KOLOA — What appeared to be Koloa Camp residents’ last best hope to avoid Grove Farm’s March 8 eviction order vanished last week. Michael Tresler, senior vice president of Grove Farm, sent a letter to O‘ahu developer Peter Savio on
KOLOA — What appeared to be Koloa Camp residents’ last best hope to avoid Grove Farm’s March 8 eviction order vanished last week.
Michael Tresler, senior vice president of Grove Farm, sent a letter to O‘ahu developer Peter Savio on Feb. 10 rejecting Savio’s offer to buy Koloa Camp land for its appraised value. Under Savio’s plan, Koloa camp tenants, who are mostly fixed-income seniors, would have been able to buy their homes and associated land at cost via developer financing.
Grove Farm is planning to tear down and clear one of Kaua‘i’s last historic sugar plantation camps, formerly known as Japanese Camp C, in April to make way for a new single-family housing development called Waihohonu.
The Waihohonu plan calls for 50 prefabricated Chinese-made modular homes ranging from 500 to 1,200 square feet and priced between $260,000 and $485,000.
“We intend to develop and sell house and lot packages versus selling vacant lots,” Tresler said in his letter to Savio.
Savio on Tuesday said, “The feeling I get from Grove Farm is, ‘Call us back in a week or two and see if we’ve changed our mind.’ I sent a letter back saying I’m keeping my offer open.”
Savio is known on O‘ahu as the developer who helped save Poamoho Camp and its tenants with a similar deal in 2004.
“Despite what you may perceive, we have received great interest in our project and lots of community support for moving ahead, especially given our familiarity with Kaua‘i and having done a recent real estate project here,” Tresler’s letter said. “Some of the tenants do have strong desires to purchase homes in the new development.”
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for Koloa Camp’s 13 tenants. Some, like 83-year-old Catherine Fernandez who has lived in Koloa Camp for 57 years, have said they’re not leaving. Others have said they plan to barricade themselves in their home.
Long-time Koloa Camp resident John Kruse said, “It’s all about egos, so I think we’re probably going to go down to the wire. I’m pretty sure the police will come. I don’t think we’re going to get much help from the mayor.”
Kruse’s son, Kepa Kruse, said Kaua‘i County Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura has been pivotal in helping the residents.
“She and I are working on a draft for a resolution in county council that could potentially ask the council and mayor and Grove Farm for extension of the eviction date while an alternative solution is sought,” Kepa Kruse said. “It seems reasonable since, as of today, Grove Farm still hasn’t filed permits for the development. If Grove Farm got their permits to build, I would encourage everyone to move out peacefully.”
He said he hopes that an extension can prevent a possible standoff between residents and law enforcement officers.
Yukimura confirmed Tuesday that she is working on a resolution on behalf of Koloa Camp, but she didn’t know if it would be on the upcoming council agenda.
“I don’t want to talk about it until it’s finalized,” she said, but added that she has been involved in the Koloa Camp issue from the beginning because she is concerned about the residents.
Koloa Camp has also garnered the attention of state representatives, according to Savio.
“A number of state senators have called me to see if there’s anything they can do, like a resolution,” Savio said. “I was surprised.”
Kepa Kruse said that Grove Farm could create greater housing opportunities and preserve historic Koloa Camp if it were to move its development to land it owns on the other side of the highway.
“Instead of chopping down the garden and creating new flower beds, respect the roots that have been here for 100 years,” he said.
Tresler on Saturday said he did not wish to comment and did not respond to questions by press time Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, we’re paving over paradise,” Savio said. “Plantation camps (on O‘ahu) were torn down. Nobody thought you could save them until Poamoho. It’s part of our history, so we should try to save it.
“I can appreciate Grove Farm’s position though. You spend time and effort and money developing a plan and just when you think you’re about there, it takes a 90-degree turn.”
• Vanessa Van Voorhis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 251, or by emailing vvanvoorhis@thegardenisland.com.
