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North Shore neighbors hear OʻLaina Farms’ ag‑cluster plan, raise questions about water, animals and parking
Summary
Seth of OʻLaina Farms presented a conditional‑use ag‑cluster for 11.5 acres with five farm families, an agricultural education center and on‑site parking; residents pressed the team on water permits, animal buffers and vehicle access, and the applicant pledged continued outreach with DPP.
Seth, speaking for OʻLaina Farms, told the North Shore Neighborhood Board that his group purchased an 11.5‑acre parcel and is seeking to develop an ag cluster that would house five farm families, dedicate about 25,000 square feet to a nonprofit agricultural‑education use and reserve roughly 384,000 square feet for active farming. He said the parcel has conditional approval from the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP), the water permit has been pending with the Board of Water since May, and the project includes internal parking and a traffic study submitted to DPP.
The board and neighbors focused their questions on practical impacts. One resident asked where the farm dwellings’ entrance and exit would be; Seth answered the vehicular access is from Wailua Beach Road and that required parking would be provided inside the property. On livestock, Seth said the initial approach will be small scale — “maybe 10 chickens” to start — and that DPP guidance and buffer rules will determine what is allowed. He added the project team will install foliage screening along the property line to minimize visual and noise impacts for adjacent homeowners.
Board members praised the presentation’s early coordination with DPP and encouraged continued neighborhood engagement. Chair offered to put the applicant back on a future agenda for brief updates, saying the board is interested in using the project as a model for responsibly locating true agricultural operations on former plantation land.
Project details provided by the presenter: about 11.5 acres total, a planned CPR subdivision into seven lots with five family farm dwellings, roughly 25,000 sq ft dedicated to nonprofit agricultural education, a front commercial/agritourism area (estimated 5–7,000 sq ft multipurpose structure), a proposed 60,000 sq ft lavender block and a phased planting plan dependent on irrigation approval.
Next steps: Seth said the team will continue weekly contact with their DPP planner, complete irrigation and architectural submittals, and return with updates to the neighborhood board as permits and water approvals move forward.
