August 1990 Home   Newsletters

September 1990

October 1990

President's Message (Arlene Ellis)
Team to Examine Alternatives to Rail (Astrid Monson)
Honolulu League Will Participate in National Recycling Survey
League Members Learn About Integrated TSM/Transit Systems (Astrid Monson)
Teamsters Vote Count to Get Underway in September
Waikiki Plans Proliferate (Astrid Monson)
Waikiki Walk Two (Dorothy Turnbull)
News from the Council Review Committee (Jean Aoki)
Leaguers Attend Kapolei Presentation (Astrid Monson)
Honolulu League Members Seek Political Office
Welcome New Members
Announcing: People's Water Conference #7

Leaguers Attend Kapolei Presentation

Twenty-five Leaguers and friends attended a presentation at Campbell Estate's downtown office on July 27, of up-to-the-minute progress in building Ewa's long-planned "second city" of Kapolei. Armed with maps, brochures, and an impressive three-screen visual show, planners Henry Eng and David Rae led a spirited discussion of the project's objectives, plans, problems and progress, and explained how such planning problems as water, drainage, waste disposal, transportation, and environmental protection, were being addressed.

The progress show, in a sense, corroborates League's judgment, made more than ten years ago, that the City's General Plan policy of "directing growth" primarily to a relatively compact planned city, rather than permitting continued suburban sprawl, should be supported. Unfortunately, 1988's General Plan revisions to permit significantly more growth in Central Oahu, which League vigorously opposed, will tend to diffuse and blur this policy and slow down Kapolei's growth.

Projected to have 150,000 residents when "built out", Kapolei is planned to provide between 20,000 and 25,000 jobs, significantly lessening highway commuting volumes to downtown, Waikiki, and other major existing employment centers. (Actually, a 1986 report showed the average reported travel time to work from Ewa to be 25.8 minutes, compared with an island average of 22.6 minutes. Less than 23% of the Ewa labor force reported a commute of 45 minutes or more, compared with 12% island-wide. This suggests that, as elsewhere in the U.S., increasing numbers of jobs are being developed outside central urban areas, and Kapolei will accelerate this trend.)

By 2005, employment opportunities for Kapolei residents will include nearby Campbell Industrial Park (6,400 jobs), Ko Olina (West Beach) resort (5,000), and downtown Kapolei center (12,400.)

Kapolei is planned to include significant numbers of cluster, attached, and low-rise apartment homes, at densities two or three times those of typical suburban homes affordable by only the uppermost income groups. Such more compact development uses significantly less land, has lower infrastructure and tax costs, and leads to more affordable housing. Already several projects have been opened and others are under construction with 50% or 60% of their homes selling at between $89,000 and $120,000. The current median family income is over $40,000. At the meeting, we were told that rental housing at comparable levels will soon be started.

League's sincere thanks to Campbell's staff for an interesting and informative presentation and discussion, to say nothing of the generous buffet lunch provided.

Astrid Monson
Planning & Zoning Committee Chair

August 1990 Home   Newsletters October 1990