Future of Koa Ridge development on Central Oahu lies in hands of testifiers, Land Use Commission

UPDATE: The Land Use Commission has announced its agenda for its Honolulu meetings on March 18 and 19. The Commission will continue its hearing on Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Inc. (Oahu), which asks to amend the Agricultural Land Use District Boundary into the Urban District for about 767 acres at Waipio and Waiawa for the planned Koa Ridge development.

March 18—9:30 a.m. 
Conference Room 204, Second Floor, Leiopapa A Kamehameha, 
235 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
 
March 19—8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. 
Conference Room 405, Fourth Floor, Leiopapa A Kamehameha, 
235 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

MILILANI—The largest community development in Hawaii scheduled to break ground in the 21st century, on an area roughly a third bigger than Hawaii Kai, is pushing through its initial phases and aims to begin construction as early as next year. Koa Ridge is a planned community in Central Oahu currently being developed by Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Inc. Two phases of the project, Koa Ridge Makai and Castle & Cooke Waiawa, encompass approximately 760 acres near Ka Uka Boulevard and the H-2 Freeway.

The plan calls for 3,500 to 5,000 single family homes in a wide range of price points. The ultimate goal for Koa Ridge developers is to build a self-sustaining community where residents will live, work, attend school, shop, and enjoy outdoor recreation areas. Planners are focused on using “sustainable building” practices that seek to preserve economic prosperity, social and cultural equity, and the natural ecology of the area, such as creating an abundance of pedestrian and bicycle friendly thoroughfares.

In addition to retail, commercial, and educational amenities, Castle & Cooke plans to donate nearly 30 acres for the construction of a medical facility to the Wahiawa Hospital Association, the entity that currently runs Wahiawa General Hospital. Elementary, middle school, and high schools are planned at Koa Ridge, and Castle & Cooke plans to coordinate with the State Department of Education on building the schools.

The Koa Ridge development is now with the State Land Use Commission, which will rule on Castle & Cooke’s application to amend the area’s Agricultural Use District Boundary into the Urban District. At recent meetings, experts in fields ranging from archaeology to water quality have testified that no adverse effects would stem from the area. This testimony presumably comes following concerns that have been voiced regarding Koa Ridge’s potential impact on the surrounding areas of Waipio, Mililani, Waikele, and Waipahu.

Testifiers against Castle & Cooke’s application also raised concerns about increased traffic, environmental and cultural impacts, loss of agricultural lands, and increased need for educational facilities.

The Land Use Commission approved the project in 2002, but a legal challenge has thus far prevented the project from moving forward. A State Supreme Court ruling reversed the Land Use Commission’s 2002 decision to reclassify hundreds of acres of agricultural land for Castle & Cooke’s massive residential development due to the lack of an environmental impact statement, which has since prepared.

The Sierra Club, Mililani residents, and others have previously raised concerns about traffic, groundwater availability, loss of agricultural lands and open space, and poor planning.

Since planning began, Castle & Cooke has invited over 70 community groups to participate in the visioning process—47 of those groups have taken an active role in providing input for visioning.

The Land Use Commission has yet to rule on Castle & Cooke’s application regarding Koa Ridge, and future hearings are planned for March 18 and 19. The most recent hearings about the project were held on February 18 and 19.

For more information, visit the Land Use Commission website, the court ruling against Castle & Cooke, and the Koa Ridge website.