$11.8 million would pay for remodeling All 69 of the Navy housing units at Pacific Missile Range Facility would get badly needed facelifts under an $11.8 million appropriation attached to a military spending bill by U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie of
$11.8 million would pay for remodeling
All 69 of the Navy housing units at Pacific Missile Range Facility would get badly needed facelifts under an $11.8 million appropriation attached to a military spending bill by U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie of Hawai’i.
The units, most built in 1969 and 1970 for officers and enlisted personnel, will be totally remodeled under the appropriation, part of the fiscal year 2002 Military Construction Appropriations Bill.
The bill, approved earlier this week by a House-Senate conference committee and yesterday by the Senate, includes $382.8 million in construction projects at military installations in Hawai’i, with $239.2 million for family housing and barracks work.
The bill faces a final vote in the House before going to the White House for President Bush’s approval.
Although Kaua’i isn’t in his district, Abercrombie (D-1st District) fought for the PMRF housing funding because he sees the base at Barking Sands as critical in keeping a Navy presence in Hawai’i, according to Mike Slackman, the congressman’s press secretary in Washington, D.C.
The money was added at Abercrombie’s initiative because PMRF “provides training facilities for the fleet in Hawai’i that are absolutely critical to maintaining combat efficiency and enhance (the Navy’s) continued presence in Hawai’i,” Slackman said.
Further, Abercrombie “feels that adequate housing for the people who staff that facility is just as important as the high-tech equipment that they use in the naval exercises,” Slackman added.
All but 15 of the existing 69 family housing units were constructed in 1969 and 1970, and are in need of repair and renovation, according to Vida Mossman, PMRF spokeswoman.
Major renovations planned include installation of new roofs and gutters, renovation of bathrooms and kitchens, upgrading interior plumbing and electrical wiring, repairing or replacing aging exterior sewer systems, demolishing detached carports and replacing them with attached garages, treating and finishing interior walls, and refurbishing and standardizing patios.
The 69 units provide sufficient quarters for the 89 active-duty military members assigned to PMRF, Mossman said.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
