Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 3, 1 March 2014 — Kakaʻako Makai needs your help [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Kakaʻako Makai needs your help

i I he waterfront is I sacred!" That I is the message I I expressed on I behalf of OHA at a press conference on Feb. 6. As the Star-Advertiser reported: Peter Apo, an OHA trustee who chairs a group evaluating development of the agency's land in the area known as Kaka'ako Makai, added, "We are committed to shaping a plaee that loeal people, including Hawaiians, ean be proud of."

Apo said no residential development would occur on five parcels that cover about 13 acres and front Kewalo Basin from the former Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant to the tip of Kaka'ako Waterfront Park next to the Point Panie bodysurfing site. On this stretch of land, Apo said OHA supports a community vision for a public waterfront promenade. Some commercial development also would be possible under existing development rules. OHA is looking at residential development on three other parcels - two fronting Ala Moana Boulevard and one fronting the oeean just beyond the waterfront park's Ewa edge - Apo said. The Hawai'i state Legislature is eonsidering several bills whieh would allow residential development in the Kaka'ake area. OHA requested this legislation becaus£ the lands we received in the neighborhooc were to settle our claims for $200 million However, the lands are not worth that muel unless housing is allowed on at least somc of our properties. To diminish the concerns that are surfacing regarding our request of the Legislaturc for some level of residential entitlement ai Kaka'ako Makai, we held the press eonference to set the residential issue in thc larger context of our intention as the landowner and frame our intention as clearl> as possible as we continue to ehip away ai

formulating a master plan. First we noted that no one knows better than Hawaiians - our beneficiaries - what it means to grow up in the shadow of the construction cranes and ill-advised development policies that have alienated us from our beaches, desecrated our fisheries and polluted our streams, while building luxury enclaves that all but have signs on them that say "not weleome here." For 120 years we have suffered the pain. We understand better than anyone what constitutes bad development. We

know that the first people who will march against us if we don't do this right are our own beneficiaries. Second, OHA has a long record of advocating sustainable growth policies and advocating the highest level of stewardship of the land and sea by our public policy actions, our legal challenges and our advocacy for quality growth for all Hawai'i - not just Hawaiians. We intend to practice what we preach at Kaka'ako Makai. I ean assure you our beneficiaries will have it no other way. We acknowledge the considerable ehallenge we have in balancing commerce and culture at Kaka'ako Makai. Our challenge is to at onee yield a fair return to fund our programs and services and yet create a plaee that celebrates us as a people. A fair return is important because it funds our grants programs, whieh reach thousands and thou- < sands of people. ) Our intention is to create a plaee that ; welcomes everyone, that provides unfet1 tered public access to the waterfront and the shoreline, and that creates spaces for i people to recreate. We are committed to ; shaping a plaee that loeal people, beginning with Hawaiians, will be proud of. We are unwavering in this commitment. ; If you agree, I urge you to let your legt islators know that you support residential entitlements in Kaka'ako Makai. The bill ; numbers are Senate Bill 3122 and House - Bill 2554. ■ ī t PeteraOHA@gmaU.com.

PetEr Apo TrustEE, O'ahu