Envisioned for more than a decade and after six years of planning and compromise, the difference of 17 feet should not be allowed to scuttle a long-awaited elderly affordable-housing tower in Chinatown.
But here we are: The Halewai‘olu Senior Residences would be a 17-story tower for 155 low-income kupuna households, built by developer The Michaels Organization on city land on River Street between Vineyard Boulevard and Kukui Street. But new concern is coming from Lum Sai Ho Tong Hawaii, a neighboring cultural society, over emissions from a nearby mortuary’s crematorium.
The society objects to a narrower-than-expected setback of the project from its property: Instead of a 40-foot setback (pared from the society’s initially desired 60 feet), Michaels now says it needs to reduce the setback to 23 feet, to make the $93.6 million project financially feasible. The developer notes that even with that shorter setback, the tower would be 73 feet from the society’s building.
But Lum Sai Ho Tong representatives are crying foul, stressing the previous understanding of a 40-foot setback: “Basically, they’re trying to ram it through” and that Michaels “just changed their plan without telling us.”
They’re worried that the smaller setback will funnel emissions from the crematorium toward the society’s property. Michaels, though, disputes that, citing results of an odor study conducted in November.
Big-picture-wise: With the hefty demand for affordable housing, Oahu can ill afford to let worthy projects wither under NIMBYism — such as occurred recently with a four-story, rental apartment project proposed for Kailua.
Being a good neighbor matters, of course. And Michaels, having gone through past conflicts with its Chinatown neighbors, should have been more aware about stirring up ill will by this perceived blindside of reducing the setback. At the same time, if neighbors truly support this elderly housing project, as they insist, an accurate due-diligence study on emissions should be acceptable without undue pushback.
For this project, the developer is getting about $90 million in tax-exempt bonds, a loan and tax credits via a state agency, and is seeking $1.4 million in city fee waivers. Public hearings are upcoming.
All that makes it incumbent upon Michaels to be a good community neighbor — and there seems to be room for compromise here, literally, 17 feet. Whether it be further emissions study by the developer, or some setback give by the cultural society, both sides should work toward realizing this project to provide much-needed housing for Hawaii’s kupuna.
