawai'i's history and it was the basis for Ho'opili — a community that fulfills the master land plan for 'Ewa today, nearly two decades after it was originally conceived.

Today, the New City is well on its way to becoming a reality. Ho'opili is the last component of this comprehensive plan, providing homes and jobs, and complementing other major efforts already underway — including the build-out of downtown Kapolei, the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu campus, the Salvation Army's Kroc Center for youth and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' retail center and residential development. Planned as a community where residents are able to live, work, play and learn through the commercial, industrial, educational, residential, recreational and governmental developments planned in or near it, Ho'opili represents the perfect opportunity to invest in the future of the area and fully realize the vision of West O'ahu as the New City.

We are in the midst of following through on the plan allowing growth to occur in West O'ahu. This is represented by the government's significant investment in infrastructure and commitment to relocating the DHHL headquarters and the development of UH-West O'ahu. In addition, the city's high-capacity transit system is a "growth management" tool, connecting areas identified for future growth.

Unlike other "bedroom community" residential developments of the past, Ho'opili will be dramatically different in many respects. It will be O'ahu's first fully integrated, transit-oriented, job-generating "traditional" community that puts homes near jobs, schools, shopping and parks. Four years in the planning, Ho'opili was designed by, and for, West O'ahu residents. Hundreds of local individuals and families, community leaders, local businesses, native Hawaiian cultural experts and others have all played a key role in designing this community that will be like no other in the state.

Ho'opili, which means "coming together" in Hawaiian, will create thousands of new jobs in the area, which allows people to live where they work, thus helping to keep cars off the road. Also, Ho'opili will be the only new community that will provide a significant number of affordable and competitively priced homes in the area. This is important for the hundreds of young families who dream of owning their own home someday. For them, Ho'opili represents an opportunity to experience the kind of traditional Hawai'i community — where people walked, got to know their neighbors and enjoyed a deep sense of place that used to exist in the Islands. It is designed for people (not cars) and makes walking everywhere easy and enjoyable.

Finally, a few individuals mistakenly believe that Ho'opili represents the end of farming in the area. It's simply not true. In fact, farming will continue at Ho'opili for many years. The lands were leased on an interim basis for diversified agriculture. The farmers in the area have always known that the land would eventually be transitioned into a new, integrated community. The development of the lands at East Kapolei allows for the protection of the remaining 128,000 acres of agricultural lands on O'ahu, of which approximately 40,000 acres is considered A, B or Prime.

As a kama'aina company with deep roots in Hawai'i, we welcome the community's input on our draft plans. We will continue to work closely with the community.

We hope we can count on your support for this new community that represents the kind of smart-growth, people- and environment-friendly development that will ensure a brighter future for O'ahu.