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State agency proposes kupuna/low‑income housing on a parcel zoned preservation; neighbors press for protections and parking plans
Summary
Developers and state representatives discussed a Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) plan for about 80 units on a state parcel classified 'urban' but zoned P‑2 preservation at the county level; DHHL said it will provide on‑site parking and follow P‑2 rules where applicable, while residents pressed for assurances that other preservation lands be protected as tradeoffs.
A state representative told the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is considering developing a state parcel across from the post office for roughly 80 low‑income or kupuna units and that DHHL is treating the parcel as 'urban' at the state level while the county zoning remains P‑2 (preservation).
Cameron Black, representing Gov. Josh Green's office, said DHHL is "exempt from the standard rezoning process that private land owners are required to follow" and that the department's current studies emphasize on‑site parking to minimize neighborhood street impacts. He said DHHL's preliminary approach is to provide sufficient on‑site parking and to design the project to fit surrounding multifamily character.
Board members and residents raised multiple concerns about parking, loss of preservation land and whether the community would receive tradeoffs to secure other conservation parcels. Greg and other board members argued that giving up preservation land near Cocoa Head and Pico Ridge would harm ecology and local quality of life; Tommy Waters (Council chair) said the city can pursue conservation easements and land‑acquisition funding as tools to protect adjacent lands and said the public will have opportunities for comment during environmental and county processes if the project advances.
Residents asked how DHHL's exemption interacts with county zoning, and Black responded that DHHL intends to follow county requirements where P‑2 applies but will inform the county of its decision; he said DHHL's stated intent is to deliver housing that supports multigenerational families and kupuna needs. Neighbors requested assurances about parking design and asked that any rezoning or development be accompanied by protections for other preservation parcels.
No formal decisions were made at the meeting. Board members asked state and developer representatives to provide detailed parking plans and to continue early stakeholder engagement.
