LETTER TO HONOLULU PLANNING COMMISSION REGARDING
KO'OLAUPOKO SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLAN
JULY 2016
Dean I. Hazama, Chairman
Honolulu Planning Commission
City & County of Honolulu
650 South King Street, 7th Floor
Honolulu, HI 96813
Re: 2016 Ko`olau Poko Sustainable Communities Plan
Dear Chairman Hazama and Commission members:
This letter comes in response to response to an agreement allowing the Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board to vote on the draft submission which was given to the commission during the meeting on July 6, 2016. At our monthly meeting on July 21, 2016, the Kāne‘ohe NB amended the original submission and unanimously approved the following comments with regard to the 2016 Ko`olau Poko Sustainable Communities Plan. Please note item 10 under Historic and Cultural resources is amended.
We support the Honolulu Planning & Permitting Department’s April 2016 Ko`olaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan because it preserves the current urban areas and limits future growth for the district of Ko`olaupoko and the communities of Kane`ohe, in particular.
Although we support the plan’s general concepts, the Kane`ohe Neighborhood Board and its Permitted Interaction Group have received the following community concerns which we, the members of the Kane`ohe Neighborhood Board, feel should be addressed before final approval by the Honolulu City Council:
Key Elements
1. Sustainability: the Plan does not adequately address efforts to ensure food, water and shelter sustainability for the region. There is insufficient discussion in the Transportation or Public Safety sections regarding mitigating sea-level rise impacts on Kamehameha Highway and coastal areas of Ko`olaupoko, including realignment as needed.
2. Impact of highway expansion on growth: the widening of Kahekili Highway remains a significant concern due to anticipated adverse impacts on the Windward coast, including farm lands, cultural resources and near-shore waters and the natural environment; and the expectation that growth generated by the widening of Kahekili and eventually Kamehameha Highways would lead to overloading Kahekili once more, leading to the same or worse traffic congestion.
Open Space Preservation
3. Wailele o Ko`olau development: concern was raised over the impact on farmlands and conservation (watershed) areas, view planes mauka to makai, and adverse impact on traffic congestion in the area.
4. Hawaiian Memorial Park expansion: some community members object to amending the growth boundary to accommodate HMP’s proposed expansion; others asked for clarification regarding “above-grade” structures – how is this defined?
5. Open space preservation policy should include support for public education, interpretation and access consistent with the primary objectives of the preserved area.
6. Greenways: concerns raised regarding potential pollution of streams by those using greenways, and security issues for adjoining homes and businesses.
Parks and Recreation
7. Waikane Nature Preserve: concern was raised regarding unexploded ordnance in the area.
8. Park dedication fee should not be the preferred option for new development; developers should be required to construct the park concurrently with their development.
9. Page 5.16 Prepare wildlife preserve management plans emphasizing conservation and restoration of native plants, birds, fish and invertebrates including public education, interpretation and access and other recreational and management objectives consistent with the primary objectives of the preserve.
Historic and Cultural Resources
10. In Section 3.3 – Historic and Cultural Resources – we ask that you add to the list of structural landmarks identified with the history of the region the following two important historic structures:
a. OMEGA Station in Haiku Valley
b. Haiku Stairs
Agricultural Use
11. Appendix V: exception on farmlands adjacent to developed areas can adversely affect protection of those agricultural lands. Plan should ensure adequate buffer acreage between agricultural and residential development to address potential adverse effects for either farms (which use fertilizers or raise animals) and residential properties, which may encroach and eventually force out agricultural lands.: Reference A-5 Ag Areas in the country district, except those parcels immediately adjoining a residential district lying within the Community Growth Boundary; This allows gradual elimination of ag land by “straightening" the CGB.
Military Uses
12. The Plan does not adequately address the adverse impacts of military land use, activities and presence in the region or suggest solutions to those impacts.
Transportation Systems
(see #2 above)
Water Systems
13. Minimum stream flows: the Plan does not address ensuring minimum stream flows for streams in Ko`olaupoko region or Kane`ohe bay area; City needs to identify streams in the district that are important for ensuring healthy habitats for estuaries.
14. Where possible channelizing should be avoided and where it is necessary Channeling should mimic the natural stream flow and incorporate landscaping to minimize advert visual impacts. Non-point source pollution is addressed in Sec 3.1..3.4 on page 5/16
Electrical and Communications Systems
15. Overhead wiring: residents remain concerned about overhead wiring and exposure to damage from high winds; and adverse impact on viewplanes mauka to makai.
16. Wi-Fi: free wi-fi service is needed throughout the Kane`ohe town area (from Windward City to Haiku Road), to ensure adequate communications in times of disaster. There is also a critical need to ensure backup power for communications systems in case of power outages.
Solid Waste Handling and Disposal
17. Recycling Centers: With the goal of eliminating landfills and to the extent possible, all solid waste should be processed within the sustainable community district, and transportation of solid waste should be minimized. The technology exists today and is used in other communities to have recycling centers. Also suggested: Each of the SCPs should include district recycling centers which would receive and process all trash collected from within that district, to make them ready for re-use or sale.
Drainage Systems
18. Designated agency to manage irrigation ditches or abandoned reservoirs: no new agency is needed, this should be assigned to existing agencies.
Civic and Public Safety Facilities and Community Resilience
19. Homeless shelters: issue is not adequately addressed in the Plan; there are significant numbers of homeless individuals and families in the Ko`olaupoko district.
20. Maintenance of channelized streams: Plan needs to address adequate access for regular maintenance of channelized streams.
21. Civil Defense/Department of Emergency Management: Plan should establish a policy for ensuring adequate emergency shelter management staffing and training. Specifically: City employees should be trained and assigned responsibility for managing shelters.
22. Civil Defense/DEM: The city Department of Emergency Management expects citizen volunteers to create local community resilience plans. This is beyond the capability of volunteers. DEM should push community resilience planning to the community level with funding sufficient to conduct community inventories and create mobilization plans.
Implementation
23. Exceptions to the General Plan, Sustainable Communities Plans and Development Plans: residents complained that there are frequent exceptions to these plans, that are granted by city agencies or the City Council, which is a major concern to the community. Can language include safeguards to address trade-offs to preserve carrying capacities of each SCP area?
We appreciate this opportunity to offer our comments and those received from our community, and look forward to working with the City to ensure that planning for the future of Ko`olaupoko is truly community-based.
Respectfully submitted,
Mo Radke
Chair, Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board
Education Committee Report
LETTER TO HONOLULU PLANNING COMMISSION REGARDING
KO'OLAUPOKO SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLAN
JULY 2016
Dean I. Hazama, Chairman
Honolulu Planning Commission
City & County of Honolulu
650 South King Street, 7th Floor
Honolulu, HI 96813
Re: 2016 Ko`olau Poko Sustainable Communities Plan
Dear Chairman Hazama and Commission members:
This letter comes in response to response to an agreement allowing the Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board to vote on the draft submission which was given to the commission during the meeting on July 6, 2016. At our monthly meeting on July 21, 2016, the Kāne‘ohe NB amended the original submission and unanimously approved the following comments with regard to the 2016 Ko`olau Poko Sustainable Communities Plan. Please note item 10 under Historic and Cultural resources is amended.
We support the Honolulu Planning & Permitting Department’s April 2016 Ko`olaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan because it preserves the current urban areas and limits future growth for the district of Ko`olaupoko and the communities of Kane`ohe, in particular.
Although we support the plan’s general concepts, the Kane`ohe Neighborhood Board and its Permitted Interaction Group have received the following community concerns which we, the members of the Kane`ohe Neighborhood Board, feel should be addressed before final approval by the Honolulu City Council:
Key Elements
1. Sustainability: the Plan does not adequately address efforts to ensure food, water and shelter sustainability for the region. There is insufficient discussion in the Transportation or Public Safety sections regarding mitigating sea-level rise impacts on Kamehameha Highway and coastal areas of Ko`olaupoko, including realignment as needed.
2. Impact of highway expansion on growth: the widening of Kahekili Highway remains a significant concern due to anticipated adverse impacts on the Windward coast, including farm lands, cultural resources and near-shore waters and the natural environment; and the expectation that growth generated by the widening of Kahekili and eventually Kamehameha Highways would lead to overloading Kahekili once more, leading to the same or worse traffic congestion.
Open Space Preservation
3. Wailele o Ko`olau development: concern was raised over the impact on farmlands and conservation (watershed) areas, view planes mauka to makai, and adverse impact on traffic congestion in the area.
4. Hawaiian Memorial Park expansion: some community members object to amending the growth boundary to accommodate HMP’s proposed expansion; others asked for clarification regarding “above-grade” structures – how is this defined?
5. Open space preservation policy should include support for public education, interpretation and access consistent with the primary objectives of the preserved area.
6. Greenways: concerns raised regarding potential pollution of streams by those using greenways, and security issues for adjoining homes and businesses.
Parks and Recreation
7. Waikane Nature Preserve: concern was raised regarding unexploded ordnance in the area.
8. Park dedication fee should not be the preferred option for new development; developers should be required to construct the park concurrently with their development.
9. Page 5.16 Prepare wildlife preserve management plans emphasizing conservation and restoration of native plants, birds, fish and invertebrates including public education, interpretation and access and other recreational and management objectives consistent with the primary objectives of the preserve.
Historic and Cultural Resources
10. In Section 3.3 – Historic and Cultural Resources – we ask that you add to the list of structural landmarks identified with the history of the region the following two important historic structures:
a. OMEGA Station in Haiku Valley
b. Haiku Stairs
Agricultural Use
11. Appendix V: exception on farmlands adjacent to developed areas can adversely affect protection of those agricultural lands. Plan should ensure adequate buffer acreage between agricultural and residential development to address potential adverse effects for either farms (which use fertilizers or raise animals) and residential properties, which may encroach and eventually force out agricultural lands.: Reference A-5 Ag Areas in the country district, except those parcels immediately adjoining a residential district lying within the Community Growth Boundary; This allows gradual elimination of ag land by “straightening" the CGB.
Military Uses
12. The Plan does not adequately address the adverse impacts of military land use, activities and presence in the region or suggest solutions to those impacts.
Transportation Systems
(see #2 above)
Water Systems
13. Minimum stream flows: the Plan does not address ensuring minimum stream flows for streams in Ko`olaupoko region or Kane`ohe bay area; City needs to identify streams in the district that are important for ensuring healthy habitats for estuaries.
14. Where possible channelizing should be avoided and where it is necessary Channeling should mimic the natural stream flow and incorporate landscaping to minimize advert visual impacts. Non-point source pollution is addressed in Sec 3.1..3.4 on page 5/16
Electrical and Communications Systems
15. Overhead wiring: residents remain concerned about overhead wiring and exposure to damage from high winds; and adverse impact on viewplanes mauka to makai.
16. Wi-Fi: free wi-fi service is needed throughout the Kane`ohe town area (from Windward City to Haiku Road), to ensure adequate communications in times of disaster. There is also a critical need to ensure backup power for communications systems in case of power outages.
Solid Waste Handling and Disposal
17. Recycling Centers: With the goal of eliminating landfills and to the extent possible, all solid waste should be processed within the sustainable community district, and transportation of solid waste should be minimized. The technology exists today and is used in other communities to have recycling centers. Also suggested: Each of the SCPs should include district recycling centers which would receive and process all trash collected from within that district, to make them ready for re-use or sale.
Drainage Systems
18. Designated agency to manage irrigation ditches or abandoned reservoirs: no new agency is needed, this should be assigned to existing agencies.
Civic and Public Safety Facilities and Community Resilience
19. Homeless shelters: issue is not adequately addressed in the Plan; there are significant numbers of homeless individuals and families in the Ko`olaupoko district.
20. Maintenance of channelized streams: Plan needs to address adequate access for regular maintenance of channelized streams.
21. Civil Defense/Department of Emergency Management: Plan should establish a policy for ensuring adequate emergency shelter management staffing and training. Specifically: City employees should be trained and assigned responsibility for managing shelters.
22. Civil Defense/DEM: The city Department of Emergency Management expects citizen volunteers to create local community resilience plans. This is beyond the capability of volunteers. DEM should push community resilience planning to the community level with funding sufficient to conduct community inventories and create mobilization plans.
Implementation
23. Exceptions to the General Plan, Sustainable Communities Plans and Development Plans: residents complained that there are frequent exceptions to these plans, that are granted by city agencies or the City Council, which is a major concern to the community. Can language include safeguards to address trade-offs to preserve carrying capacities of each SCP area?
We appreciate this opportunity to offer our comments and those received from our community, and look forward to working with the City to ensure that planning for the future of Ko`olaupoko is truly community-based.
Respectfully submitted,
Mo Radke
Chair, Kāne‘ohe Neighborhood Board
Reporting on the Castle Complex Area
May 2015
A. Ahuimanu
Elementary – having a problem with people feeding the stray cats in the area
that have housed themselves at the school.
Now the cats won’t leave. The
custodian had to talk to the lady, but she still shows up to feed them
daily. The cats poop and spray everywhere.
B.
Ben Parker Elementary – been working hard to clean up behind the school
and trimming trees hanging over neighboring homes. Even thou the school is directly across the
street from the Police Station, there’s a big problem with young people coming
onto campus after school and doing ice.
The school has large patio bays in front of classrooms, homeless have
been sleeping there. Custodians have to
chase them away and clean up their “messes”.
Local residents are using circle driveway and parking lots as a shortcut
to get to Kam Hwy. People are parking
their cars at Ben Parker to go to the C&C Social Services offices across
the street.
C.
Castle High School – Started the first of many construction projects
that will continue through summer 2015 and beyond. Construction projects include the following:
1.
Auditorium and Library AC replacement
2.
Auditorium Sound/Lighting Improvements
3.
Auditorium Emergency Lighting Project
4.
Fire Alarm Upgrade
5.
ADA project throughout campus
6.
Re-roofing projects
7. Castle’s track repair is completed. Track was usable for Complex Track Meet held
Fri, Mar 27
8. Cleaned up Kawa Stream (behind the
Auditorium) on April 25 with approx. 80 volunteers. Removed about 20 cubic yards of green
waste. Starbucks volunteers also helped
stencil our storm drains.
D.
Heeia Elementary – has been the target of constant vandalism over the
past several years. Graffiti is on
walls, floors, etc. Vandals hang out in
the patio areas of Bldg E (Admin) because it’s hidden from the street. Vandals also leave their drug paraphernalia
behind. Keep in mind this is the
Kindergarten classroom area. Heeia has
also been trying to keep the large grass area between the school and the
industrial shops clear so “unwanted activity” can’t be hidden in that
area. Grass area is used by those
wanting to short cut their way across campus.
Heeia’s brand new Covered Playcourt is now in construction. Students will be able to have “indoor recess”
once completed. Mahalo to our
Legislators for this beautiful building!
E.
Kaneohe Elementary – Just completed their Beautiful library expansion
and new Fire Lane Access Road. Library
expansion will provide additional learning and activity space for students, as
well as a computer testing room.
Construction on Bldg A (next to café) for re-roofing will start this
summer, as well as a new ADA wheelchair ramp in front of the admin office.
F.
Kapunahala Elementary – no issues
G.
King Intermediate – Big problem with people bringing their dogs on
campus and not picking up the dog poop.
CAS Lea Albert and Cory DeJesus did a Public Service Announcement on
KITV to remind people to be responsible dog owners and that this green space is
for the students. This is a problem at all
Castle Complex Schools, and not just King Intermediate.
2. Introduction
of the Castle Complex Community Council (The C4)
A.
The C4 is a Complex-level forum for community dialogue and
decision-shaping on Complex-wide matters re: student achievement and school
improvement. The C4 meetings are open to the public.
The group meets on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 4:15-7:00 pm at the
Windward District Office 1st floor conference room. A light meal is
available starting at 4:15.
B.
Purpose:
1.
Support shared responsibility for education
2.
Leverage and align resources
3.
Promote community and family partnerships
4.
Strengthen collaborative process, and
5.
Build a Castle Complex Pre K-20 continuum
C.
Organizational Placement
1.
The C4 sits alongside the building level school community councils (SCC)
and works with the Complex Area Superintendent (CAS) on complex-wide
matters.
D.
Accountability
1.
The C4 is accountable to the Castle Complex CAS
2. Conceptually an ethically the
C4 is accountable to all members of the school community. The C4 is committed to transparency and is
responsible for broadly sharing information re: C4 priorities, accomplishments
and evidence of impact.
E.
Scope of responsibility
1.
Advises the CAS on matters of student achievement and complex
improvement
2.
Drives innovation and mobilizes support for positive change
3.
Advocates for public education
4. Strengthens collaborative leadership;
develops strong, effective leaders with facilitative leadership capacity.
5.
Strengthens and supports the SCCs
F.
Team Composition
1.
Membership of the C4 includes: 20
members + CAS = 21 Total Group Size
a. Two Students (high school)
b. Two Community members
c. Four Parents (Elementary; middle; secondary;
special needs)
d. Two staff (1 professional, 1
non-professional)
e. Three faculty (elementary, middle, secondary)
f. Three Administrators (elementary,
middle/secondary, DOE Windward Office)
g. Two Education Partners (1 Pre-K; 1 higher Ed,
WCC)
h. Two Complex-level partners (i.e. Business;
Foundation; NPO; Policy Maker)
i. One Complex Area Superintendent
G.
Schools included in the C4
1.
Ahuimanu Elementary School
2.
He’eia Elementary School
3.
James B. Castle High School
4.
Kahalu’u Elementary School
5.
Kaneohe Elementary School
6.
Kapunahala Elementary School
7.
Samuel Wilder King Intermediate School
8.
Pu’ohala Elementary School
9.
Waiahole Elementary School
H. More
information is available on their website:
http://castlecomplexcommunitycouncil.weebly.com/documents.html
3.
Announcements
A.
Castle High School
1.
1st public school in HI to earn National Award for high
safety standards in sports. Castle High
School has earned the Safe Sports School 1st Team Award from the
National Athletic Trainers Association for the best/safest athletic-program
environment.
2. Sheena Aliasa will be the new principal at
Kamehameha School. Mr. Meredith Maeda
will be the acting principal until the position is filled.
3.
Castle’s own music group “Makana Mele” took first place in the Brown
Bags to Stardom State Music Competition.
This is the 3rd year in a row that Castle has swept the First
Place title in Music Groups Category!
Castle is prous of Makan Mele’s members – Kuluwai Punahele, Pomai
Punahele, and Kalehua Zuttermeister!
Congratulations also to Tristen Hegwood for taking 4th place
Honors Statewide for Brown Bags to Stardom.
Tristen’s “Thinking Out Loud” song was awesome!
4.
The Boys Volleyball took Division II OIA Volleyball Championships.
5.
Graduation – Saturday, May 30, 2015 5:30pm. Project Graduation buses will leave Castle at
8:45, travel along Kamehameha Highway, then turn left on Haiku Road before
heading out to their site.
6.
Castle High School’s Summer Bridge program offers incoming Freshman a
chance to earn a ½ credit in study skills.
The program is a 3-week course from June 8 – Jun 30, 2015 from 8:00 am –
1:00pm.
B.
King Intermediate
1.
Summer Enrichment Applications now being accepted. Courses are on a first come first served basis
and include Beginning/Intermediate Band, Art & Fitness, and Life Survival
Skills. Registration is open to current
6th and 7th graders.
Beginning band will be available for current 5th
graders. Contact Clayton Harada, Summer
Session Director at 388-6763 or Email:
kingsummerpro@gmail.com.
C.
Puohala Elementary
1.
Brand new Principal, Ms. Makala Paakaula. Ms Paakaula was previously VP at Castle High
School, is fluent in the Native Hawaiian Language, and eager to share her
mana’o to Puohala students and the school community.
D.
Heeia Elementary
1.
Reminding parents KINDERGARTEN age has changed. Starting August 2014, your child must be 5 on
or before July 31 to enter Kindergarten.
Heeia’s website is:
heeiahawks.weebly.com
E.
Other Announcements
1.
Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) – implemented in 2014-15,
will use online adaptive assessments, will give parents & teachers more
accurate and actionable information about what students are learning. SBAC is fully aligned to the new Hawaii
Common Core Standards. Testing was done
in the 2nd semester. Waiting
for reports from complex area schools.
2.
No summer school in the Castle complex area.
3.
The DOE announced its 2015 Seamless Summer Program (SSP) to provide free
meals to childred beginning in early June.
SSP will be available at the following designated schools without charge
to all children 18 years and under. SSP
is funded by the US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) and was established to ensure
that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is
not in session
Castle High School; Jul 8 – Jul
10. Breakfast from 7-8:00 am; Lunch from
11-12:00
Kahaluu Elementary School; Jun
12-Jul 17. Breakfast from 8:15 – 8:45;
Lunch from 10:45-11:30
Kahuku High & Interm; Jun
19-Jul 17. Breakfast from 7:30 – 8:00;
Lunch from 11:30 – 12:00
Kailua Elementary; Jun 15-Jul 17.
No Breakfast; Lunch from 11:00 – 12:00
Ben Parker Elementary; Jun 19-Jul
17. Breakfast from 7:30 – 7:55; Lunch
from 11:00 – 11:30
Kaneohe Elementary; Jun 15-Jul
10. Breakfast from 7:30 – 7:50; Lunch
from 11:00 – 11:20
4.
Last day for students is Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Last day for teachers is Thursday, June 4.
Respectfully
submitted,
Lori
Zakahi
Education
Committee Chair
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