November ’08 version submitted to Advertiser
What every H-1 commuter needs to know
About the ‘Ewa Development Plan
by Kioni Dudley Ph.D
The Advertiser recently published an editorial on the need for quick approval of the latest revision of the Ewa Development Plan. In its current form, however, the ‘Ewa Development Plan will condemn commuters on H-1 and H-2 to ever worsening traffic jams, with no possibility for relief.
The H-1 already has the worst freeway traffic congestion in the United States. With roughly 65,000 cars on the freeway every day, we have exceeded its carrying capacity. There is no room for more cars. There is only one automobile corridor to town. The State Department of Transportation tells us that it cannot be expanded beyond zipper lanes, and the people wouldn’t stand for ugly double-decking in Paradiseeven if there were money for it. We have clearly built ourselves into a “no build”imperative against more housing. But the city doesn’t understand this. They have already approved zoning for thirty-three thousand more dwellings on the ‘Ewa plain! Nothing can be done to stop that construction. At two cars per family, that is 66,000 more cars. Two out of every three cars will join the rush hour traffic to Honolulu. The rail will help, but not much. All studies agree that, even with rail, commuter traffic on H-1 and H-2 will grow worse
Why is this revision of the ‘Ewa Development Plan (the EDP) important? Because those thirty-three thousand already-zoned homes are not the only thing out there. There’s another whole city of houses--12,000 homes with two cars each—which is just starting the approval process. This project is called Ho’opili. And the ‘Ewa Development Plan embraces its existence by including its land within the Urban Growth Boundary, and by planning for it, and planning other projects dependent on it coming to exist.
Ho’opili traffic will add to the freeway snarl for everyone on H-1 and H-2, but it will be particularly bad for those living on the ‘Ewa plain and Wai’anae Coast. Ho'opili will fill the entire open space between Kapolei and Waipahu. All of its traffic will pour onto Ft. Weaver Rd and H-1 headed to Honolulu in the morning rush. And all of the Ho’opili cars will be on the road to town in front of every current commuter from ‘Ewa and Kapolei and beyond. There is nobody who now drives to town from the West side of the island who will not bebehind all of the cars from Ho'opili.
The Ewa Development Plan contains an Adequate Facilities Requirement: It states that zoning should be approved only if the responsible City and State agencies indicate that adequate public facilities and utilities will be available at the time of occupancy. It also states, as policy, that the “transportation system should provide adequate capacity for major peak-hour commuting to work in the Primary Urban Center,” Honolulu. This requirement cannot possibly be met even without developing Ho’opili. This Adequate Facilities Requirement must be strengthened in the revised ‘Ewa Development Plan. And the city must follow it.
There is another important reason to resist Ho'opili. The land it will take is some of our most precious agricultural land. Rated as A and B soils, on an A to E scale, it is all prime agricultural land. It is also low-lying land that gets plentiful sun and drains well. From sugar times, the Ho’opili land has been known as the Golden Triangle of farmland on O’ahu.
How precious are these A and B lands? Not one acre of A quality land is found on the entire Big Islandor Lanai. No B quality is found on Moloka’i or Lana’i. And nearly half of Oahu’s A and B quality land has aleady been covered over by Mililani, Waipio, Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia, the ‘Ewa developments, and Kapolei.
When agriculture land is covered with roads and houses, it can never be restored.
Japan went to war with China because it covered over its agricultural lands with houses, and couldn’t grow enough food. We, too, may need this land for survival. We sit in the ocean two thousand miles from land. We’ve seen the price of oil rise so high it destroyed two airlines. caused a major drop off in tourism, brought a major spike in food prices, and made import of many things by air and boat too uneconomical. The price of oil can go far higher as China and India demand continues to grow exponentially in face of decreasing supply. There is further reason for concern: rising seas could not only destroy tourist beaches, but could also engulf our ports, forcing us to be self-sufficient or perish. In the past several months more than 30 nations have experienced food riots, and so far one government has fallen.
We will also need lands for biofuels to run our electric plant, our cars, and the airplanes that serve us. We must save our best farmlands. It makes no sense to cover then over. We can only save them with public action.
In its current updated form, the ‘Ewa Development Plan endorses Ho’opili. If it passes as it now reads, the developers can use the Plan to claim rights for zoning and full approval. The Plan must be changed to delete all references to Ho’opili as if it were going to be built, and to re-draw Urban Growth Boundary makai of the Ho’opili land. This will only happen if there is public outcry.
Write even a short note and send it to bstanfield@honolulu.gov; mayor@honolulu.gov; tapo@honolulu.gov; ngarcia@honolulu.gov; gokino@honolulu.gov; dmdelacruz@honolulu.gov; anddrkionidudley@hawaii.rr.com. Tell them that you don’t want more cars on the freeway. Tell them you want to see the ‘Ewa Development Plan move the urban growth boundary to exclude all of the currently farmed land between Kapolei and Waipahu. Tell them you want the Ho’opili land to remain in agriculture.
Dr. Kioni Dudley is president of the Friends of Makakilo and of the Leeward/Central Community Roundtable. He is a member of the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board.
What every H-1 commuter needs to know
About the ‘Ewa Development Plan
by Kioni Dudley Ph.D
The Advertiser recently published an editorial on the need for quick approval of the latest revision of the Ewa Development Plan. In its current form, however, the ‘Ewa Development Plan will condemn commuters on H-1 and H-2 to ever worsening traffic jams, with no possibility for relief.
The H-1 already has the worst freeway traffic congestion in the United States. With roughly 65,000 cars on the freeway every day, we have exceeded its carrying capacity. There is no room for more cars. There is only one automobile corridor to town. The State Department of Transportation tells us that it cannot be expanded beyond zipper lanes, and the people wouldn’t stand for ugly double-decking in Paradiseeven if there were money for it. We have clearly built ourselves into a “no build”imperative against more housing. But the city doesn’t understand this. They have already approved zoning for thirty-three thousand more dwellings on the ‘Ewa plain! Nothing can be done to stop that construction. At two cars per family, that is 66,000 more cars. Two out of every three cars will join the rush hour traffic to Honolulu. The rail will help, but not much. All studies agree that, even with rail, commuter traffic on H-1 and H-2 will grow worse
Why is this revision of the ‘Ewa Development Plan (the EDP) important? Because those thirty-three thousand already-zoned homes are not the only thing out there. There’s another whole city of houses--12,000 homes with two cars each—which is just starting the approval process. This project is called Ho’opili. And the ‘Ewa Development Plan embraces its existence by including its land within the Urban Growth Boundary, and by planning for it, and planning other projects dependent on it coming to exist.
Ho’opili traffic will add to the freeway snarl for everyone on H-1 and H-2, but it will be particularly bad for those living on the ‘Ewa plain and Wai’anae Coast. Ho'opili will fill the entire open space between Kapolei and Waipahu. All of its traffic will pour onto Ft. Weaver Rd and H-1 headed to Honolulu in the morning rush. And all of the Ho’opili cars will be on the road to town in front of every current commuter from ‘Ewa and Kapolei and beyond. There is nobody who now drives to town from the West side of the island who will not bebehind all of the cars from Ho'opili.
The Ewa Development Plan contains an Adequate Facilities Requirement: It states that zoning should be approved only if the responsible City and State agencies indicate that adequate public facilities and utilities will be available at the time of occupancy. It also states, as policy, that the “transportation system should provide adequate capacity for major peak-hour commuting to work in the Primary Urban Center,” Honolulu. This requirement cannot possibly be met even without developing Ho’opili. This Adequate Facilities Requirement must be strengthened in the revised ‘Ewa Development Plan. And the city must follow it.
There is another important reason to resist Ho'opili. The land it will take is some of our most precious agricultural land. Rated as A and B soils, on an A to E scale, it is all prime agricultural land. It is also low-lying land that gets plentiful sun and drains well. From sugar times, the Ho’opili land has been known as the Golden Triangle of farmland on O’ahu.
How precious are these A and B lands? Not one acre of A quality land is found on the entire Big Islandor Lanai. No B quality is found on Moloka’i or Lana’i. And nearly half of Oahu’s A and B quality land has aleady been covered over by Mililani, Waipio, Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia, the ‘Ewa developments, and Kapolei.
When agriculture land is covered with roads and houses, it can never be restored.
Japan went to war with China because it covered over its agricultural lands with houses, and couldn’t grow enough food. We, too, may need this land for survival. We sit in the ocean two thousand miles from land. We’ve seen the price of oil rise so high it destroyed two airlines. caused a major drop off in tourism, brought a major spike in food prices, and made import of many things by air and boat too uneconomical. The price of oil can go far higher as China and India demand continues to grow exponentially in face of decreasing supply. There is further reason for concern: rising seas could not only destroy tourist beaches, but could also engulf our ports, forcing us to be self-sufficient or perish. In the past several months more than 30 nations have experienced food riots, and so far one government has fallen.
We will also need lands for biofuels to run our electric plant, our cars, and the airplanes that serve us. We must save our best farmlands. It makes no sense to cover then over. We can only save them with public action.
In its current updated form, the ‘Ewa Development Plan endorses Ho’opili. If it passes as it now reads, the developers can use the Plan to claim rights for zoning and full approval. The Plan must be changed to delete all references to Ho’opili as if it were going to be built, and to re-draw Urban Growth Boundary makai of the Ho’opili land. This will only happen if there is public outcry.
Write even a short note and send it to bstanfield@honolulu.gov; mayor@honolulu.gov; tapo@honolulu.gov; ngarcia@honolulu.gov; gokino@honolulu.gov; dmdelacruz@honolulu.gov; anddrkionidudley@hawaii.rr.com. Tell them that you don’t want more cars on the freeway. Tell them you want to see the ‘Ewa Development Plan move the urban growth boundary to exclude all of the currently farmed land between Kapolei and Waipahu. Tell them you want the Ho’opili land to remain in agriculture.
Dr. Kioni Dudley is president of the Friends of Makakilo and of the Leeward/Central Community Roundtable. He is a member of the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board.
