Wednesday, April 16, 2008
10am
Honolulu Hale, 3rd Floor Chamber (corner of Punchbowl & King St.)
FYI: Maile submitted testimony on this issue when it was heard by the City Council's Zoning Committee on 4/1/08. You may view her testimony by clicking on "comments" below. If you have or plan to submit testimony, please feel free to post it as a comment also.
Hale Wai Vista is an affordable housing complex that is scheduled for development behind City Mill in Waianae. The public is invited to participate by submitting written testimony, providing oral testimony at the hearing, or both.
Persons wishing to testify on the Hale Wai Vista project may do so by requesting to register prior to the hearing or by using the On-Line City Council Speaker Registration form available at http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-1026 or by sending a fax indicating your desire to speak, along with your name, address, phone number and subject matter to 768-3826. You may also register in person or by calling 768-3811.
Registration consists of providing your name, address, phone number, whether you are representing a particular organization or yourself, and the specific hearing. In addition, speakers are requested to provide 15 copies of written testimony.
Testimony is limited to three minutes and shall be presented by the registered speaker only. Written testimony may be submitted by email at http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-1026 or faxed to 768-3826. However, you are requested to register to speak if you wish to provide oral testimony.
If you are unable to attend the hearing, you may submit your written comments in advance or before the Council finally deliberates on the subject matter.
All correspondence should be addressed to:
Any physically challenged person requiring special assistance should call 768-3821 for details at least one day prior to the meeting date.
* On Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 10am, there will be a protest at Honolulu Hale concerning the Hale Wai Vista project. Everyone is asked to bring their own signs stating why they are protesting this project. Most people are protesting this project because they feel that it is in the wrong location and will cause problems for the area: overcrowding of schools, traffic in the immediate area, not enough parking, etc. Many are also protesting because of the overriding of the Waianae Sustainable Plan's height limit of 40' and rural character. If you are unable to bring signs, go anyway because there will be some extra signs. Plus they could always use your voice and support! For more information, email: uapolu@hawaiiantel.net
1 comment:
March 31, 2008
To: Honolulu City Council Zoning Committee
From: Rep. Maile Shimabukuro (testifying as an individual legislator, not on behalf of the entire State Legislature, and not on behalf of the entire District I represent)
RE: Hale Wai Vista Housing Project in Waianae, HI
Position: If the City Council is going to approve the Hale Wai Vista project, it be under the condition that all the buildings be lowered to 4 stories or less in order to comply with the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan. Coupled with this recommendation should be an attempt by government to assist with finding the additional funding that would be necessary to lower the heights of the buildings.
We as a community need to make some very tough decisions. The entire state is aware of the homelessness and affordable housing crisis, which is most visible on our Wai`anae Coastline. This necessitates development of homeless emergency and transitional shelters, low cost rentals, and affordable homeownership opportunities. Given that, if forced to choose, I would rather see growth upward than outward, ie, increased height to buildings vs. increased urban sprawl into areas such as our agricultural lands.
I believe that the non profit developer of the project, Hawaii Housing Development Corporation (HHDC), and its planner, Gary Furuta, have excellent reputations throughout the state for building high quality, truly affordable housing. I have seen several of HHDC's projects, such as the affordable housing apartment building across the entrance of Punahou School , and feel confident that their project will be well-kept and managed, and not resemble Kuhio Park Terrace (KPT).
Furthermore, while the community has made it loud and clear to the lawmakers that they want the homeless cleared from the beaches, the police department's hands are tied since they cannot remove the homeless unless there is somewhere for them to go. As we speak, all the emergency and transitional shelters are packed to the gills with long waiting lists because there are no low cost rentals for people to "transition" into. A project such as Hale Wai Vista would provide these desperately needed low cost rentals.
Although I will urge the police to crack down on those homeless who are committing crimes, have bench warrants, and other outstanding criminal matters, this will definitely not "solve" the homeless crisis. According to police and other service providers, at least 80% of homeless are law abiding people who are doing all they can to make ends meet and get off the beaches.
I really appreciate the people who have organized to preserve the Wai`anae we know and love. I couldn't agree more that "progress" should not come at the expense of what Wai`anae is and always has been. The protests have sent a loud message to developers that they should comply with the community's wishes as expressed in documents such as the Sustainable Community Plan, Neighborhood Board position, petitions, etc. Let's "keep the country country" as they say, while making it clear that Wai`anae does not want to let people fall through the safety net.
Bottom line is I agree that Hale Wai Vista presents the scary prospect of a 7-story building in the middle of Wai`anae town. Although it will not be the only tall building on the Wai` anae Coast (Pokai Bay Marina is 9 stories; Makaha Princess, Cabanas, and Towers are also tall), I would not want to see it set a precedent for others to follow, and result in the loss of Wai`anae's rural character. I truly hope, however, that we can find the funds and resources to lower the building or move the project to a different location, and address the other concerns surrounding schools, traffic, and the like. This is because I do know that a truly affordable rental housing project such as Hale Wai Vista, run by a reputable non profit such as HHDC, is something this community definitely needs.
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