• Kukui‘Ula questions Kukui‘Ula questions Alexander and Baldwin (A&B), in 1989, came before the Kaua‘i community to ask for help. In order to support their agricultural operations, they asked for a general plan amendment and zoning to put up a
• Kukui‘Ula questions
Kukui‘Ula questions
Alexander and Baldwin (A&B), in 1989, came before the Kaua‘i community to ask for help. In order to support their agricultural operations, they asked for a general plan amendment and zoning to put up a hotel, time-share condos, and residential lots in the Kukui‘ula area. Revenues generated, they claimed, would help keep McBryde, the A&B agricultural subsidiary on Kaua‘i, viable, and local people employed. The project would also provide housing opportunities for local residents.
The A&B application, submitted by attorney Walton Hong, stated:
“The Applicant projects its selling prices for the single family lots to start at $60,000, based on current dollars.” (November, 1988) “The larger lots with better amenities such as views or golf course frontage will, of course, command the better prices.” (page 15 of the application)
On August 10, 1989, in The Garden Island, then A&B Vice President William Campbell was quoted at a hearing:
“We have attempted to answer many of the concerns of community and government input” said Campbell, adding that “A&B would construct, at its own expense, a western bypass road, linking its development with Koloa Road.”
In the same article, Ann Bouslog, senior manager (at that time) for the consulting department of Peat Marwick Main and Co., was quoted:
“People buying their primary residences could expect to pay between $140,000 to $240,000 for homes constructed on 6000 to 8000 square foot lots.”
Of course, today, fifteen years later, allowing for inflation, cost of living increases, and market demand, we might allow for those prices to be approximately doubled. Still, for Kaua‘i, that would be “reasonable.”
A&B now has a new partner, DMB of Arizona. They are experienced at developing luxury properties on the Mainland, and have come in to bail out the stalled Po‘ipu project.
They are asking for new zoning to reduce the density. At first blush, it sounds great! Who really wants to dust, the noise, the traffic of a maximum density project?
But there is a catch.
The developer’s new application for zoning and visitor destination area increases reveals the following surprise:
“The project will offer duplex and triplex units with sales prices estimated between $1.9 and $2.3 million. Detached single-family residences will be offered for an estimated price of $1.3 million. Hillside custom lots offering elevated panoramic views of the ocean and golf course are anticipated to start around $975,000. The upper-end custom lots with views of the coastline are expected to range in price from $1.75 to $3 million.” (page 11, emphasis added)
Can you afford these prices? Who can? Very few normal Kaua‘i residents will be in this market.
I should note that I’m referring to normal, or “gap group” housing, not “affordable” housing. The applicant notes that no new affordable housing s required for this project. With the reduction in zoning density, they quote:
“Therefore, the Housing Agency is prepared to recommend that no additional affordable housing requirements should be imposed on the revised Kukui‘ula Project.”
A company and its representatives come before the community, seeking general plan amendments and zoning which they claim will benefit the community and provide reasonable housing opportunities. Fifteen years later, with a sharp new partner and huge profits in mind, they ask for amendments, and the reasonable housing disappears.
Should a company, like a person, honor their word? I believe they should.
DR. JACK LUNDGREN
Wailua Homesteads
