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Political

Molokai and Hawaii – Island Politics

Voices of Tradition Confront State Agency

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

Voices of Tradition Confront State Agency

Meeting provides face to face communication between locals and state.

By Brandon Roberts

When Molokai community members met last Wednesday with the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program (CZM) last Wednesday one agreement was made certain: change is needed.

Locals like Vanda Hanakahi believe in the ‘Aha Moku, a traditional system of resource management. Other attendees concur that local resource management should carry more weight than State or County agencies like the CZM.

The CZM coordinates state and county resource management. Douglas Tom, program manager for the Hawaii CZM, came to Molokai as an initial step in implementing the ‘Aha Moku by listening to local concerns.

While some community members asked for change, Tom argued that“if the CZM is to change then the law must change.” Tom recommended amending or rewriting planning laws.

“Resource management is really about managing human activities and that is the difficulty” said Tom after community members administered criticism toward the CZM.

The same attendants who argued for the ‘Aha Moku also discussed the benefits of Special Management Area (SMA). The SMA is a permit process that maintains grassroots control of development. The SMA refers applicants to the Molokai Planning Commission (MoPC) who then has the final say as to permit approval or denial for local developments.

“The SMA is double edged” said cultural advocate Kauwila Hanchett, “it offers another layer of protection, but creates more bureaucracy”.

“The community is the first line of defense”, said Malia Akutagawa, current island director for the Molokai Rural Development Project.

There were also calls from some to make all of Molokai a SMA zone with the hope of retaining local control over Molokai’s destiny which could be bolstered by the recent creation of the ‘Aha Moku advisory council.

The ‘Aha Moku, like hula, has its birthplace on Molokai and is now being implemented as an advisory role to the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) with the passing of the ‘Aha Moku bill (Act 212) this past legislative session.

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New Year for Molokai Planning Commission

Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

New Year for Molokai Planning Commission

Challenges and changes ahead for 2008 MoPC

By Bra

i County Superstores

The next order of business was the prohibition of superstores in Maui County, which quickly devolved into a square footage argument. The Maui County Planning Board had designated a superstore as anything above 90,000 square feet. One question is whether a square footage designation is a good qualifier for a superstore?

Maui currently has 5 stores that meet the square footage, the largest being 142,000 square feet. The MoPC, after multiple motions came and went, could not agree on a size cap for Molokai and therefore the prior size designation remained.

The MoPC did add an attachment to the Planning Board measure that Maui can do what Maui wants but Molokai will have no part in superstore development.                   

The fear is a behemoth store coming to Molokai and wiping out long-standing family businesses. However, Commissioner Lance Dunbar does not think Molokai presently has anything to worry about because the economic incentive does not exist on Molokai. One thing is clear though, if a superstore did find a home on Molokai, many businesses would lose a home on Molokai.

Last, but not least

With the two previous items consuming the Commission’s time and energy, some important issues on the agenda were left unattended.           

One missed item of great interest was a presentation by Doug Tom of the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management Program. Tom had a federal mandate to make this presentation to the MoPC, but was unable to do so. The MoPC hopes to reschedule this presentation as soon as possible.

The MoPC just made the January 10th deadline for recommendations to the 2030 General Plan. They submitted 20 to 30 recommendations, but these were not board actions, rather attachments to the General Plan.

Vanderbilt said his main concerns were, “consistency problems within the General Plan and the use of antiquated data to forecast from.” The data gathered is from the 2000 census.

The inaugural MoPC meeting was a stalemate.  The lack of commissioner attendance led to no action and most items from the January 9 meeting will be transferred over to the next meeting.

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Molokai Ranch (MPL) Withdraws La`au Point EIS

Tuesday, November 20th, 2007

Molokai Ranch (MPL) Withdraws La`au Point EIS

Solatario has worked at the Ranch for 27 years and has recently been adamant about his disapproval of MPL’s mistreatment of employees.

“I am not for the plan. I am not for La`au,” Solatario said. “If I don’t have a job tomorrow it is because I am honest. Only honest people they let go.”

Solatario’s defiant presentation brought tears to the eyes of many including several commissioners. Upon his exit, several hundred people in the room stood and applauded.

Withdrawal or Rejection

“The environmental laws are very precise, and they (MPL) chose the options they thought were best for the community and themselves,” Judge said. But at the end of the day, the lack of a thorough EIS proved too much for MPL.

 “I think the EIS was withdrawn because they (MPL) felt it was going to be rejected,” Maui County Planning Director Jeffrey Hunt said.

LUC Executive Officer Anthony Ching said the OEQC will decide MPL’s next step. According to Ching the expected outcome will be for MPL to start the process over again by filing a new Draft EIS.

While MPL faces the task of recreating its EIS for the La`au Point development, it could be forced to concurrently author a separate EIS for water use.

A recent opinion by state Deputy Attorney General Myra Kaichi mandates MPL provide an environmental assessment in order to continue renting use of the state owned Molokai Irrigation System.

Although details of Kaichi’s opinion are forthcoming, disappointed looks from MPL’s corner at the Friday hearing tell of a probable uphill climb for the company.
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MPL’s Racial Remarks Leave Westenders Speechless

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007

Molokai is about `ohana, not segregation.

 

Last Saturday, I attended the Papohaku Homeowners Association meeting at the Maunaloa Cinema.  Prior to this meeting, I had questioned whether to attend any more meetings because of the sometimes unproductive nature of these meetings. I had decided, however,  that before I completely give up on attending any more meetings, I needed to hear some dialogue from other homeowners regarding their concerns and fears about the impact that developing La’au and Kaluakoi Hotel would have for West End homeowners.   What about water standards, quality and allocations for the West End? Issues that I felt had not been properly addressed by MPL.

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Molokai Ripe for the Picking

Saturday, November 10th, 2007

Recently, I was handed a flier with a quote from Molokai Properties Limited's 2005 land value appraisal. I was shocked to read these words: "Molokai is the last undeveloped and unexploited major island in Hawaii. The physical diversity of land forms, it's proximity to Oahu, and the accepted need for economic stimulus in the community make the island a significant 'blank slate' ready for additional development in the near to mid-term."   

Holy Moly! What is particularly disturbing about this quote - besides its obvious greedy and speculative nature - is that it was written sometime in 2005. This means that it was written either during or after the community process which created the Community Based Master Land Use Plan For Molokai Ranch, aka "the Plan." (That 2-year process went from Sep. 2003 - Sep. 2005!)

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OHA Support for La`au and Molokai Land Trust in Question

Saturday, November 10th, 2007

I am writing to clarify a few issues that Bridget Mowat brought up in her October 25, 2007 letter to the editor. 

First, Office of Hawaiian Affiars (OHA) Chairperson Haunani Apoliona should have informed those who attended OHA’s October 17, 2007 Molokai meeting that both Trustee Mossman and I were in New York on official board business dealing with the Native Hawaiian Trust Fund.  Let me assure the Molokai community that, as a statewide at-large trustee, I am deeply concerned with La’au Point and would have made every effort to attend the meeting if it were not for the scheduling conflict.  Chair Apoliona should have also made sure whether the remaining trustees could attend or not and rescheduled the meeting if she didn’t have quorum. 

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“The Plan” and West Molokai Growth Issues (Part III)

Monday, October 29th, 2007

Molokai Ranch Conservation Easements/ More questions than answers

I found it quite interesting that in response to my first article in this series, Mr. Orodenker claimed that my conclusions in regard to Molokai Ranch’s conservation easements were incorrect.  What is ironic is that his claim was based on my failure to include information that is not yet available to anyone else except the Ranch. My article was based solely on the maps, terms and legal definitions provided to the public by Molokai Ranch in its La‘au Point EIS.

 

If and when the easement documents that Mr Orodenker speaks of are actually prepared and made public, and if they prove that restrictions will be placed on these Conservation Easement lands, then my opinion about the Ranch’s plans will change accordingly.  But for now, no one has any proof that the Ranch’s proposed easements will really protect the lands that they now classify as “rural” (the same classification they are asking the LUC to approve for La‘au and its proposed 200 homes).  Nor does anyone have any proof that the Ranch’s easements would protect lands classified as “agricultural.”  Mr. Orodenker does say that “agricultural support structures” will be allowed on those lands, but again, state law includes “farm dwellings” in the definition of agricultural support structures.  As I mentioned in my last article, all of the homes built at Kaluakoi and Kawela are classified as farm dwellings.

 

As for the Ranch’s promise that the community can rely on the Molokai Land Trust to protect these lands under easements to the Trust, the following excerpt from the Department of Interior may help to bring more clarity into this issue:

 

“When private owners place their land in a conservation easement, they do not necessarily have to give up control of the land. The landowner retains the rights to use the land, sell the property to another party or deed it to heirs. The property remains privately owned and subject to county property taxes, but landowners who donate an easement typically realize significant state and federal income tax benefits. In many cases, the fair market value of the land donated is considered a tax-deductible donation. These tax benefits are often substantial for landowners who donate land or a conservation easement to a Land Trust. Also, conservation easements do not necessarily mean that land must be locked away. Each easement is as unique as the landscape it preserves and most include concessions to modernity and its financial pressures. Depending on the size and character of the land, easements may allow selective timbering, agricultural use, maintenance of water impoundments, hunting and fishing and even the construction of new homes.”

 

 Taking into consideration the varied possibilities in which these lands can be used and also recognizing that no public documents exist demonstrating easement restrictions on these lands, it is fair and reasonable to say that the community has every right to question the intended usage of Molokai Ranch’s  proposed conservation easements.

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Molokai’s OHA Meeting – A First Hand Account

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

should have been here already. These types of things tend to make people think ‘this is not Pono’" said Solotario as he crossed to his car.

Flight #1152 did indeed make it to Molokai but the absent trustees were not on it. With four board members present the official quorum was not met meaning the meeting would not be official. Trustee Robert Klein put it simply, "you’re here, so we're gong to have an off the record discussion.... an unrecorded talk-story."

At 7:05 the "talk-story" began with 9 people signed up to speak . First up was Lori Buchannan on behalf of Aka`ula School joined by two students and teacher Vikki Newberry. They shared a mahalo and appreciation to the board of trustees for providing funding for the school. Seventh grade Aka`ula student Michael Kikukawa read a letter he had written to the Board thanking them for enabling him to experience the culture and history of his island home.

 

Trustee Machado gave credit to Aka`ula school for having 12 of their students be accepted into Kamehameha Schools. Machado said that Newberry "is an asset to our people".

 

Gail Crabbe, RN from Molokai General Hospital presented information to the board as well as the public about a new medical treatment for "Ice," crystal meth-amphetamine addiction. "This program is all over Europe, Mainland US, and is now in Hawaii. Crabbe said. “We need to demand of OHA and Aloha Care that we be included in this pilot study. She said that the drug was a major problem and that the program was badly need on Molokai.

At 7:30 p.m. Walter Ritte took the mic and explained how in the 1970's he had helped to form OHA and was one of its first trustees garnering the most votes in the election. Ritte said that more than 20,000 Hawaiians gathered at Iolani Palace to fight for the rights of Hawaiian people. He recalled being inspired by Senator D. Inouye shouting "Brown Power" to the gathered crow.

 

Putting the memories aside, Ritte, respected community member, leader, loved parent and kupuna stood to the microphone and announced, "This is the saddest day of my life. After all of the dreams that we had of what this office would do for Hawaiians.... not one word in response regarding La'au Point has been heard from OHA. We asked if they would stay neutral on La'au…. One year has gone by and not one word."

 

Ritte said that OHA granting $100,000 to the Molokai Land Trust" just adds insult to injury."

 

He then quietly turned to the people and said " I ask that we just go home " . It was 7:40 pm.

Several people in the croud shouted things such as Resign ! This is B.S. This is Trash! In about 60 seconds the crowd went from over 100 to about 20 or 30. Trustee Machado addressed those remaining with a strong scolding for those that chose to leave.

 

She said, "You maha'oe, you may be critical of me and how much I've done for this community but maka'ala (open your eyes). Hila Hila, you come out here and show your okole ? You red-shirt community, to show this to our colleagues? Shame on you. You Poho your okole and walk away like spoiled brats. Yet you still ask OHA to support your endeavors. If you feel that you can not support OHA, so be it. "

Trustee Apoliona responded to Ritte's comment on total lack of response from OHA regarding the request to stay neutral on the La`au issue. Apoliona claimed that a response was written to Bridget Mowat.

 

Mowat was still in attendance and stated that the letter was addressed to her personally and was not public information.

MPL's John Sabas was next to step up. He says the Ranch's EIS should be done by November 1st or 2nd.

Moke Kim spoke on behalf of the Homestead Farmers Alliance. His agenda was to assure representation by OHA for the restructuring of resolution #1705 of the MIS Molokai Irrigation System. Trustee Machado spoke of OHA providing over 1/2 of the funding for the MIS. She said that "the Alliance will be represented ".

Cora Schnakenberg  Stepped closed the meeting with straight forward questions. "How are you basing your decision to give $100,000 to the Molokai Land Trust? How are you making fair judgment on what Molokai wants? How are you getting your information?

 

The Board responded by saying they get their information from "the community."

 

"Your professionalism and faithfulness in representing us is lacking" said Schnackenberg  in response.

OHA recipients mentioned were: Molokai High and Middle School $22,000. Kualapu'u School, $310,000. Akaula School $125,000, Molokai General Hospital 1.5 million for Phase II Construction, Na Pua No`eau, and Alu Like.

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“The Plan” and West Molokai Growth Issues (Part I)

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

Conservation Land Easements, More questions than answers

Locations of Rural Landscape Easements seem to suggest that these are future add-on developments as opposed to conservation districts. 

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“The Plan” and West Molokai Growth Issues (Part II)

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

Conservation Land Easements, More questions than answers

In Part 1 of this article I focused on the 10,560 acres of so called “conservation land” that fall into a category referred to as  “Rural Landscape Easements” in Molokai Ranch’s Master Plan.  In this article I will discuss the other 14,390 acres referred to as “Agricultural Easements.”  These lands also play a significant role in “The Plan” and are being offered as part of a tradeoff to develop La’au Point. Again the same question has to be asked- Are these really conservation lands or does the Ranch really intend to use these areas as future development sites?


Over 8 years have passed since the current Molokai Ranch administration first revealed to the community its Ag development plans. Because of this gap in time it is easy to lose track of Molokai Ranch’s original intention with this portion of its West End Land holdings.


In the initial EC/EZ Process at a 1998 Environmental Subcommittee meeting, Harold Edwards, Vice President of Molokai Ranch at that time, unveiled Molokai Ranch’s Plan which included 15,000 acres of agricultural subdivisions which would create 1,350 additional gentlemen’s estates (5-20 acres in size).  Harold Edwards also stated that the Ranch did not intend to use these large lot agricultural subdivisions to support diversified agriculture. At this same meeting Harold agreed that in all, the Ranch's new ag subdivisions would bring an estimated 15,050 additional residents to the island.


At the time of the original conception of this plan, Molokai Ranch had not yet purchased the La’au lands from Alpha USA.  The original location for these 15,000 acres of Ag land was on the southern coast of Kaluako’i extending from Hale O Lono into the Punakou district. Although the current location of the proposed Agricultural Easements is different from that proposed in 1998, we still see almost the same amount of acreage being set aside, possibly with the same intention in mind.


In defense of these Agricultural Easements, Molokai Ranch states that only Farm dwellings will be allowed on such lands. This statement is rather misleading, and is representative of Molokai Ranch’s disingenuous approach to many different issues. Statements like “One Last Development;” “never ask for any more dinking water;” “The Public will be the ones to decide whether La’au will be developed;” are all promises meant to pacify and disarm the general population. The statement that “Only Farm dwellings will be allowed on these lands” is a glaring example.  The legal classification of a “Farm” dwelling includes all of the houses in the Kaluako’i and Kawela subdivisions.  In fact, John McAfee’s 10,000 square foot compound is categorized as a Farm Dwelling.


The “Agricultural Easements” and “Rural Landscape Easements” have yet to be subdivided into smaller portions of land, however questions arise as to whether or not the community would have a voice in the reclassification or subdivision of these lands. One foreseeable problem lies in the fact that these areas would be under a joint jurisdiction between Molokai Ranch and The Molokai Land Trust, making it possible to have the two largest landowners in the future pitted against the rest of Molokai. Thus far neither one of these groups have shown any real willingness to hear the majority voice of the community.  This is ironic since the Ranch claims that the Molokai EC’s approval of its Master Plan represented the public’s wishes.


Are the Ranch’s Conservation lands really what they are proposed to be?  Or are these areas really future development sites for “rural” mansions and 10,000 square foot “farm” dwellings?

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