The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority has rejected a land transfer offer from the U.S. Navy for a little more than 200 acres in Kalaeloa.
The state agency said it is concerned about the cost of conservation and environmental cleanup of the property, including a pond that’s been contaminated by ordnance disposal.
HCDA Asset Manager Lindsey Doi Leaverton told agency board members, “We would be accepting a lot of liability if we were to take on such parcels.”
The Navy has been transferring portions of its 3,700-acre former Barbers Point Naval Air Station to various state, city, and private entities since the base closed in 1999.
The Navy recently finalized a deal to transfer about 400 acres of nearby land to the City and County of Honolulu, which includes shoreline areas, a campground and several cultural sites.
