The diverse commentary in last Sunday’s Star-Advertiser makes it clear there is no shortage of opinion on what Native Hawaiians can do with their land. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) is said to have been too hasty in refusing House Speaker Scott Saiki’s latest offer for Kakaako Makai, what we call Hakuone. That offer has been called a “compromise.” Really?
Let’s say you owned land in a neighborhood where everyone, including foreigners, are allowed to build houses. But the rules say you, and only you, cannot build a house on your land. Forever. Does that sound like a compromise to you?
OHA’s trustees were unanimous in saying “No!”
Policy should serve the people. There is a regulatory process that provides for a change of land use. That’s what is needed here.
Our vision of Hakuone is of a neighborhood where locals are welcome to live, work and play, close to the urban core. Our vision is one of offering working people, pushed out of Kakaako by developers pursuing the highest possible return on investment, a chance to live in a place that columnist Richard Borreca notes “is historic with the footprints of Hawaiian kings and commoners.”
We have heard from descendants of families who once lived there, who dream of a possible return to a place rich with memories of childhood, family and friends.
Our research shows that, when presented with our plans for Hakuone, the public loves it. And this, despite the shameful campaign of misrepresentation of our plans by those who know better, and who present themselves as concerned citizens anxious to preserve open space and access to the shoreline.
One has to wonder if they are actually more anxious to preserve the viewplanes of those who look out on the ocean from multimillion-dollar condos on the other side of Ala Moana Boulevard? Speaker Saiki himself alluded to those “view planes” in a recent interview on Hawaii Public Radio.
The newspaper rightly points out in its own editorial that “OHA already has the right to erect commercial buildings … [for] retail and entertainment attractions” (“Find fair deal for Kakaako Makai,” Our View, April 9). It further points out that “the record of success for such projects that are developed in isolation from a larger community is spotty.” We could not agree more. OHA’s refusal to accept the speaker’s offer is firmly grounded in our commitment to building workforce and genuinely affordable housing as part of its “live, work, play” vision for local families at Hakuone.
Much noise has been generated about development in Hakuone destroying one of Honolulu’s last open spaces. It is as ridiculous as suggesting that Hawaiians — the people who invented surfing — are trying to block ocean access when our history of fighting for coastline protection and shoreline access demonstrates the exact opposite. The opposition has not felt at all inhibited about lecturing Native Hawaiians about how to malama ‘aina.
Insult has been added to injury. First Hawaiians saw their beloved monarch deposed and their lands seized. Then we watched as local communities gave way to what one letter to the editor calls an “ugly 450-foot-high wall of hotels and condos along Kalakaua and now Ala Moana Boulevard that benefit the rich who can afford the millions to buy our ocean views.” Now the House speaker wants us to promise never to build housing on our lands in Hakuone. They are not saying “not now.” They are saying “not ever.” That’s a promise we will not make.
We welcome the state’s allocation of funds to address the state’s long neglect of the area.
Meanwhile, our team will pursue other avenues to make our contribution to addressing the grave lack of affordable housing that is driving so many of Hawaii’s children and grandchildren to move elsewhere. Live, work and play: that remains our mantra for the development of Hakuone.
