Posted 05/02/2011
At last month’s Honolulu Planning Commission meeting at Kapolei Hale, a handful of West O`ahu farmers tried to dispel the notion that the 96 acres in Nanakuli proposed for development of a light industrial park are unfit for farming
“If I can grow a plant in broken glass parts, in peat moss … anyone can farm anywhere if they want to,” Nanakuli farmer Gerald Booth said at the commission’s hearing on proposed changes to the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan. Those changes, which the commission will decide on later this month, include a new urban zone at one spot along Lualualei Naval Access Road to accommodate the park.
While landowner Tropic Land, LLC, and park proponents have claimed the land is too rocky and too dry to farm successfully, Booth testified that the last farmers on the land, the Araki brothers, “put in the time, sweat equity, and [soil] amendments” to produce high-quality crops. Unable to afford an increase in rent, however, the farm closed decades ago. “They were as surprised as I was that their rent was not accepted to continue. … All the effort they put in was gone,” Booth said.
Although the brothers used only about a dozen acres of the proposed park site, Booth argued that more than 50 acres are farmable.
“There’s more than sufficient land for five- or ten-acre plots,” he said.
Nearby farmers Faith Arakawa and Everett Nakata also testified against the proposed upzoning, which some have claimed is spot-zoning.
“I feel like I’m lady Macbeth — out damn spot!” Arakawa said, adding that Wai`anae is one of the last areas on O`ahu with good farm land.
To this, farmer Roberta Searle, speaking on behalf of Tropic Land, pointed out that Wai`nae has plenty of agricultural land, about 140,000 acres. She added that the company will be providing land on the perimeter of the proposed industrial park to the non-profit organization she works with to be used as an agribusiness incubator.
“We are not trading off or out agricultural lands. We are trading up,” she said.
Whether or not the Planning Commission agrees remains to be seen. The majority of the members of the state Land Use Commission, however, don’t appear concerned about the potential loss of farm land.
On April 18, a few days before the LUC voted on Tropic Land’s petition to reclassify its land as Urban, former state Department of Agriculture director Yukio Kitagawa asked the commission to reject it.
“Many years ago, when I was with the College of Tropical Agriculture, I worked with the producer who began farming the land in question. I can tell you that the land was productive and successfully produced quality eggplant, bell pepper, and cucumber to name a few, despite the claim by some that the soil is inherently not the best. In fact, a good percentage of the productive crop lands in the valley is the same soil type,” he wrote.
Despite Kitagawa’s arguments, the commission voted 5-3 on April 21 to place the project site in the Urban District. Although the commission fell one vote short of approving the boundary amendment, those who opposed the redistricting were almost exclusively concerned about adequate access to the site, which Tropic Land has so far failed to secure.
Read Kitagawa ‘s testimony.
Josephine Lapina
We reside on 87-1665 and 87-1669 Paakea Rd. On regards to this Tropic land LLC, my dad, Leon R. Lapina Sr. Opposes this Nanakuli community baseyard. On the FINAL STATE OF HAWAII LAND USE COMMISSION Hearing held on January 6, 2022, commencing at 9:01 a.m., deposition has incorrect information showing that chairman scheuer stating , “ we have Leon Lupino followed by Harrison Goo, and then we will conclude public testimony on this matter. I am moving Leon Lapina into the meeting to be a panelist.”
Leon Lapina is not in support of this nanakuli baseyard and he is clearly not a panelist. There are discrepancies in the deposition and I am currently trying to get the video because this is incorrect on what Leon Lapina says in his deposition. Including my deposition, having incorrect information of what I said.
Currently, there is flooding in this area, but it is not from natural causes. I have taken videos alongside. Lualualei naval magazine road and you can clearly see alongside the road all across from waste management all of this sludge. Of course, due to all of the waste on top of coral that the natural rainwater goes through down under to a natural reservoir is now blocked from sediment and all this debris, which is now flooding the area and causing trenches through peoples houses in lower nanakuli.
It’s undeniable if you are right upfront seeing it up close. Half of our property is non arable. It is adjacent to the emergency access road of which the city and county department of planning took eminent domain through corporation counsel against my dad , Leon R. Lapina, out of court and not able to have any representation being equal to the city and county of Honolulu corporation counsel.
Leon Lapina has not yet been given fair compensation and is still without an easement. This taking of an easement was unjustified. We were not given any notice of this meeting and yet this urbanization and industrial facility will most definitely affect our future as I believe to the best of my knowledge it will be the taking of our property which is adjacent to the emergency access road.
This is complete fraud of having Leon Lapina as a panelist and why were we not given notice and opportunity of this important meeting?
Josephine Lapina
Since the emergency access road located on Lualualei naval magazine road and Paakea road that is currently opened for public use so far, there is :
1. major dumping of appliances, heavy household things, things that more than likely from a dump type vehicle, now with the emergency access road being more like an easy access to dump and run,
2. The Lualualei naval road is unsafe to drive with deep pot holes everywhere,
3. There is no lines on the road and drivers are driving to get around the pot holes, especially at night is even more dangerous having no street lights, drivers are using their high beams,
4. Although the emergency access road is ,”safe to drive,” the Lualualei naval road is highly dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists,
5. The mountainside on Lualualei naval road is zoned preserved one. And now the change that the city and county of Honolulu, commissioners want to make the land urbanized is complete opposite.
Finally, are we not striving to preserve the natural environment? This valley is a historic gathering place, the United States Navy has the documents that prove there was trading and foreigners on horse buggies would settle along the revine to do trades and then drive through the kole Kole pass and do trades on the north side. People would gather and celebrate along side the revine on Lualualei naval road. This is a historic area that must be preserved.
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We already have very little land that is preserved,
We don’t need anymore golf courses.
I am willing to testify and the documents from the Navy must be subpoenaed to show the true facts and value of why this part of the land of Oahu must be kept as is and not for sale to private owners.
Furthermore, the people( more than twenty[20] nanakuli residents)that reside in this Nanakuli community opposes this urbanization anywhere in this valley of Lualualei naval road or anywhere else in Nanakuli, what is the nanakuli representative’s take on this matter having the residents of Nanakuli in opposition of this project ,” Nanakuli community baseyard?” The residence of the nanakuli community wants to hear what our nanakuli community representative has to say about this? Does our Nanakuli representative stand for the Nanakuli community? The people of Nanakuli have spoken, we want our community representative to stand up for us now. What is our Nanakuli community representative’s take on this important matter that will change history?
This State of Hawaii is an agricultural state