Hawea Heiau in Maunalua

Hale Alii Is out, Hale Ka Lae is in

2010-11-05T14:22:00.004-10:00

Hawaii Kai Luxury Project Gets New Name, and Look: Hale Alii Is out, Hale Ka Lae is in!!!
Catherine Cruz KITV4 News Reporter
http://www.kitv.com/news/25574993/detail.html

A controversial project formerly known as Hale Alii is being renamed as Hale Ka Lae-- house at the point-- which reflects its location at the corner of Keahole Street and Hawaii Kai Drive.Newly hired Chief Executive Officer Mike Greco says the landowners Hanwa Corporation wanted to go back to the drawing board after a falling out with the community over the bulldozing of cultural sites in a marsh area.

The owners were also taken to task over the original name Hale Alii, which some considered culturally offensive. In Hawaiian, Alii means royalty.“We formed an advisory council and employed some local historians to come up with some names,” said Mike Greco.They settled on Hale Ka Lae.A new management and design team is on board to reflect the change in direction the owners are taking. What was planned to be three separate structures on eight acres, built in phases, will now be a single ten story complex on three acres.“Totally different look, both inside and out,” said Greco.

Greco said the project will be a distinctive world class development unique to Oahu and will essentially the same amenities that Hale Alii was offering.“The design in general, will set it apart. It is different where the building and the internal courtyards are situated. It will have, I want to say, a lot more character,” said Greco.Earlier this week, community members with the Livable Hawaii Kai Hui briefed the Hawaii Kai neighborhood board about negotiations underway with the developer to buy and protect the adjacent marsh land.

The Trust for Public Land said hopes to purchase the five acre parcel and keep the cultural sites and native habitat for endangered birds in perpetuity.The original plans called for 297 units. Hale Ka Lae will be more dense, with 342 units for sale. Prices will start at one point four million dollars. Groundbreaking is expected in spring of next year.

Greco also said he has an agreement with the city to build 56 affordable rentals. While the landowner has the option of building those units on site, it is likely to be built elsewhere.

Hawea Heiau Saved

2010-11-04T17:03:00.005-10:00

Group to buy cultural site from builder

A developer of land in Hawaii Kai agrees to sell a 5-acre parcel to a community hui

By Andrew Gomes

A rendering shows the original design of the Hale Alii condominium, which is being redesigned and renamed Hale Ka Lae.

The developer of a planned a luxury condominium in Hawaii Kai that drew protests over the treatment of cultural artifacts on the site has agreed to sell part of the land at the heart of the controversy to a community group for preservation.

The tentative deal involves the roughly 300-unit project recently renamed Hale Ka Lae from Hale Alii, at the corner of Keahole Street and Hawaii Kai Drive.

If completed, the sale will help advance the long-delayed project, which enjoyed early support from the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board before trouble over the cultural site erupted.

Under the agreement, the nonprofit Livable Hawaii Kai Hui would buy five acres of the 8-acre project site for $650,000.

The 5-acre parcel, which is zoned for preservation use and contains ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs and other historical features connected with a pre-contact Hawaiian village, had been slated to become a private landscaped park with features including lagoon-style waterways, floating cabanas and a sand-edged pool with ozone-purified water.

The condominium would still be built on the three acres as previously planned, though it is being redesigned. Construction is anticipated to begin early next year, according to the developer.

Cultural preservationists hail the agreement as something that will create a cultural piko, or central point, for Hawaii Kai instead of a private playground that would have destroyed many historical features.

"It's a huge turnaround," said Ann Marie Kirk, a Livable Hawaii Kai Hui member. "We went from being threatened with being arrested and threatened with lawsuits to a place where the community has a chance to acquire this sacred place in perpetuity. It's pretty amazing. This is so great."

Monica Salter, a spokeswoman for Hale Ka Lae developer Hanwha Engineering & Construction, said the company is pleased to be working with the nonprofit on a plan that will enhance the community and the condo project.

But because some aspects of the transaction are not final, the developer reserved additional comment.

The sale is not a done deal, but Livable Hawaii Kai Hui is hopeful it will be completed.

The nonprofit partnered with another nonprofit, the Trust for Public Land, to help facilitate the purchase.

Trust for Public Land has submitted applications for two $325,000 grants from the state Legacy Land Conservation Program and the city Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund.

Laura Hokunani Ka'akua, native lands coordinator for the trust, said the site has a rich cultural value given the presence of a heiau complex, ancient dwelling sites, petroglyphs, agricultural terraces, a coconut grove, remnants of a spring-fed well and a wetland that is home to the endangered alae ula, or Hawaiian moorhen.

"This site is really like a treasure," Ka'akua said. "It's in the middle of Hawaii Kai, one of the most built-out communities on Oahu. This little 5-acre property, which is walking distance from a Costco, is a reminder of our ancestral past."

A stewardship plan will be created to restore and preserve the site, which could include rebuilding parts of the Hawea Heiau complex some historians believe was on the site.

Though state officials believe Hawea Heiau was not located on the site, many other archeological features on the property have been well documented by surveys over the last few decades. Other features are believed to have been destroyed by previous owners of the property.

At one time the 5-acre parcel was to become a public park, but that requirement was eliminated by the city. Condos may not be built on the site because it is preservation-zoned land.

The Hale Alii development plan originated with Mike Klein, a local developer primarily involved in affordable housing projects.

Klein became interested in building affordable homes on the site about a decade ago to fulfill a city requirement for affordable housing tied to surrounding housing projects built without affordable units.

In 2003, Klein completed the 31-unit Kaluanui Senior Apartments on an adjacent site.

As a way to help finance additional affordable housing, Klein proposed building them with a mix of luxury condos. Recreational amenities were planned on the preservation parcel as part of the condo complex. Units in an initial phase were listed for $1.3 million to $3.7 million.

Last year, cultural preservationists grew alarmed after Klein began grading part of the 5-acre parcel without proper approvals, including an archaeological monitoring plan.

Livable Hawaii Kai Hui member Kirk and other concerned residents claimed the work destroyed some important features, though the developer had approval from the state Historic Preservation Division to destroy all but three petroglyphs and the wetland.

Kirk said she and others trying to document more features on the site were threatened with arrest by Klein.

Several area residents and a few neighborhood board members also had received letters from an attorney on behalf of Hale Alii Development threatening legal action if they did not remove or refrain from making alleged false and defamatory statements about the project.

Last year, Hanwha Engineering & Construction, a South Korean investor, replaced Klein as the project's lead developer and hired Mike Greco, a former construction vice president with Chicago-based developer Fifield Cos., as chief operating officer.

Greco publicly pledged about six months ago to end the discord, and began meeting with Livable Hawaii Kai Hui and other community members.

Those meetings progressed into negotiations to sell the preservation parcel.

Elizabeth Reilly, a neighborhood board member and president of Livable Hawaii Kai Hui, said the developer took a "huge step" by agreeing to sell the parcel.

"It's quite impressive," she said. "This speaks volumes as it relates to good work between the community and development when you sit at the table with a willing attitude."

KHON2

Reported by: Marisa Yamane
Email: myamane@khon2.com

A conservation group is hoping to purchase five acres of land in Hawaii Kai next to The Oahu Club.

The property includes a heiau and a wetland that's home to endangered birds.

It's still in the preliminary stage, and it all depends on whether the group can get the hundreds of thousands of dollars it is asking for from the State and City.

Amidst all the houses, condos and other buildings in Hawaii Kai, there's a five-acre parcel of land off Hawaii Kai Drive where you can still find petroglyphs, ancient burial sites, ancient house sites, and an ancient well.

It's where a Hawaiian fishing village used to be, and where Hawea Heiau is located.

"There's numerous cultural sites that connect us to our ancestral past," said Laura Hokunani Ka'akua, The Trust for Public Land.

This parcel also includes a wetland, which is home to as many as nine of the remaining 300 endangered 'Alae 'Ula birds.

'They're the bird famous for bringing fire to the Hawaiians in the legend of Maui," said Mardi Laprade of Hawaii Kai.

The group Liveable Hawaii Kai Hui wants to preserve this parcel of land from future development, and has sought help from the non-profit group "The Trust for Public Land," which presented its idea to the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood board tuesday night.

"This resolution we're asking for tonight will hopefully show the community support to these different funders," said Ka'akua.

The Liveable Hawaii Kai Hui has put in an application with the State DLNR, requesting $325,000, and with the City, also requesting $325,000 in an effort to purchase the five-acre parcel of land.

"This land owner has been very agreeable and open about working with The Trust for Public Land," said Ka'akua.

The land owner also owns the adjacent parcel, where there are plans to build a luxury condo.

Last year residents were upset when they learned that construction crews buried a section of Hawea Heiau.

"But under this new management they are deeply apologetic and are now supporting the community groups that want to acquire property," said Ka'akua.

No price has been agreed upon yet, but the Liveable Hawaii Kai Hui believes it'll be in the $650,000-range.

"People need a place to live but we have to balance development with conservation and preservation," said

Tonight, the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board voted unanimously in favor of supporting the acquisition of the land for conservation.

What does preservation mean: do not ask SHPD Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division

2010-05-02T11:33:00.005-10:00

Hawaii Struggles with Historic Preservation

Source: Honolulu Weekly (4-21-10)

As State lawmakers and community members continue to push for a managerial audit of the State Historic Preservation Division, division officials insist that they’re being blamed for a series of potential problems that would first need to be solved by the Legislature.

Dozens of community members turned out for a meeting with SHPD administrators at Wilson Elementary School on April 14 to air grievances about the division’s operations. Community members voiced concerns over whether ancient burial sites are being adequately protected, the level of transparency and quality of communications between SHPD and the general public, and potential conflicts of interest in Hawaii law, which permits developers to hire archaeological consultants to assess the cultural and historical value of sites on which those developers hope to build.

“This conversation needed to occur, and it’s been a long time coming,” said Rep. Lyla Berg, who facilitated the community forum. “It became very obvious to me that across the state, there are not isolated but very pervasive issues within this division. So, in January, I introduced a resolution to have an audit–a managerial, not financial, audit–of SHPD.”

But SHPD officials insist that they’re caught in the middle of a battle between community members frustrated by the process by which SHPD is required to operate, and a State Legislature whose responsibility it is to change the law if that’s what’s right for Hawaii.

“The process for SHPD right now is the way the law works,” said SHPD Administrator Puaalaokalani Aiu. “People are frustrated about the process, but for us to change our process, it would require a law change. Our process is to operate within the law.”
Shielded by the law

Despite legality, elements of the process that’s in place–like the credentials required for those taking inventories at culturally sacred sites–are what have disgruntled community members most upset.

“This whole process stinks,” said Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board member Gary Weller at the community forum, “I talked to someone [who was taking inventory of archaeological objects at an Oahu development site] from North Carolina. I asked her, ‘What do these things mean at the site?’ She said, ‘I don’t know, the boss just sent me out here to look around. They look like rocks to me.’”

SHPD officials, who grant archaeological permits and have fought for stricter required archaeological licensing in Hawaii, say it’s up to the State to support the changes for which the division has lobbied.

“We wanted the archaeologists to get licensed, and we submitted a bill for that and it got defeated,” said Aiu. “We don’t have any authority over archaeologists. All we do is permit them. If they meet the minimum requirements, we have to permit them. We don’t look at who pays them, the permit is strictly on their qualifications. So how do you address the ethics of archaeology? How do you help them avoid a conflict situation if they’re being paid by developer?”

Weller and others complain that SHPD isn’t taking advantage of the cultural and historical understanding that local kupuna have, including knowledge of the whereabouts of important sites that may be largely unknown because of the lack of a comprehensive, publicly accessible database. One of the major implications of those concerns involves the City’s multi-billion dollar rail project, which some say they fear will be constructed over ground that covers tens of thousands of iwi, or human remains.
Ticking clock

Tension at the division, which operates within the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, has mounted since the March release of a report from the National Park Service that cited a series of operational issues. The National Park Service found the division has too few staffers, an inadequate database of culturally and historically important sites and operates under an outdated historic preservation plan. The Park Service said it is giving SHPD two years to make upgrades before pulling its federal funding.

Berg says the report’s findings are a large part of why she believes the division should be audited at the State level, which she says would enable the Legislature to identify areas in which it can help SHPD meet National Park Service standards.

“I’m astounded there hasn’t been more of a cry for help [from SHPD],” said Berg. “Especially now, with all these issues in our forefront, they haven’t asked the Legislature to help with the law.”

Aiu counters that, as SHPD scrambles to meet the Park Service’s requirements, a managerial audit would only hurt the division.

“I can understand why people might think a management audit might be helpful,” says Aiu. “But we’ve already had two audits that show that we’re under-resourced. We just went through the National Parks Service, which wasn’t an audit but ended up being an audit because we have to fulfill all of those [requirements] within two years. The real issue is I only have a staff of 13 and they can only do so much work because there is only so much time in the day. To have an audit, I would have to pull staffers away to help auditors find records. We would have to let other things drop.”

Berg said that the division, which operates under Hawaii Administrative Rules, lacks–and sorely needs–a procedural handbook tailored to its mission.

“I don’t know of any other State department that’s in this bad of shape, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist,” said Berg. “There needs to be information so we know what to do but also flexibility to be able to handle individual situations.”

While Aiu argues that the Hawaii Administrative Rules are “actually quite specific,” she acknowledges there are some small gaps in operational process that the division can work to fill. Beyond that, she said it’s up to the State to make broader changes to the law. Aiu also said that clarifying the division’s mission may be the first step toward finding common ground between division administrators and those who claim SHPD isn’t doing its job.

“What does preservation mean?” asked Aiu. “To some people, preservation means you preserve everything that anybody thinks is important. But if you look at SHPD, there’s very clear guidelines on what gets preserved… People may disagree with the eligibility criteria, but for as long as that’s state law, that’s how we decide.”

Hale Ali'i Hanwha Corp., a South Korea-based company

2010-04-22T13:53:00.005-10:00

Condo plan revived for Hawaii Kai site

Developers seeking to mend fences with community

At a presentation for the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board last week, project representatives pledged to end what in the past were sometimes combative actions that included threatening opponents with lawsuits, in hopes of advancing the project that includes both luxury and affordable units.

By Andrew Gomes
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hale Ali'i has been in the works for more than five years on the last large parcel of undeveloped land zoned for homes in the east O'ahu community.

But despite earning previous neighborhood board support, the project has been beset by issues including satisfying a county affordable housing requirement and protecting archaeological features on the property near the Oahu Club on Hawai'i Kai Drive.

Design plans are being reassessed, and top management of Hale Ali'i Development LLC has been reorganized, according to Mike Greco, who was named Hale Ali'i's chief operating officer March 1.

Greco, a former construction vice president with Chicago-based developer Fifield Cos., said at the meeting that the changes are being made at the direction of Hanwha Corp., a South Korea-based company that is the majority investor in the project.

Local developer Mike Klein, who long headed Hale Ali'i Development, still has an ownership interest in the project, but no longer directs the company.

Hale Ali'i Development also recently hired Dawn Chang of local consulting firm Ku'iwalu as a cultural consultant, and public relations firm Communications Pacific to help with community outreach.

"Just give us a chance to turn this around and do the right thing," Greco said. "We will do the right thing."

Several area residents and a few neighborhood board members expressed reservations about Hale Ali'i's intentions, and told Greco that an attorney representing Hale Ali'i Development had sent them letters from recent months to years threatening legal action if they didn't remove or refrain from making alleged false and defamatory statements by word, in print or on the Internet regarding the project.

Wayne Levy, a neighborhood board member, asked Greco if it was safe for him to ask questions about the project given the legal threat.

Greco apologized for the letters and said recipients would be receiving written retractions.

"I want you people to feel very open to talk to us," he said.

After the meeting, Greco said he was unaware of such letters until they were mentioned at the meeting last Tuesday.

Five people at the meeting, including three board members, said they received such letters. Others also have received letters. One of the board members, who asked not to be identified out of caution for legal liability, was angry about the letters but expressed willingness to cut Hale Ali'i Development some slack to mend the rift.

Rene Garvin, another board member, told Greco she believes his intentions are good. Others remained skeptical.

Hale Ali'i's most recent design included an 11-story first phase with 133 luxury units ranging from about 1,500 square feet to 4,400 square feet with shared amenities including a wine tasting room, movie theater and resort-style spa.

Unit prices ranged from about $1.3 million to $3.7 million when an initial batch of 68 units were placed on the market last year. The developer had anticipated starting construction last month, but has not.

A second building expected to satisfy a county requirement to provide affordable units was to be developed adjacent to the luxury building and a private landscaped park with features including lagoon-style waterways, floating cabanas and a sand-edged pool with ozone-purified water.

Greco said all the plans are being reviewed and could change.

One major area of contention discussed at the meeting was treatment of cultural artifacts on the site, which was once part of a pre-contact Hawaiian village.

There is disagreement over whether the project site was once home to a heiau, or place of worship.

Some concerned residents who have researched the area, including Chris Cramer and Ann Marie Kirk of community group Livable Hawaii Kai Hui, believe remnants of the heiau or heiau complex are on the site identified for development of the recreational amenities, and that the site should be restored and preserved.

The State Historic Preservation Division, an agency trusted to protect such sites, has said the heiau in question, Hawea Heiau, was not on the project site. However, Kirk and others believe troubles at SHPD, which recently was put on a form of probation by the National Park Service for operational deficiencies, haven't done a thorough job assessing the site.

The developer has a SHPD-approved plan to preserve three petroglyphs on an old lava flow descending from Kaluanui Ridge, or Mariner's Ridge, while developing the rest of the site.

Kirk and Cramer said they have visited the site and identified what they believe are other petroglyphs, including one disturbed or destroyed by grading work on part of the site last year — work that was done without a required archaeological monitoring plan and resulted in a violation notice from the county. They also say other artifacts including an ancient well and remnants of a coconut grove should be preserved.

Chang of Ku'iwalu said past mistakes such as the grading incident can't be undone, but she encouraged community members to share any information that would help confirm the location of Hawea Heiau or ensure better stewardship of the property. "We are listening to the community," she said. "This site is important. We really are trying to do this the right way."

Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com.

City & County of Honolulu

Department of Planning & Permitting (DPP)

Property Information

Thursday, April 22, 2010 | 12:44:13 PM

General Information

TMK:	39008039
Building Value:	$0.00
Building Exemption:	$0.00
Land Value:	$115,000.00
Land Exempt:	$0.00
Acres:	5
Square Feet	0
Property Tax Class:	Preservation

City:	Honolulu
Zip Code:	96825
Realtor Neighborhood:	WEST MARINA

Site Address:
Site Address:	6888 HAWAII KAI DR

Tax Bill Owner Information

Name	Type	Address	Address 2	City State Zip
HALE ALI'I PARK ASSN LLC	Fee Owner	225 N COLUMBUS DR STE 100		CHICAGO IL 60601 7981

2000 Census Information
Tract Number:	000106 / 000108
Block Number:	2000 / 1001
Population (block):	2347 / 254

Voting Information
City Council Member:	Charles K. Djou
Polling Place:	Hahaione Elem Sch / Hahaione Elem Sch
Address:	595 Pepeekeo St / 595 Pepeekeo St
Neighborhood Board:	HAWAII KAI / HAWAII KAI

School and Transit Information
Elementary School:	Hahaione
High School:	KAISER
Near Bus Route:	Yes

Zoning and Flood Information
Zoning (LUO) Designation:	P-2
Ohana Zoning Designation:	Ineligible
FEMA Flood Designation:	D
Tsunami Evacuation Zone:	No

http://www.magellandevelopment.com/

Magellan Development Group

225 North Columbus Drive

Suite 100

Chicago, Illinois 60601

P: 312.642.8869 F: 312.642.2773

info@magellandevelopment.com

HALE ALI`I PARK ASSOCIATION LLC