Keep the North Shore Sane

This blog will be about the North Shore of Oahu. The focus will be on the politics, economics and lifestyle of the North Shore. The North Shore is such a small place, people are often intimidated and do not speak their mind. Here you can speak your mind. I accept guest posts either by name or anonymously as long as they are not obscene. Let's argue, let's be opinionated and let's really dig down into the issues that affect our lives here on the North Shore of Oahu.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

North Shore 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 Sunset and Pupukea

Sunset Beach 1.1 - If Velzyland had not been torn down and the property subdivided by Andy A. Sunset would probably be in a version of less than 1.0. That is mainly because this community is DEVOLVING. The quality of the public sector facilities - parks, beaches, recreation, commercial activity, is actually getting worse in this stretch from Waimea to Crawford. Just think of the Ag Center where every 6 months to a year another building in that complex either falls down or is condemned to the bulldozer not to be replaced.

There are commercial zones in Sunset. The location next to Foodland, the Shark's Cove Mall, is commercial zoned. Not much else is. I wonder what would happen today if there was no Foodland and someone said they wanted to build a store there. My guess, people go ballistic, "No Food at Shark's Cove" "Keep Food Out of the Country", etc.

If you need any proof that this area is starved for a place to mingle, eat, enjoy each other's company, be entertained, just look at the lines at Starbucks and Ted's Bakery. Even the old Sunset Pizza had a steady stream of clientele who were looking for a local place to hang. Now there is a cider block wall just waiting to get grafittied on.

I have shocking news for people in Sunset that will no doubt cause spasms of denial - COMMERCE IS NOT INHERENTLY EVIL.

Think about it. There are two legal businesses that serve sit down food in this stretch - Ted's and Starbucks. 2 1/2 if you count the truck. Wouldn't it be great if there were good places for local people to go to get some good tasty treats, see their friends and neighbors, socialize and walk, ride their bikes or have a short drive home. This is a GOOD thing. Commerce makes for good neighborhoods. It is OK to be able to buy gas, get a tire changed (oops, can't do that at Chevron anymore), see your chiropractor or doctor, have an office. Good communities have good towns with commerce.

I can not see Sunset/Pupukea getting to version 2.0. The uphill struggle to build anything at Sharks Cove will require the kind of thick skin and determination that who in their right mind would want to put up with. With the demise of the Obayashi property, there will be no other large developer to hang a project like a YMCA on.

Let's face it THERE WILL BE NO MAJOR PUBIC IMPROVEMENTS IN SUNSET FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS AT LEAST.

You see in our capitalist system, private developers can be forced to build things for the community. But if you have no private developers, no one can afford to build things for us. Think how well the city is doing in getting the new rec center and skate park done, yes the answer is not very well indeed. The infill occurring in Sunset, vacant lots being built, existing lots subdivided or condoed will all continue. This type of mini development requires no commitments by the developers to the community to improve anything. You can hear them saying "I'm only doing a few houses at a time", "my lot is zoned for 2 houses", "yeah, I'm going to buy and use the condo law to get a rental unit on to it". These are the same people parading around with their anti development bumper stickers.

In the area of Sunset there are more illegal restaurants and businesses (Pupukea Road, Maui Loa's Tiki shops, Mackey's Shrimp Truck) than there are legal entities.

The taped up playground at Sunset Beach Elementary is virtually closed. The tennis courts and basketball courts there and next to the Firehouse should be condemned for all the cracks and loose gravel that are there. I have never ever seen a volley ball net up in either of those places.

The bike path is devolving to the point where you have ask yourself "is this stretch safer than the road?"

In the mean time the drone of STOP, SAVE, NO, DEFEND, KEEP "goes on and on and on and on it goes". The people in this area must get in their cars and drive somewhere else adding to the North Shore traffic because there is nothing there for them to do, to buy, to eat or to enjoy.

Man does not live on sand alone.

Sunset/Pupukea needs an upgrade, but they condemned their only computer. That is the definition of a mess.

I honestly can not see anything changing over there which will make the Luddites very happy. Good for them, they get what they deserve.

posted by Toegee-Jon Midpoint @ 9:40 PM  

4 Comments:

  • At 1/03/2007 7:59 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I've been following your blog since getting interested in the Turtle
    Bay controversy. I sort of lean "Keep North Shore Country" but I
    commend you for keeping the discussion lively and two sided. I wish
    there was a blogger on the "Keep North Shore Country" side of the
    argument who was as interesting and articulate. If the issue was to
    be decided on the basis of "most interesting blog" you win! Anyway,
    keep it up. I'm learning stuff. Was fascinated by the 1960 photos of
    Kewala Bay and, like you, don't see much difference between the
    residential compound which blocks my route all the way round the Bay
    and a hotel 300' back.

    Here's some topics I'd wish you would address in more detail:

    1. Is there really a big enough labor pool to support the proposed
    development?

    2. Does current Turtle Bay occupancy justify additional hotel rooms?

    3. Who is your dog in this fight? (It's hard to tell from your blog
    what your motivation is for advocating for development.

    I spend only five or six weeks a year on the North
    Shore. I have, in the past, been guilty of being a developer so it
    would be hypocritical of me to say a blanket "no" to any development.
    I think the Kuilima legal position is pretty strong. But I know that
    determined anti growth groups can be very powerful.

    Anyway, as a blogger, I think you are doing a useful job and am
    surprised you don't have more comments although I expect you have a
    number of regular readers like myself.

     

  • At 1/03/2007 5:46 PM, Blogger Toegee-Jon Midpoint said…

    Aloha "interested anonymous". I hope people drill down into the comments section because you bring up valid challenges to Turtle Bay and some of my spouting off here.

    1. Labor Pool - I am not sure there are enough workers for Turtle Bay under the current wage structure. But this I do know, unemployment is highly variable on the North Shore over time and location. Unemployment is much higher in the areas east of Turtle Bay. Over time there have been wide fluctuations in the unemployment rate on Oahu. Right now things are flush. 4 years ago, they were rotten. Some people would say that it is all good times ahead. I don't buy it.
    The good news is that if it is good times and the labor pool is tight, Turtle Bay will have to offer higher wages to attract talent. If they pay enough, people will come to work. It is basic economics.

    2. Occupancy rates are another funny thing. Low prices = high occupancy which might = bad business. I do not know. I know they are busy over there. I am not sure if a new hotel canibalizes the people who currently go there or if it would be a new experience for a different clientel i.e. very expensive.

    3. My dog in this fight is against one sided liars and hypocrites. I have found those opposing Turtle Bay and many other things on the North Shore to be unbelieveably rude, hostile, liars who would do anything and say anything to get their way the truth and morality be damned. I am not like that and I naturally gravitate to people who behave civily. The irony on the North Shore is those who oppose and say they are the good guys do not act like it. Just check out the Neighborhood Board meetings when a hot issue comes up. They tear people up in those places.

    Plus, I like getting people who act like they do even more fired up. Bring on the flames I say.

    Hope that helps.

     

  • At 1/05/2007 9:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I am a big fan of Pubic Improvement as it has had a positive, anti-crime, more food, more parking effect on my other home here in Santa Monica. Pubic improvement, hairy, shaved, trimmed or otherwise, if well managed and thought out and executed, has an overall positive long term effect on most of us. it's the few stubborn and/or lazy ones who want to keep their Pubic unimproved.

     

  • At 3/24/2007 10:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Some stats as to the labor abd occupancy statistics:

    1096 Aplicants in 2006 in TBR Human resources office. 164 secured jobs. Leaves 932 still looking.

    TBR ran a 78% occupancy in 2006

    Forecast 80% for 2007

    Unemployment on North shore runs twice that of Oahu.

    Doesn't count those working in town because there are not enough jobs on the North Shore.

     

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