The governor’s kauhale plan is a commendable way to address homelessness (“Homeless kauhale villages in Hawaii supported at Legislature,” Star-Advertiser, May 1).

In contrast, Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 201H-38, which provides for housing development exemptions, is rapidly paving the way for a scourge of high-rise, high-density development to destroy scores of affordable two-story walk-up apart- ments, blighting the Diamond Head skyline of Central Honolulu forever. Kuilei Place and now Kapiolani Village displace the working poor, while enabling the wealthy.

201H-38 simultaneously threatens preservation lands and historic sites statewide, most recently endangering an entire preservation-zoned forest in Manoa. With the Red Hill threat unresolved for all of Honolulu, and one-third of Oahu’s water already toxified by plantation and military chemicals, we lack the safe drinking water resources to support more development.

The governor can best serve Hawaii’s future by acknowledging this crisis. His next proclamation should declare a moratorium on development on Oahu. 201H-38 should be repealed.

Ellen Sofio

Manoa

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