Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Director Kali Watson talked with HPR's Catherine Cruz about new Hawaiian homestead community developments, the long waitlist and updates regarding ongoing projects.
Interview Highlights
On the new Puʻuhona homestead community in Wailuku, Maui
KALI WATSON: Saturday, we're going to have our awards for the first phase of Puʻuhona, which is a homesteading community, brand new homesteading community in Wailuku, Maui. It's 161 total lots, and this is the first time in 17 years that we've actually made awards. So it's an exciting time, and really look forward to having the event and making awards... The developer Dowling has laid it out, all 161. And this is the first phase, 52 lots, three, four and five bedrooms, and so it's an exciting time... It was really instrumental in the funding of Act 279, the $600 million. This is the first project involving those funds. It kind of filled the gap that was remaining in order to make the or allow the project to move forward. So we're excited. We have a lot of other projects on top, but this is the first one moving forward.
On the $600M that has been encumbered thus far
WATSON: Approximately for fiscal year 2023, little bit over $192 million. For this coming year, fiscal year 2024 we have about $280 million, and then the remaining balance of about $129 (million) we encumbered within the deadline set by the Legislature, which was recently extended. So we have another two years. We're in the process of disclosing the deals, the developer agreements, the purchase agreements, various documents that are needed to be in place before we can encumber the funds.
On the proposed Hawaiian homestead land in Kailua, Oʻahu
WATSON: I have to thank Esther Kiaʻāina and Council Chair Tommy Waters. And moving this project forward involves 10 acres. It's in a residentially zoned area, so if it moves forward, we definitely going similar to the houses in the surrounding area would be consistent with that, single family. We're not looking to do any multi-unit development, which would increase the density as well as create maybe issues with traffic as well as the drainage. Some of the preliminary issues that are presently involved, we're going to look at and make sure they're resolved before we move forward. There's adobe soil that needs to be dealt with and, I guess, taken out and replaced with fill that would not expand like adobe soil.
On the Hawaiian homestead waitlist
WATSON: Right now we have 11,441 people on the residential waitlist for Oʻahu. So the people that will get awards will come off that waitlist, and the first to choose would be those that have been on the waitlist longest.
On the project on the former Stadium Bowl-O-Drome land
WATSON: The financing has just closed with HHFDC (Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation) recently. And so with that closure, that particular project will be moving forward. There was an issue with HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development). We've resolved that. And so the process has started the permitting as well as financing, we are involved in a selection process with the developer. This is a rental project. So with respect to this $152 million project involving 182 rental units, it's an exciting time. There is going to be a challenge regarding getting tenants, but I think in this particular case, them coming off our waitlist, we shouldn't have any problem. If there should be a problem. If we deplete the Oʻahu waitlist, we will kind of expand it out to the outer islands. And I'm sure there are people on the outer islands that would be interested in maybe occupying a rental unit on Oʻahu because of various things, whether it's jobs or medical treatment.
On the recent ruling by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court on the road up to the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope
WATSON: We're getting advice from the attorney general, as well as maybe getting some independent advice from legal, and then we also recognize, and personally, I think it was a correct ruling, in the sense that the DOT (Department of Transportation) cannot unilaterally designate any of our lands as access or a highway without the process being followed regarding the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and that involves compensation, as well as, consultation with our beneficiaries. So we definitely look at both issues and try to resolve it in the best way we can subject to the commission as well as our beneficiaries and involvement.
On DHHL lands tied to military leases
WATSON: Pōhakuloa, I believe they're returning the lands that they were using. So we're getting those back. Some of the other areas, Lālāmilo, for example, where there had been military use, the unexploded ordinances situation looks like it's being resolved. So we're going to be moving forward with Lālāmilo, involves about 142 homesteads. So that's exciting. We're going to move forward in completing the infrastructure, so we can also move forward in awarding homestead lease. There's a little bit of opportunity for commercial development within that homesteading community, so we're also looking at that.
This interview aired on The Conversation on June 13, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. Tori DeJournett adapted this story for the web.
