must watch..this is the same that is gonna happen in poamaho

Honolulu City Council green lights Koa Ridge development

By Jim Mendoza

Updated: 11/13/2013 1:50 pm HST

A decade of debating the Koa Ridge development came down to a last round of testimony before the City Council over whether to re-zone agricultural land."There will be a need for 17,000 more homes outside the rail corridor, and Koa Ridge fits a need," said Cindy MacMillan of The Pacific Resource Partnership.

Castle & Cooke plans to build 3,500 residential units, a medical center, shopping outlets and recreation areas on 576 acres between Mililani and Waipio.

"It's about telling Castle & Cooke that their shallow superficial green marketing doesn't mask the fact that they're paving over crucial ag lands in a state that's dangerously reliant on imported foods," Tina Grandinetti said.

Proponents maintain Koa Ridge will create 2,300 jobs."This creates the opportunity for new retail, for new hospitals, for new jobs in Central Oahu so that people who live their don't have to come into town every single day," said Tyler Dos Santos-Tam of the Hawaii Construction Alliance.

Opponents insist the development will create a commuter's nightmare."What happens when those extra 7,000, 10,000, 12,000 cars hit the merge? H1 will become a parking lot," Sierra Club Oahu's Anthony Aalto said.

Castle & Cooke said thirty percent of Koa Ridge residences will be affordable. The price will depend on interest rates."The people who can buy these properties are people who can take care of their credit, a teacher, a fireman," executive director Bruce Barrett said.

"Under the current affordable housing rules that the developer will have to comply with, they can sell a unit at say between $650,000 to $700,000 and qualify them as affordable. That's not affordable housing. That's market price housing," councilman Ron Menor said.

Despite four votes with reservations the Council decision was unanimous. The bill now goes to Mayor Kirk Caldwell. If the legal language fits he said he will sign it, clearing the way for Koa Ridge to finally get off the drawing board.

The reason I posted the article above is because of DLNR's new push for fencing off large area's of forest. If you havent heard or seen it its called "Rain follows the forest" look it up and you will find info about it and what the state is trying to do.

My question is: If rain water is vital for the sustainability of life on the islands WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much water use do they think its gonna take for 3500 new homes, shopping malls, recreation area's etc. On top of that they are paving over PRIME AG LANDS!!! Lands that can be used to bring life in the way of farming and other ag uses that provides sustainability for us on these islands and not be so dependent on outside imports etc. Pavement that only CREATES RUNOFF I get sick when I hear people blame pigs for the runoff from mountains due to rooting. But yet never EVER heard any of them mention runoff due to development.

Having all this development hurt's us because the rain water cant seep into the ground therefore it cant recharge the aquifers.

http://files.hawaii.gov/dlnr/meeting/submittals/130614/C-FW-Submittals-C3.pdf

http://files.hawaii.gov/dlnr/meeting/submittals/130726/C-FW-Submittals-C2.pdf

http://files.hawaii.gov/dlnr/meeting/submittals/130726/C-FW-Submittals-C2.pdf

Notice that in all these proposals they mention the "Rain follows the forest" Plan just thought id post a few for you guys to check out if you havent already. Also look at the size of the Manuka Fence 22 miles and 24000 acres.....MEAN!!!!!!!!!

Also see that now the state has made themselves an out to do any EA/ES statements unreal how they make their own rules to satisfy their own agendas.