The city is proposing several short-term projects in Waipahu, some of which are already funded, in an effort to build on existing transit-oriented development plans and to prepare the area for rail’s arrival.
The 11 proposed projects are outlined in the draft Waipahu Town Action Plan, released Tuesday, which includes a mixture of community ideas and planned city initiatives over the next three years.
Harrison Rue, the city’s transit-oriented development administrator, said it is feasible to go ahead with most of the proposals in the next three years. The city Department of Planning and Permitting is gathering feedback on which proposals residents would like to see prioritized, and will release a final action plan in the next two months. Some of the proposals would require private-sector funds, and other projects would be completed by developers, he said.
“This is not about doing plans. This is about getting projects done and implemented, and helping prioritize what’s more important for the community so we better coordinate and target our limited investments to really have an impact,” Rue said. “You know going in that there’s not enough money to do everything in the near term. We’ve narrowed it down to what’s feasible.”
At a Tuesday meeting held at Waipahu High School, projects that generated the most support from residents included addressing areawide flooding, upgrading the Waipahu Transit Center, improving bicycle facilities and street lighting, and building a pedestrian connection between Hawaii’s Plantation Village and Waipahu Depot Street.
Projects listed in the draft plan that were allocated funding include upgrades to the Waipahu Transit Center, which will cost $3.5 million for construction and is slated to start early next year. Work would cover sidewalk widening and improved bus shelters. The city has allocated $500,000 for the planning and design of studies to address areawide flooding and $200,000 to develop a master plan for Hans L’Orange Park. City officials also plan to upgrade street lighting islandwide, including in Waipahu, in the next two years.
Other proposals include connecting Waipahu town to the Pearl Harbor Historic Trail and redesigning Moloalo Street for better access to rail and businesses. Some private-sector ideas were also proposed, such as installing new signage, painting murals on vacant storefronts and organizing events including block parties and food truck festivals.
Councilman Brandon Elefante, who represents the area, said, “Anything is possible.”
“We really want to make Waipahu a destination (where) … we can attract people who would want to come here to see certain aspects of the history of Waipahu,” Elefante said. “I think a lot of people going forward want to see how the community evolves with rail coming online.”
Last year DPP held a meeting to gather input from residents on short-term projects. The proposals were vetted, and some were included in the draft plan. The department has a $52,010 contract with PBR Hawaii to help with the Waipahu action plan.
Waipahu resident Walter Smith said it is not realistic to implement all of the projects in the short term, due to lack of funding. He said lighting, flooding and the homelessness problem need to be prioritized. Other residents also raised similar concerns about the homeless at Hans L’Orange Park and other areas.
“You can make something nice, but if you don’t address that (homeless), it’s still there,” Smith said. “We’re looking at upgrading and improving the community, and we need to look at that, too.”
Al Tivera, a longtime Waipahu resident, said he’s “hoping for the good changes.” He added, “You’re moving forward for the quality of life for your kids.” But Tivera said he hopes the historic character of the former plantation town is preserved.
For more information and to submit feedback on the draft Waipahu action plan, visit honolulu.gov/tod/neighborhood-tod-plans/dpp-tod-waipahu.html Opens in a new tab.
