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Wai Coast residents urge OHA to flag subdivision, energy and education bills for deeper review
Summary
Community members from the Wai Coast and Nanakuli urged OHA trustees to add SB2423/HB1734 and other measures to the Native Hawaiian housing and natural-resources matrices, citing infrastructure, evacuation, cultural, and educational equity concerns.
Residents from the Wai Coast urged the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board on March 11 to ensure certain bills receive focused review because of potential local impacts on infrastructure, cultural resources and educational outcomes.
Jireine Meyers, introduced herself as an OHA beneficiary and chair of a neighborhood-board housing and zoning committee and asked trustees to add Senate Bill 2423 and its companion House Bill 1734—measures that would limit county lot-size regulation in urban-district areas—to the Native Hawaiian housing matrix so OHA could formally evaluate their potential impacts. Meyers said Chair Tommy Waters had asked neighborhood boards to review the bills, and she warned that the proposals could allow “significantly increased subdivision and residential density” in communities along the Wai Coast, raising concerns about transportation capacity, drainage, wastewater, schools and emergency evacuation routes.
Germaine Meyers, a separate public commenter representing the Nanakuli neighborhood board, urged close monitoring of HP1981, a bill to characterize carbon sequestration potential and geothermal and groundwater resources statewide; she emphasized that energy development proposals should include meaningful consultation with Native Hawaiian communities and protect cultural and environmental resources.
On education, Germaine Meyers also commended OHA’s support for student-transportation bills (HB780 and SB2395) and highlighted Nanakuli High & Intermediate School data cited in testimony: an enrollment of 928 students, approximately 71% economically disadvantaged and 71% Native Hawaiian; testimony said 54% of students attend at least 90% of school days and single-digit proficiency rates in mathematics (9%). Meyers urged caution about proposals to hire unlicensed teachers, saying solutions must not lower educational standards.
Board response and next steps: Trustees affirmed they heard public testimony and then proceeded with staff recommendations on the matrices; staff said they would notify neighborhood boards about upcoming meetings and legislative-advocacy opportunities. The board did not reopen committee review during the session.
