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SWAAAE: Airport News, Barbers Point Turnover
Ewa Plain
residents gain a
playground
The Kalaeloa Community
Development District has much
to offer to the public
By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin
As a real estate agent, John Riggins sees the closure of Barbers
Point Naval Air Station as an economic setback for the unfolding
Kapolei area, which also hurts a slumping housing market on the
Ewa Plain.
But as a resident and current president of the Villages of Kapolei
Association, Riggins knows the 2,400 families there will enjoy what
Kalaeloa has to offer to the public.
"I think in the short term it is probably a bad thing," Riggins said.
"In
the long term, as people utilize the Barbers Point Air Station, it will
be a benefit to the entire community."
With the opening of the Kalaeloa Community Development District
today, 1,007 of the roughly 3,700 acres will be kept by the Navy
for military housing and support services while 491 acres goes to
other federal agencies, including the Hawaii Army National Guard,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
A surfer takes in the scenery on the Kalaeloa beach.
The remaining 2,153 acres of the surplus Navy land is being
transferred to state and city agencies, which has created excitement
because residents of Oahu's second city now have a true
playground, said Maeda Timson.
That playground has been described as large as the land between
Middle Street and Manoa, with a beach twice as long as Waikiki
Beach.
"The beaches will be open to the public, which they have never
been, and the residents from the area -- all the way from Ewa
Beach down to Waianae -- will be able to use the roads that
connect Ewa Beach to Kapolei," said Timson, chairwoman of the
Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board.
"To me, that's the big thing," she said.
The largest new landowner at Kalaeloa is the state Department of
Transportation, which assumed ownership of 750 acres of air traffic
control tower, hangars and runways today under a new name --
Kalaeloa Airport. Its users are small private and commercial
airplanes, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Hawaii National Guard,
which is under contract by the department to have guardsmen help
with air traffic operations.
Tom Funkhouser, chief of air traffic control operations at Kalaeloa,
said refurbishment of the existing tower will take five months. In the
meantime, guardsmen will operate the airport from a mobile tower
used for field training. Funkhouser said nine civilians and five
guardsmen will manage air traffic once work is completed.
He expects to handle between 150,000 and 200,000 flight
operations a year at the airport.
Prime acquisition
While the Transportation Department got the most land, the
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands got the most with economic
potential. As part of the 1995 federal Hawaiian Homes Recovery
Act, the department received 546 acres of land scattered on a
dozen parcels at Kalaeloa.
Hawaiian Homes planning administrator Darrell C. Yagodich said
143 acres of the 546 is designated for homesteads, but most of it is
next to Campbell Industrial Park and may be unsuitable for homes.
With residential homesteads planned in the Village of Kapolei and in
Ewa, Yagodich said the primary use of the Kalaeloa lands is to
generate income, with an eye toward helping native Hawaiian
entrepreneurs.
"Part of our mission is to assist the beneficiaries in developing their
business potential, so you have some of that here," he said.
Yagodich noted the state's $30 million-a-year settlement with the
department over use of public trust lands ends in 15 years and these
lands provide the opportunity to at least replace that income. He's
optimistic the department can lease its hundreds of commercial and
light industrial lands, despite slow industrial growth on the island.
"You don't have too many situations where you have this much
acreage near an airport, near a harbor, in an area that is heavy
industrial," he said. "It has a lot of features."
Also, the department has proposed an auto raceway complex, a
festival center and a marine park on 277 acres in Kalaeloa. The
raceway is different from that planned for the Hawaiian Super Prix
this November.
Yagodich cautioned that the department still must conduct feasibility
studies and improve infrastructure on its new properties before they
can be leased.
Big responsibility
Meanwhile, one of the biggest headaches at Kalaeloa is
management of 186 acres of pristine shoreline property that
includes 2 miles of white sand beaches and forests of ironwood
trees. The land is part of the 483 acres given to the city of Honolulu
for parks, a sport complex, campsites and maintenance facilities.
These isolated beaches are used heavily by military personnel on
weekends. The Navy will retain and upkeep beach-front facilities at
the White Plains and Nimitz beaches, but the city is now responsible
for the rest, and will have to provide trash and beach cleanup,
permits for camping, parking and signs.
Parks staff are stretched thin just maintaining the existing parks and
some question how the city will cope with the immediate addition of
nearly 500 acres of parkland. The city, however, is not deterred.
"We will maintain what we need to maintain," countered city Parks
Director Bill Balfour. "We will keep it clean to the extent that we
need to."
Balfour said he needs to see how much usage the beaches will get
before he can decide how much maintenance is needed. The 13
campsites at Kalaeloa have been added to the computerized city
park system and permits for the Fourth of July weekend there are
all filled, said City Transportation Services Director Cheryl Soon,
vice chairwoman of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Redevelopment Commission.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
This memorial across from the main headquarters was dedicated
last month to honor Kalaeloa's strong military history.
"Our highest priority is to make the ocean accessible to the people,"
Soon said.
Another big problem at Kalaeloa is security. The district is public
property and there is no way to stop anyone who wants to visit,
said commission Executive Director Bill Bass. The state commission
oversees the 20-year development of the district.
Bass said the public can enter Kalaeloa from Fort Barrette Road in
Kapolei and from Geiger Road in Ewa. Plans are for hired security
guards paid for by the landowners to monitor the front and back
gates, but they will not stop anyone.
Any suspicious activity will be reported to police, he said.
"Well, we're going to try and discourage them from going into the
Navy housing area, but that's about the limit," Bass said.
"There are some roads that lead into some really desolate places.
We might chain those for a while -- more to keep people from
wandering off lost and never coming back," he said.
Bass said the state airport, the Coast Guard and the Navy will
provide roving patrols for their properties. There is an agreement to
assist one another during emergencies, he said.
Meanwhile, an additional 12 acres of land is going to the state
Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii for
homeless assistance. The lands and former barracks will allow the
state to increase transitional housing on Oahu by one third.
As planned, the site also would provide laundry and health facilities,
a food bank, day-care center, an employment office and career
counseling.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
The streets of the former Barbers Point Navy base are named after
ships or battles. There is a proposal to give them Hawaiian names.
Hawaiian names
sought for streets
A commission member says
changes would instill pride
By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin
The streets of the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station could
soon have Hawaiian names.
Maeda Timson, a member of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Redevelopment Commission, believes the names of the streets now
under civilian control at Kalaeloa should conform with a 1979 city
ordinance that requires a Hawaiian street name for new streets.
Timson said renaming the streets would culminate six years of work
to prepare the military base for civilian control. It also will focus
attention on the future of the district, not just on its military past.
She's suggesting a committee of city officials, kupuna, Hawaiian
Civic Club members, community officials and others convene to
discuss proper Hawaiian names relative to the region.
For example, she would like to see Fort Barrette Road -- the main
artery that leads to the front gate of the former base -- renamed
Pu'u Kapolei, to emphasize the volcanic cylinder that looms in the
area.
Kalaeloa, which means long cape or headland, is the legendary
birthplace of Hawaiian kings.
"Again, by putting this committee together and including the
community in this process, you instill community pride and
ownership in the area," Timson said.
Street names given at Barbers Point are of Naval ships or battles.
For example, the streets along the perimeter of the 3,700-acre
property are named Franklin D. Roosevelt, Essex, Tripoli, Coral
Sea and Saratoga.
Commission Executive Director Bill Bass said there has been no
action to change the street names because there is a big difference
of opinion on the commission on what to do.
There are about 50 streets under the commission's control. The
issue probably will come up again at the commission meeting next
month, he said.
City Parks Director Bill Balfour, the city's point man on the base
closure, said he has heard talk of changing street names at
Kalaeloa, but that's all.
The city must also decide what names, if any, to give to the beaches
and campsites under its control within the district.
Timson, also chairwoman of the Makakilo /Kapolei/ Honokai Hale
Neighborhood Board, said the commission has the greatest respect
for the military and would not endorse any name changes on streets
that remain under federal control.
She said the idea has been talked about for years but was put on
the back burner by commissioners until more pressing turnover
issues were addressed.
Who owns what
Here is a breakdown in acres of ownership at the
Kalaeloa Community Development District,
according to the Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Redevelopment Commission:
1,498: Lands the Navy retains control over.
2,153: Lands released to the state and county.
3,651: Total acres.
Navy lands:
1,007: U.S. Navy.
239: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (open
space/refuge).
145: Hawaii Department of Defense.
43: U.S. Coast Guard (air station).
34: Defense Reutilization Materials Office.
21: Federal Aviation Authority (navigation
beacon).
7: Veterans Administration.
1: U.S. Postal Service (post office).
3/10 of an acre: West Oahu Community Federal
Credit Union.
State and county lands:
750: State Department of Transportation (airport).
546: State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
483: City Department of Parks and Recreation.
176: Roads and open space.
135: State Department of Land and Natural
Resources (historic sites).
31: City Board of Water Supply (desalination
plant).
14: State Department of Education (elementary
school).
12: State Housing and Community Development
Corporation of Hawaii (homeless facilities).
6: University of Hawaii (aviation training).
Things to know about
the transition
Here are some questions and answers regarding the closure of
Barbers Point Naval Air Station.
Question: What is the area's new name and purpose?
Answer: The former base opens today as the Kalaeloa Community
Development District, governed by the Barbers Point Naval Air
Station Redevelopment Commission. More than 2,100 acres of
state land is planned for various uses, including a general aviation
airport, beaches, parks, homesteads and a raceway track, as well
as commercial and light industrial businesses.
Q: Can I enter Kalaeloa without a permit or pass?
A: Yes. Plans are for security guards at the front gate of Fort
Barrette Road and the back gate on Geiger Road in Ewa to monitor
traffic.
The guards, however, will not stop anyone from entering, said Bill
Bass, commission executive director.
Q: Will the public have access to the beach areas of Kalaeloa?
A: Yes. There are 2 miles of white sand beaches open to the
public. The Navy, however, will retain control of beach cabins, rest
rooms and restaurants at Nimitz Beach and White Plains Beach.
Public access there will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Dozen of campsites along the beach will be under city jurisdiction.
Q: Will the public have use of military facilities remaining in
Kalaeloa?
A: No. The Navy housing area and its support facilities such as the
exchange, bowling alley, medical clinic, chapel and golf course are
restricted to military personnel and their families.
But open to everyone at Kalaeloa are fast-food restaurants such as
McDonald's and Subway.
Q: Will there be security at Kalaeloa?
A: Yes. The Department of Transportation, the Coast Guard and
the Navy will provide roving security guards for their properties.
Plans are for other landowners to contribute money to pay for gate
security.
The Honolulu Police Department will respond to calls within
Kalaeloa, which falls under its Kapolei District patrol, but there will
be no officers stationed within the district.
Q: Will general traffic be allowed to drive through the district for
motorists who want to get from Ewa Beach to Kapolei or vice
versa?
A: Yes. The opening of Kalaeloa has opened a "shortcut" from
Geiger Road in Ewa Beach to Fort Barrette Road in Kapolei. It
offers a third route for motorists who don't want to drive on
Farrington Highway or t¡he H-1 Freeway.
Q: Can I go anywhere within Kalaeloa?
A: People can roam the district but some roads may be temporarily
closed because the area is so large, Bass said. Also, the general
aviation airport, historic and endangered sites and the Coast Guard
Air Station will be gated off.
Ewa Plain
residents gain a
playground
The Kalaeloa Community
Development District has much
to offer to the public
By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin
As a real estate agent, John Riggins sees the closure of Barbers
Point Naval Air Station as an economic setback for the unfolding
Kapolei area, which also hurts a slumping housing market on the
Ewa Plain.
But as a resident and current president of the Villages of Kapolei
Association, Riggins knows the 2,400 families there will enjoy what
Kalaeloa has to offer to the public.
"I think in the short term it is probably a bad thing," Riggins said.
"In
the long term, as people utilize the Barbers Point Air Station, it will
be a benefit to the entire community."
With the opening of the Kalaeloa Community Development District
today, 1,007 of the roughly 3,700 acres will be kept by the Navy
for military housing and support services while 491 acres goes to
other federal agencies, including the Hawaii Army National Guard,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
A surfer takes in the scenery on the Kalaeloa beach.
The remaining 2,153 acres of the surplus Navy land is being
transferred to state and city agencies, which has created excitement
because residents of Oahu's second city now have a true
playground, said Maeda Timson.
That playground has been described as large as the land between
Middle Street and Manoa, with a beach twice as long as Waikiki
Beach.
"The beaches will be open to the public, which they have never
been, and the residents from the area -- all the way from Ewa
Beach down to Waianae -- will be able to use the roads that
connect Ewa Beach to Kapolei," said Timson, chairwoman of the
Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board.
"To me, that's the big thing," she said.
The largest new landowner at Kalaeloa is the state Department of
Transportation, which assumed ownership of 750 acres of air traffic
control tower, hangars and runways today under a new name --
Kalaeloa Airport. Its users are small private and commercial
airplanes, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Hawaii National Guard,
which is under contract by the department to have guardsmen help
with air traffic operations.
Tom Funkhouser, chief of air traffic control operations at Kalaeloa,
said refurbishment of the existing tower will take five months. In the
meantime, guardsmen will operate the airport from a mobile tower
used for field training. Funkhouser said nine civilians and five
guardsmen will manage air traffic once work is completed.
He expects to handle between 150,000 and 200,000 flight
operations a year at the airport.
Prime acquisition
While the Transportation Department got the most land, the
Department of Hawaiian Home Lands got the most with economic
potential. As part of the 1995 federal Hawaiian Homes Recovery
Act, the department received 546 acres of land scattered on a
dozen parcels at Kalaeloa.
Hawaiian Homes planning administrator Darrell C. Yagodich said
143 acres of the 546 is designated for homesteads, but most of it is
next to Campbell Industrial Park and may be unsuitable for homes.
With residential homesteads planned in the Village of Kapolei and in
Ewa, Yagodich said the primary use of the Kalaeloa lands is to
generate income, with an eye toward helping native Hawaiian
entrepreneurs.
"Part of our mission is to assist the beneficiaries in developing their
business potential, so you have some of that here," he said.
Yagodich noted the state's $30 million-a-year settlement with the
department over use of public trust lands ends in 15 years and these
lands provide the opportunity to at least replace that income. He's
optimistic the department can lease its hundreds of commercial and
light industrial lands, despite slow industrial growth on the island.
"You don't have too many situations where you have this much
acreage near an airport, near a harbor, in an area that is heavy
industrial," he said. "It has a lot of features."
Also, the department has proposed an auto raceway complex, a
festival center and a marine park on 277 acres in Kalaeloa. The
raceway is different from that planned for the Hawaiian Super Prix
this November.
Yagodich cautioned that the department still must conduct feasibility
studies and improve infrastructure on its new properties before they
can be leased.
Big responsibility
Meanwhile, one of the biggest headaches at Kalaeloa is
management of 186 acres of pristine shoreline property that
includes 2 miles of white sand beaches and forests of ironwood
trees. The land is part of the 483 acres given to the city of Honolulu
for parks, a sport complex, campsites and maintenance facilities.
These isolated beaches are used heavily by military personnel on
weekends. The Navy will retain and upkeep beach-front facilities at
the White Plains and Nimitz beaches, but the city is now responsible
for the rest, and will have to provide trash and beach cleanup,
permits for camping, parking and signs.
Parks staff are stretched thin just maintaining the existing parks and
some question how the city will cope with the immediate addition of
nearly 500 acres of parkland. The city, however, is not deterred.
"We will maintain what we need to maintain," countered city Parks
Director Bill Balfour. "We will keep it clean to the extent that we
need to."
Balfour said he needs to see how much usage the beaches will get
before he can decide how much maintenance is needed. The 13
campsites at Kalaeloa have been added to the computerized city
park system and permits for the Fourth of July weekend there are
all filled, said City Transportation Services Director Cheryl Soon,
vice chairwoman of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Redevelopment Commission.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
This memorial across from the main headquarters was dedicated
last month to honor Kalaeloa's strong military history.
"Our highest priority is to make the ocean accessible to the people,"
Soon said.
Another big problem at Kalaeloa is security. The district is public
property and there is no way to stop anyone who wants to visit,
said commission Executive Director Bill Bass. The state commission
oversees the 20-year development of the district.
Bass said the public can enter Kalaeloa from Fort Barrette Road in
Kapolei and from Geiger Road in Ewa. Plans are for hired security
guards paid for by the landowners to monitor the front and back
gates, but they will not stop anyone.
Any suspicious activity will be reported to police, he said.
"Well, we're going to try and discourage them from going into the
Navy housing area, but that's about the limit," Bass said.
"There are some roads that lead into some really desolate places.
We might chain those for a while -- more to keep people from
wandering off lost and never coming back," he said.
Bass said the state airport, the Coast Guard and the Navy will
provide roving patrols for their properties. There is an agreement to
assist one another during emergencies, he said.
Meanwhile, an additional 12 acres of land is going to the state
Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawaii for
homeless assistance. The lands and former barracks will allow the
state to increase transitional housing on Oahu by one third.
As planned, the site also would provide laundry and health facilities,
a food bank, day-care center, an employment office and career
counseling.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
The streets of the former Barbers Point Navy base are named after
ships or battles. There is a proposal to give them Hawaiian names.
Hawaiian names
sought for streets
A commission member says
changes would instill pride
By Pat Omandam
Star-Bulletin
The streets of the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station could
soon have Hawaiian names.
Maeda Timson, a member of the Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Redevelopment Commission, believes the names of the streets now
under civilian control at Kalaeloa should conform with a 1979 city
ordinance that requires a Hawaiian street name for new streets.
Timson said renaming the streets would culminate six years of work
to prepare the military base for civilian control. It also will focus
attention on the future of the district, not just on its military past.
She's suggesting a committee of city officials, kupuna, Hawaiian
Civic Club members, community officials and others convene to
discuss proper Hawaiian names relative to the region.
For example, she would like to see Fort Barrette Road -- the main
artery that leads to the front gate of the former base -- renamed
Pu'u Kapolei, to emphasize the volcanic cylinder that looms in the
area.
Kalaeloa, which means long cape or headland, is the legendary
birthplace of Hawaiian kings.
"Again, by putting this committee together and including the
community in this process, you instill community pride and
ownership in the area," Timson said.
Street names given at Barbers Point are of Naval ships or battles.
For example, the streets along the perimeter of the 3,700-acre
property are named Franklin D. Roosevelt, Essex, Tripoli, Coral
Sea and Saratoga.
Commission Executive Director Bill Bass said there has been no
action to change the street names because there is a big difference
of opinion on the commission on what to do.
There are about 50 streets under the commission's control. The
issue probably will come up again at the commission meeting next
month, he said.
City Parks Director Bill Balfour, the city's point man on the base
closure, said he has heard talk of changing street names at
Kalaeloa, but that's all.
The city must also decide what names, if any, to give to the beaches
and campsites under its control within the district.
Timson, also chairwoman of the Makakilo /Kapolei/ Honokai Hale
Neighborhood Board, said the commission has the greatest respect
for the military and would not endorse any name changes on streets
that remain under federal control.
She said the idea has been talked about for years but was put on
the back burner by commissioners until more pressing turnover
issues were addressed.
Who owns what
Here is a breakdown in acres of ownership at the
Kalaeloa Community Development District,
according to the Barbers Point Naval Air Station
Redevelopment Commission:
1,498: Lands the Navy retains control over.
2,153: Lands released to the state and county.
3,651: Total acres.
Navy lands:
1,007: U.S. Navy.
239: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (open
space/refuge).
145: Hawaii Department of Defense.
43: U.S. Coast Guard (air station).
34: Defense Reutilization Materials Office.
21: Federal Aviation Authority (navigation
beacon).
7: Veterans Administration.
1: U.S. Postal Service (post office).
3/10 of an acre: West Oahu Community Federal
Credit Union.
State and county lands:
750: State Department of Transportation (airport).
546: State Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
483: City Department of Parks and Recreation.
176: Roads and open space.
135: State Department of Land and Natural
Resources (historic sites).
31: City Board of Water Supply (desalination
plant).
14: State Department of Education (elementary
school).
12: State Housing and Community Development
Corporation of Hawaii (homeless facilities).
6: University of Hawaii (aviation training).
Things to know about
the transition
Here are some questions and answers regarding the closure of
Barbers Point Naval Air Station.
Question: What is the area's new name and purpose?
Answer: The former base opens today as the Kalaeloa Community
Development District, governed by the Barbers Point Naval Air
Station Redevelopment Commission. More than 2,100 acres of
state land is planned for various uses, including a general aviation
airport, beaches, parks, homesteads and a raceway track, as well
as commercial and light industrial businesses.
Q: Can I enter Kalaeloa without a permit or pass?
A: Yes. Plans are for security guards at the front gate of Fort
Barrette Road and the back gate on Geiger Road in Ewa to monitor
traffic.
The guards, however, will not stop anyone from entering, said Bill
Bass, commission executive director.
Q: Will the public have access to the beach areas of Kalaeloa?
A: Yes. There are 2 miles of white sand beaches open to the
public. The Navy, however, will retain control of beach cabins, rest
rooms and restaurants at Nimitz Beach and White Plains Beach.
Public access there will be from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Dozen of campsites along the beach will be under city jurisdiction.
Q: Will the public have use of military facilities remaining in
Kalaeloa?
A: No. The Navy housing area and its support facilities such as the
exchange, bowling alley, medical clinic, chapel and golf course are
restricted to military personnel and their families.
But open to everyone at Kalaeloa are fast-food restaurants such as
McDonald's and Subway.
Q: Will there be security at Kalaeloa?
A: Yes. The Department of Transportation, the Coast Guard and
the Navy will provide roving security guards for their properties.
Plans are for other landowners to contribute money to pay for gate
security.
The Honolulu Police Department will respond to calls within
Kalaeloa, which falls under its Kapolei District patrol, but there will
be no officers stationed within the district.
Q: Will general traffic be allowed to drive through the district for
motorists who want to get from Ewa Beach to Kapolei or vice
versa?
A: Yes. The opening of Kalaeloa has opened a "shortcut" from
Geiger Road in Ewa Beach to Fort Barrette Road in Kapolei. It
offers a third route for motorists who don't want to drive on
Farrington Highway or t¡he H-1 Freeway.
Q: Can I go anywhere within Kalaeloa?
A: People can roam the district but some roads may be temporarily
closed because the area is so large, Bass said. Also, the general
aviation airport, historic and endangered sites and the Coast Guard
Air Station will be gated off.
*****************************************
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