Q. - What Should The People Of Kahuku Do?...... A. - Take The Deal!

There are a bunch of old sayings that come to mind when I think of the decision facing my neighbors of Kahuku in regards to the upcoming development:

• - Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
• - A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
• - The Golden Rule - Whoever has the gold, RULES.
• - Go on take the money and run.
• - Once in a lifetime, once in lifetime, once in a lifetime.

I think is is truly amazing that the Mayor has been able to broker a deal with a private property owner that is willing to sacrifice as much potential profit as Continental is willing to do. Those people who live Makai of Kam Hwy (I know most of them) have little hope of owning their own homes on the North Shore. They work hard, they are responsible, but when you need 20% of $650,000 for a down payment while you are taking care of your family and grandpa is not going to give it to you in his will...well, it makes home purchasing tough.

Most of the people who get the homes want to stay in Kahuku. If we can get the flood plain issues taken care of (thanks in advance to Ralph), the new owners can take out loans and fix their places up nice. They could sell em, some will, but most won't because they want to stay home.

The reality is Laie is going to be expanding in a huge way. Turtle Bay is going to be changing whether we like it not. Kahuku is in a perfect position to service, work for and profit from both location's expansion.

This is the real world. Continental would have a fight if they tried to run roughshod over Kahuku's wishes. They have chosen to offer a deal. It is a fair deal and in some respects unbelievably generous. We should take it.

Yes we give up some ocean front holes on a golf course (my nephew would really be mad if he knew who was writting this), but in reality SO WHAT?! The beach and the access does not go away.

I am sorry, but I choose the 70 or so good people who will get to buy a house over the objections of a bunch of millionaire white surfing golfers from Sunset who want to keep their view. I welcome the new neighborhood millionaires. Maybe they can share with our children and grandchildren how they became so successful. Maybe they can help raise the standards of our hospital, our schools and our services.

Sorry Margaret, but your unyielding desire to keep things the way they are is just plain sad. Life is changing, our way of life is changing, how dare you try and stop this deal that gives us so much opportunity. You will still be able to get to the beach, no problem. All you naysayers, grow up, times they change, you might think about it yourself.

The article below is a very good summary of the Kahuku dilemma.

Developer offers deal on Kahuku mill homes

This is from the Pacific Business News (Honolulu) - July 27, 2007 by Janis L. Magin

The Kahuku Villages Association is holding meetings this week to brief residents of the old mill camp on the landowner's plan to sell them their homes at deep discounts.

When owner Continental Pacific purchased the 240 acres of land from the former Estate of James Campbell a year ago, it made a deal with the city and the community that would allow the tenants to remain in the 72 plantation-era homes along Kamehameha Highway.

The landowner also proposes preserving two parks and two cemeteries and donating the land beneath the 9-hole municipal golf course in Kahuku.

Continental Pacific is seeking community support to take to the Honolulu City Council, which will have final say over a waiver that would allow the company to sell 18 one-acre beachfront home lots for about $1.5 million each, while providing the affordable housing.

"That's what we're going to be using as our seed money for the infrastructure and hopefully make a little bit of money at the end of the day," said Continental Pacific spokesman Eric Morrison.

The company hired Realtor Abe Lee to begin the process of dividing the land beneath the village homes into lots averaging 10,000 square feet under state condominium laws. The company plans to then sell the houses and land units back to the tenants for an average of $75,000 fee simple.

The only house on the market in Kahuku is a five-bedroom home on the mauka side of the highway listed for $698,000.

The company has submitted a letter of intent to the residents at the request of community groups, which Kahuku Villages Association members are presenting to tenants in a series of meetings. About 34 people attended two meetings on Tuesday, and about the same number were expected to attend a meeting Thursday night, said Leslie Llanos, the board secretary, whose husband is a third-generation Kahuku resident.

Meanwhile, the Keep Kahuku Country group held a meeting Tuesday night to encourage residents to oppose the plan, which they claimed would carve Kahuku into 20-acre lots that would be developed with multimillion-dollar homes.

"It's not acceptable to many of us that have lived here over 58 years that the beach alongside the beautiful municipal golf course would be gone to mansion development," former Kahuku Villages Association member Margaret Primacio told KITV.

But Morrison said Continental Pacific has no plans to develop homes on 20-acre lots. The company has a plan to divide the land into 20-acre agricultural lots as a backup in the event the waiver, known as a 201H waiver, is rejected and the company is unable to sell the homes to the tenants at the reduced price.

"The plan is not really that difficult to understand," said Llanos, who said the majority of residents support the proposal.

"Continental Pacific's project is basically a win-win for both parties," she said. "The 18 lots that they're putting on the beach pays for the infrastructure. It beats anything that we've ever had on this island."

jmagin@bizjournals.com 955-8041

I'm Back

I don't know why, but I find it really hard to post while I am on the Mainland. I just got back from one of my longest just leisure trips I have ever taken there - about a month.

I keep up with the news via The Advertiser, Star Bulletin, Ian Lind's Blog, Hawaii News Reporter, Honolulu Weekly. And of course the protest sites. So, I am informed and engaged but my muse must be in the North Shore air.

Missed some big news. Just before I left the word was that Starwood was going to buy Turtle Bay but no deal. I also missed my favorite event - The Haleiwa Arts Festival. I've had some thoughts percolating so I hope you have your "Steely Knives So You Can Kill The Beast" (this is a hint about where I was) when I offer you up some red meat of controversial opinions.

Aloha everyone.