It’s a tough task to make something that’s already so good even better. But that’s the challenge Kamehameha Schools — with much community input — is tackling in Haleiwa.

Kamehameha Schools owns the land along Kamehameha Highway where iconic shave ice shops now sit. Kamehameha’s zone-change application was unanimously approved by the City Council earlier this month, moving the schools’ $12.6 million redevelopment project another important step closer to reality.

So why change anything?

Anyone who has stood in line for shave ice in Haleiwa on a busy day knows the lines come dangerously close to the highway. Not much seating, not much shade and no place to safely walk. First and foremost, we need to create a safer pedestrian environment by moving those lines away from the roadway to separate pedestrians and vehicles.

We also need to make sure our tenants and their customers are in buildings that are structurally safe. The existing wood-frame buildings are old and need major repairs and infrastructure upgrades. Redevelopment will address these safety concerns and maintenance issues.

It will also enable us to improve parking and access in the area, preserve and strengthen opportunities for Hawaii-owned businesses to succeed, and generate an economic return in support of Kamehameha’s educational mission.

Planning for this historic part of Oahu has been happening for the last four years. We have taken great care to design this project around the needs of our current tenants, including the two shave ice stores we envisioned as anchors for the project. We have also paid heed to community calls to keep as many of the historic buildings on the property as possible.

After careful, expert review of the condition, safety and ability to rehabilitate each building, we concluded that five historic structures — including the Matsumoto Store and house, Global Creations and Haleiwa Eats structures — could remain. Regretfully, two structures — the Aoki Shave Ice Store and Iwa Gallery buildings — are too far gone to be saved. Those structures will be demolished and recreated, built to scale and historical accuracy.

Kamehameha staff and consultants have worked closely with the North Shore community, kupuna, shop owners, the neighborhood board, the Haleiwa Ad Hoc Walkway Committee, Historic Hawaii Foundation, engineers, historic architects and government regulators. Comments and suggestions from these folks underscored the importance of maintaining Haleiwa’s rural character and historic architecture, addressing pedestrian connectivity and safety, as well as traffic concerns.

Thanks to this input, today’s plan ultimately will give Haleiwa:

» An indoor/outdoor eating, shopping and people-watching area that sustains Haleiwa’s country atmosphere and a commitment to Hawaii-owned businesses.

» A safe walkway along Kamehameha Highway, designed to meet community standards and requests stretching back to the 1980s.

» Highway improvements and a 115-space parking lot behind the project to address concerns about traffic and pedestrian safety — all in keeping with Haleiwa’s special design district guidelines and conforming to city rules and regulations.

» Setbacks and vegetative buffers for the project’s neighbors.

» A project developed using plans reviewed by Historic Hawaii Foundation and historic architect Spencer Leineweber, who offered specific ideas for merging old and new in a cohesive and historically authentic way.

Our zone-change approval was an important step for this project. And while we are still far from the end of this journey, we look forward to our continuing work with the community to deliver to Haleiwa the best possible outcome our combined efforts can produce.

It’s an ambitious challenge to improve such a treasured place, but the load is lightened when so many others are invested in the project’s success.