Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 24, Number 11, 1 November 2007 — Lāʻau Point EIS [ARTICLE]

Lāʻau Point EIS

A hearing is tentatively planned for Nov. 15 and 16 on Moloka'i on the final environmental impact statement for the proposed luxury development at Lā'au Point. The hearing will comprise puhlie testimony, testimony from all parties, including landowner Moloka'i Ranch, and a presentation by commission staff. The hearing aims to determine whether the more than 3,000page document is complete.

Should the EIS be accepted, a future hearing would determine whether to reclassify the land use from agricultural to rural, a necessary step for Moloka'i Ranch to subdivide the property into 200 two-acre residential lots for luxury homes. The development is a key part of the island's larger Community-Based Master Land Use Plan, whieh would preserve in perpetuity 55,190 acres of Moloka'i Ranch land that would be turned over to the eoniniunity for housing, agriculture and conservation. The plan also calls for the reopening of Kaluako'i Hotel, whieh would create 120 jobs. Last year, OHA's Board of Trustees voted to support the master plan. Critics of the Lā'au Point plan, however, cite concerns about the development's impact on traditional fishing and the community's water needs. For more information on the hearing, eall the Land Use Commission at 587-3822 or visit http://luc.state.hi.us.