Solar Farm Proposed for Waiawa

Kamehameha Schools has proposed building the largest solar farm in the state of Hawaii in Waiawa, which is located between Pearl City and Waipio in the central portion of the island of Oahu.  The land was previously approved as a residential community. but problems with market timing and financing prevented the development from starting. Under the new plan, the solar panels would feed into a 115-megawatt facility, which would be large enough to power 22,540 homes.  Kamehameha Schools stated that the project would have a low impact on the land and that the solar panels would not produce any glare or effect the views from surrounding areas.  The Land Use Commission will hear public testimony over the next few months.  If approval is given, Kamehameha Schools could start building the solar farm by June 2015 and be producing power by June 2016.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 10-23-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Mililani Residents to Meet with Government Officials About Fire Ants

Last week, the state Department of Agriculture confirmed that at least eight homes on Auina Street in Mililani Mauka were infested with fire ants.  Members of the community are now arranging to meet with representatives from the state Department of Agriculture, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, the state Department of Health and the Invasive Special Council to find out what can be done to prevent and treat the problem.  State Senator Donovan Dela Cruz stated, "We also want to give the community an opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. With this being residential areas, it's a serious discovery, and surely triggers a lot of fear and questions in people. The meeting is intended to bring awareness and set a community effort in motion to help the state combat little fire ants." 

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-11-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Several Mililani Mauka Homes Have Fire Ant Infestation

According to officials from the state Department of Agriculture there are at least six homes in Mililani Mauka which have been confirmed to have a fire ant infestation.  The department is now surveying another 125 houses around the 95-1000 block of Auina Street to see how far the problem has spread. Once the scope of the problem is identified, a plan to treat the area will be created.  The little fire ants are an invasive species that are pale orange and measure one-sixteenth of an inch long. They are known to sting and cause large, red welts on humans and the ants an also cause blindness in pets. If the pet is stung in the eye, a cataract will form, and the pet will lose its vision.  Rob Curtiss, the acting manager for the Department of Agriculture's pest control branch, stated, "There's a lot of problems with having little fire ants, so that's why it's important that we get rid of it as soon as we find it.  Then once we stop finding ants, we continue surveying up to three years, and if after three years we never find any more ants, then we'll be confident that we've eradicated it."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-28-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Roadwork Scheduled for Kalanianaole Highway and Kamehameha Highway

The State of Hawaii's Department of Transportation have announced two new major highway repair projects, one on Kalanianaole Highway in East Oahu and one on Kamehameha Highway in Waipio and Mililani.  DOT officials stated that it has been nearly 30 years since a comprehensive repair project occurred on Kalanianaole Highway between West Hind Drive and hanauma Bay.  The work is nearly 15 years overdue, and it will take about $14 million to repair the 21 lane-miles of road.  Work in East Oahu will take place from West Hind Drive to Hawaii Kai Drive 9 a.m to 3 p.m. and from Hawaii Kai to Hanauma Bay Road 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.  The project should be completed by February 2016.

The Kamehameha Highway repair project will cost about $13.3 million and will stretch from Ka Uka Boulevard to Waihau Street.  Work will commence from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. This project should be completed by the summer of 2016. Jadine Urasaki, the Department of Transportation's director for capital improvement projects, stated, "Working through these corridors is often very unpopular due to the inevitable inconveniences that they create. However, we all know that it has to get done."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-19-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
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Castle & Cooke To Proceed with Koa Ridge Development Project

Developer Castle & Cooke Hawaii has announced that they still plan to proceed with the Koa Ridge project that will provide 3,500 new homes in central Oahu.  This affirmation by Castle & Cooke comes after the Hawaii Supreme Court rule on December 23, 2013, that a 2010 Land Use Commission approval was invalid.  However, representatives of Castle & Cooke noted that in 2012, the Land Use Commission voted again to reclassify the land from agricultural to urban use.  Castle & Cooke issued a statement saying, "The (Supreme Court) ruling does not prevent us from proceeding with Koa Ridge. A 2012 LUC approval remains in effect, and last month, Bill 48 (Ordinance 13-38) was signed into law by Mayor Kirk Caldwell that completes the city's rezoning process.  The merits of Castle & Cooke's Koa Ridge project were never in question and we remain committed to moving forward with the project. We have heard from many of you and are overwhelmed by the positive responses and inquiries from families who hope to call Koa Ridge home."

According to Castle & Cooke, ground breaking should begin in 2015 and the first homes should be built in 2016.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 12-31-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Honolulu Mayor Approves Koa Ridge Project

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has signed a bill allowing Castle & Cooke Hawaii to start work on their Koa Ridge project which will provide 3,500 new homes in the central Oahu community. Caldwell stated, "The only way we're going to deal with our skyrocketing housing prices is by building more products and more units. The more that go on the market, that's going to control the increase in price. I'm 100 percent on board with trying to figure out ways to make housing more affordable." Opponents of the Koa Ridge project are still concerned that the new development would destroy important agricultural land in the region and also create even worse traffic problems along the H-2 freeway corridor.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 11-28-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Koa Ridge Update - Honolulu City Council to Have Final Vote Today

The Honolulu City Council is scheduled to vote today on Bill 48, which would allow 576 acres of agricultural land located between Waipio and Mililani in Central Oahu to be developed into commercial, residential and industrial areas.  If the Bill is passed, developer Castle & Cooke plans to build Koa Ridge, which would provide an additional 3,500 homes in the area.  The Koa Ridge project has brought about a lot of heated debate from members of the Central Oahu community. Some have argued that there is a significant need for new homes in the area, and the Koa Ridge development would also provide thousands of construction jobs in the coming years. Opponents of the project are worried about increased traffic and the significant loss of agricultural land.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 11-13-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Koa Ridge Project Needs Just One Final Approval

The Koa Ridge Project has received approval from the City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee and would now just need approval from the entire Honolulu City Council before construction work could begin.  The 576-acre project is being developed by Castle & Cooke Hawaii, who is pleased by the news.  Koa Ridge will be built on the land located between the Waipio and Mililani communities in Central Oahu.  A total of 30 percent of the homes built would have to be "affordable" and made available to families earning no more than 140 percent of the area's median income for a family of four.

There are still two pending court cases against the Koa Ridge project that have been submitted by the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter.  One is currently being reviewed by the Hawaii Supreme Court while the second is before the state Intermediate Court of Appeals.  Director of the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, Robert Harris, commented, "The City Council should act carefully because if the Supreme Court reverses the Land Use Commission decision, the project could be changed entirely or not be allowed to move forward at all."

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 11-2-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Koa Ridge Project Being Reviewed By Zoning and Planning Committee

The Honolulu City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee will be meeting to discuss the Koa Ridge Project, which is being proposed by developer Castle & Cooke Homes.  The large residential project has asked to rezone 576 acres of agricultural land in Waipio, just north of Ka Uka Boulevard.  If approved, Castle & Cooke hopes to build 3,500 residential homes, a new medical facility, a commercial center, an elementary school, several parks and a small business hotel.  As part of the proposal, the Koa Ridge Project will spend $100 million in traffic improvements for the neighborhood, including build a new H-2 freeway interchange at Pineapple Road.

The project has been heavily criticized by the Sierra Club Oahu Group and other organizations who feel that this would destroy one fertile agricultural land.  There is also concern about traffic that the Koa Ridge development would cause in the neighborhood.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 9-10-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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Honolulu Planning Commission Endorses Zoning Change for Koa Ridge Project

In a 5-0 decision, the Honolulu Planning Commission has decided to endorse the zoning change for the Koa Ridge project, bringing the proposed community in Central Oahu one step closer to development.  Developer Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii had asked for a zoning change to turn 576 acres of agricultural land located between Mililani and Waipio into urban zoning.  This would allow the project to start construction of their initial phase of 3,500 house. Koa Ridge would also have a new medical facility, a commercial center, an elementary school, parks and possibly a hotel.  Supporters of the project are delighted about the news and are happy that there will be additional construction jobs and homes in the neighborhood. Opponents of the project protested that there would be additional traffic problems and prime agricultural farmland will be lost to the redevelopment.

Castle & Cooke hopes to build a second phase of Koa Ridge sometime in the future on a separate 192 acre area located nearby.  The plan would be to build 1,500 homes and an elementary school in that location, but a separate zoning change would be needed for that project.  If both projects are approved, it is estimated that the combined cost would be $2.2 billion and take about 10 years to complete.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-11-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
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$33 Million Renovation of Hale Kula Elementary School Underway

A $33 million renovation project of the Hale Kula Elementary School on Schofield Barracks is now underway.  The Department of Defense will be paying $26.6 million of the costs while the state Department of Education will provide the remaining $6.6 million.  The school currently serves approximately 1,000 students, out of which 98 percent of them are military dependents.  According to school principal, Jan Iwase, there have been no upgrades or buildings added to the school since it was constructed in 1959.  The school will get a new student center, cafeteria, classrooms, and library media center.

Kathryn Matayoshi, the Schools Superintendent, stated, "Our celebration is far more than a simple groundbreaking. It's really a symbol of the partnership between the military and the Department of Education in the state of Hawaii with a real dedication and focus on educating our students, our future."  Governor Neil Abercrombie added, "The central focus of today's event is that there was a recognition by the Department of Defense and by the Congress of the United States that in order to sustain and support the quality of life necessary to retain families in the U.S. military, we had to give physical support as well at the school level."  The construction and renovations will take between 14 to 18 months to complete.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 7-2-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, REALTOR®
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Construction Industry Expected to Improve in Next Fiscal Year

The state Council on Revenues announced that the growth forecast for this fiscal year (which ends on June 30th) remains unchanged at 6.7 percent, but increased projections for the next fiscal year to 8 percent thanks to predicted improvements in the construction industry. Previously, the Council on Revenues had predicted a 7.3 percent increase in the 2014 fiscal year, and this updated forecast would mean an addition $37 million in revenue for the state.

With several new housing and condominium projects being presented in Kakaako and central Oahu, as well as the expected resumption of the $5.26 billion Honolulu Rail Project, the state Council of Revenues feels that the construction industry will really pick up over the next few years. Governor Neil Abercrombie commented, “Our economy is strong and appears to be getting stronger. Hawaii continues to lead the U.S. amongst states with significant revenue growth possibilities. We expect to see continued improvement in the construction industry, real estate market, agriculture and small business activity as well the hospitality industry.”

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5-29-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
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Whitmore Circle Apartments in Wahiawa to Get $2.4 Million in Improvements

The Whitmore Circle Apartments in Wahiawa is an affordable rental complex for seniors. The Vitus Group Inc., who purchased the complex in 2011, has announced that they will spend $2.4 million in improvements for the project including doing interior upgrades, expanding the community center, building outdoor gazebos, adding photovoltaic panels and installing new appliances and fixtures. Under their terms of ownership, the Vitus Group only allows elderly or disabled tenants who earn no more than 50 percent of Honolulu’s median income. The Vitus Groups owns over 7,000 affordable-housing units in 14 states across the nation.

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 12-1-2012, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
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Land Use Commission Hears Testimonals for Koa Ridge Project

The Koa Ridge project, proposed by developer Castle & Cooke, would build a total of 5,000 homes, two elementary schools, a small hotel, a small hospital, parks and 500,000 sq ft of retail and office spaces on the 768 acres adjacent to Waipio and Mililani on the island of Oahu.  However, prior to start the $2.2 billion development, the state of Hawaii’s Land Use Commission must give its approval.  Opponents of the project hope to keep the land agricultural and are concerned about the increased traffic problems that the development would create.  The Land Use Commission will continue to hear testimonals from both sides over the next few days. 

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 2-3-2012, www.staradvertiser.com

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