Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 3, 1 March 2013 — HCDA's plan could end up privotizing Kewolo Basin [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HCDA's plan could end up privotizing Kewolo Basin

HCDA needs to consider all of the stakeholders involved before signing a 50-year lease with a mainland company! /A no'aikakou... On /\ April 11, 2012, / \ Gov. Neil Aber- /^^^\ crombie signed / \the historic $200 million settlement between the state and OHA. After many

years of negotiations, OHA finally resolved all claims that were raised with the state relating to its portion of ineome from the Puhlie Land Trust from Nov. 7, 1978, to June 30, 2012. The state fulfllled its constitutional obligations to Native Hawaiians by providing OHA with fee simple title to lands in Kakaako Makai. However, to our surprise, on June 7, 2012, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that the Hawaii Community Development Authority, whieh has jurisdiction over Kewalo Basin, had agreed to lease the 143-slip harbor in Kakaako for 50 years to California-based marina operator Almar Management ine. and a partner doing business as KB Marina LP. The Almar partnership would linanee $22 million in repair work to replace all piers and docks and would increase boats slips from 143 to 243. Almar anticipates the upgrades taking flve years to eomplete and would pay HCDA about $45 million in rent over 50 years. OHA owns the property along the Ewa side of the harbor, including the former Fisherman's Wharf restaurant area. Late last year, OHA asked HCDA's board to delay a flnal decision on the renovation and expansion plans so that we could better understand how the harbor changes would affect our property. Now OHA is feeling heavy pressure from both the HCDA and the governor's offlce to accept the harbor improvements, whieh include two "flnger" piers that will extend from OHA's Fisherman's Wharf site. It is important to note that OHA was not aware of the HCDA's

commitment to the two finger piers prior to our signing the settlement agreement with the state. We did not know that there were "strings attached" to the properties. OHA is counting on the Kakaako lands to someday generate the revenue needed to support our many Native Hawaiian programs. The properties are crucial to OHA and our future nation becoming completely self-sufflcient.

The "Save Kakaako Ohana" is counting on OHA to develop our properties in a responsible and culturally sensitive way while preserving community access to the oeean. If HCDA gets its way, OHA's land will surely be devalued. We need our oceanfront not only for its beauty and view, but also to be able to master plan our area as a whole. The last thing we need is a large cruise ship docked in front of our property. It is also ridiculous that the state believes $45 million is a lot of money over 50 years. In 50 years, the property will be worth a hundred times llial ainounl! Help us stop this insane plan by showing your support for OHA to retain its rights to its waterfront. Make your opinions known to the HCDA, your state legislators and the governor's offlce. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE There are several bills introduced in the 2013 Legislature that are threatening to cause deep divisions within the Native Hawaiian community. For example, HB 252 seeks to prevent Native Hawaiians who are not residents and/or Hawaii registered voters from participating in the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission's enrollment process. The Legislature should refrain from joining the eontentious debate about who is a Native Hawaiian. That decision should be made by Native Hawaiians themselves. Aloha KeAkua. ■ Interested in Hawaiian issues and OHA? Please visit my website at rowenaakana.org for more information or email me at rowenaa@oha.org.

Rūwena Akana Trustee, At-large