‘ELE‘ELE — The County of Kaua‘i has acquired from Alexander and Baldwin the fee simple title to a 75-acre parcel of land in ‘Ele‘ele that will provide future affordable housing opportunities for Kaua‘i residents, both parties announced in press releases
‘ELE‘ELE — The County of Kaua‘i has acquired from Alexander and Baldwin the fee simple title to a 75-acre parcel of land in ‘Ele‘ele that will provide future affordable housing opportunities for Kaua‘i residents, both parties announced in press releases Friday afternoon.
The $2.5 million purchase was approved by the County Council in December 2009, and the transaction included a donation by A&B because it sold the parcel to the county at a sales price below fair market value, the release states.
The land purchase was initiated by former Mayor Bryan Baptiste, who saw a need for the county to take an active role in the development of affordable housing for Kaua‘i residents by acquiring land and working in partnership with private development organizations. Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. carried the vision forward by reaching this milestone.
The parcel is situated along Kaumuali‘i Highway, adjacent to and east of Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity’s ‘Ele‘ele I Luna affordable housing project. The parcel’s shape allows for future road access from Halewili Road.
Development of the parcel is a long-range project. The County, through its Housing Agency, has engaged the services of a land planning consultant, R.M. Towill, to master plan the site, which will be a collaborative process with the Westside community.
The master plan will help to analyze the site to determine potential housing density and phasing, site and off-site infrastructure needs, and preliminary financial information. Smart growth concepts will be integrated into the master plan, and it is the county’s intent to use green building practices in housing construction.
“Our initial goal was to acquire additional acreage for affordable housing by October of this year. I’m so pleased that we were able to work cooperatively with A&B and the County Council to make it happen far ahead of schedule,” Carvalho said in the release. “This development will be a model ‘green community’ and something that we hope will set the benchmark for future projects.
“Mahalo to A&B for its significant contribution to this effort and for supporting our affordable housing goals on behalf of the people of Kaua’i,” he said.
A&B Properties Vice President Tom Shigemoto said, “We are very pleased to partner with the County to provide affordable housing on Kaua‘i. This project, located next to Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity’s, will create a critical mass that will make a meaningful contribution to the housing needs on Kaua‘i.”
For more information, call the County Housing Agency at 241-4444 or visit www.kauai.gov or www.alexanderbaldwin.com.
