DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND PERMITTING
CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU
HONORABLE JEREMY HARRIS, MAYOR

January 2000

Of the eight documents, the plans for Ewa and the Primary Urban Center, to which growth and supporting facilities will be directed over the next 20 years, have been entitled “Development Plans.” They will be the policy guide to development decisions and actions needed to support that growth.

Plans for the remaining six areas, which are envisioned as relatively stable regions in which public programs will focus on supporting existing populations, have been entitled “Sustainable Communities Plans” in order to appropriately indicate their intent.

The plan for the Wai`anae District, is a Sustainable Communities Plan. This Plan’s vision statement and supporting provisions are oriented to maintaining and enhancing the region’s ability to sustain its unique character, current population, growing families, rural lifestyle, and economic livelihood, all of which contribute to the region’s vitality and future potential.

· Interviews with many community leaders;
· Interviews with other Wai`anae people;
· Meetings with about twenty community groups and organizations;
· Formation of a “Citizen’s Advisory Committee” (CAC) with representatives from some 30 community groups and organizations;
· A series of four CAC meetings and three public informational meetings;
· Approximately 40 comment letters that provided input on the “Public Review Draft” of the Plan, published in October, 1998;
· Subsequent comments received from the Wai`anae Neighborhood Board and from staff members of the Department of Planning and Permitting.

P.2    THE HONOLULU LAND USE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The City and County of Honolulu guides and directs land use and growth through a three-tier system of goals and objectives, policies, planning principles, guidelines and regulations. The General Plan forms the first tier of this system. First adopted by City Council resolution in 1977, the General Plan is a relatively brief document, consisting primarily of one-sentence statements of goals, objectives and policies. It has been amended several times, but the basic objectives and policies set forth in the 1977 plan remain intact.

The second tier of the system is formed by the Development Plans, which are adopted and revised by ordinance. These plans address eight geographic regions of the island, including the Primary Urban Center, East Honolulu, Central O`ahu, Ewa, Wai`anae, North Shore, Ko`olau Loa and Ko`olaupoko. Under the current revision program, the Primary Urban Center and Ewa plans retain the title “Development Plan.” The plans for the other regions are now referred to as “Sustainable Communities Plans” to reflect their policy intent.

The third tier of the system is composed of the implementing ordinances, including the Land Use Ordinance (Honolulu’s zoning code) and the City’s Capital Improvement Program. Mandated by the City Charter, these ordinances constitute the principal means for implementing the City’s plans. These ordinances are required to be consistent with the General Plan, the Development Plans, and each other.

In addition to these three Charter-mandated tiers, the Development Plans are supplemented by two planning mechanisms that are not required by the Charter: the functional planning process and special area planning. Functional planning activities, some of which are mandated by state or federal regulations, provide long-range guidance for the development of public facilities such as the water system, wastewater disposal, and transportation. Special area plans are intended to give specific guidance for neighborhoods, communities or specialized resources.

P.3    AUTHORITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES PLANS

The authority for the Development Plans and Sustainable Communities Plans (hereinafter referred to as “Development Plans” for simplicity) is derived from the City Charter, which mandates preparation of a General Plan and Development Plans to guide “the development and improvement of the city.” Together with the General Plan, the Development Plans provide policy guidance for the land use and budgetary actions of the City. This is the authority the originally adopted Development Plans carried, and it remains unchanged in the revised Plan presented in this document.

The Charter provides that “public improvement projects and subdivision and zoning ordinances shall be consistent with the development plan for that area.” Although the Development Plans are not themselves regulatory, they “regulate the regulators.” They are policy tools and are to be used, in conjunction with the programs and budgets of the City, to accomplish the objectives of the City and as guides for decisions made by the private sector.

P.4    WHY THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS HAVE BEEN REVISED

In 1992 the City Charter Commission recommended, and the voters of Honolulu adopted, amendments to the City Charter. Chief among its findings, the Charter Commission concluded that the Development Plans were overly detailed and had created processes that duplicated the zoning process. To eliminate this unnecessary duplication, the 1992 Charter amendments changed the definition of Development Plans from “relatively detailed plans” to “conceptual schemes.”

The 1992 Charter amendments established that the purpose of the Development Plans is to provide:

· “priorities . . . (for the) coordination of major development activities”; and

· sufficient description of the “desired urban character and the significant natural, scenic and cultural resources . . . to serve as a policy guide for more detailed zoning maps and regulations and public and private sector investment decisions.”

In response to the 1992 Charter amendments, the Planning Department launched a thorough review of the Development Plans. The goal of that review was the revision of all eight of the Development Plans to bring them into conformance with the Charter-mandated conceptual orientation. The revised plan presented in this document conforms to that mandate.

Chapter 1: “Wai`anae’s Role in O`ahu’s Development Pattern” defines the region’s role and identity within the overall framework of islandwide planning and land management.

Chapter 2: “The Vision for the Future of the Wai`anae District” summarizes the community’s vision for the future of the region, and describes important elements of that vision.

Chapter 3: “Land Use Policies and Guidelines” is the plan’s policy core. It provides policy guidance for the region’s various land use elements.

Chapter 4: “Public Facilities and Infrastructure Policies and Guidelines” provides policies and guidelines needed to support the planned land uses.

Chapter 5: “Implementation” addresses needs for carrying out provisions outlined by the plan.

Summarized below are the key recommendations contained in each of these chapters.


Chapter 1: Wai`anae’s Role in O`ahu’s Development Pattern

Consistent with the directed growth policies of the City’s General Plan, the Wai`anae District is targeted for very little growth over the 20-year timeline of this plan. The focus of the plan is thus preservation of the rural landscape and of the country lifestyle of the Wai`anae District’s people.

It is also noted in this chapter that land development and population trends in the Wai`anae District over the past 40 years are such that “keeping Wai`anae country” will be a difficult policy to implement. Since 1950, this District’s population has increased from only 3,000 people to more than 40,000 people by 1998. Together with this population growth, there has been a tremendous growth in all forms of urban/suburban development, including housing, commercial centers, industrial uses, schools and other public buildings, roads, and utilities.

Wai`anae is the most “developed” of O`ahu’s rural districts. Without strong City policies and actions, this District may lose its remaining rural qualities within the next generation.

Chapter 2: The Vision for the Future of the Wai`anae District

This chapter presents a community-based vision statement for the Wai`anae District, and also describes the basis for this vision, including: Community Values, Rural Values and Qualities, the Community Participation Process, the Ahupua`a/Ecosystem Concept, and Environmental Criteria for Land Use Planning. More detailed “Elements of the Vision” are also described.

The community-based vision statement is:

The Vision for the Future of Wai`anae is a Vision of a Community
living by values and customs that are firmly embedded in the rural
landscape, the coastal shorelands, the ocean waters, the forested
mountains, the diversity of cultures, the warmth of family and friends,
and the Wai`anae traditions of independence, country living, and aloha.

The Community Values that underlie this vision statement include the following:

“Ours is a living culture of the land and the sea.”
“Relationships are fundamental to our values and identity.”
“We are a rural community.”
“We are a community with small town values.”
“We value economic choices in Wai`anae.”
“Our elderly have much to teach us.”
“We cherish our children.”

The Wai`anae District’s Rural Values and Qualities are expressed and exemplified by the hundreds of small farms in the District, the extensive open spaces and cultural resources, the rugged beauty of the Wai`anae Mountains, the many miles of sandy beaches, and the small town values of Wai`anae’s people.

The Community Participation Process went far beyond the usual few “public meetings.” Recognizing the special nature of the Wai`anae community, the planning team designed and implemented an extensive community participation process that included one-on-one meetings with community leaders, interviews of citizens from various walks of life, meetings with small focus groups and community organizations, and the organization of a 50-member “Citizens Advisory Committee” with representatives from all of the important local groups and organizations.

The Ahupua`a/Ecosystem Concept is suggested as a tool for physical and resource planning for the Wai`anae District, where the traditional ahupua`a land divisions are strongly defined by natural mountain and ridgeline features, and where the ahupua`a divisions are still recognized by many of the residents as important definers of community boundaries.

The subsection on Environmental Criteria for Land Use Planning summarizes the overall planning opportunities and constraints relating to the local climate, soil conditions, local aquifers, cultural resources, coastal resources, flooding and drainage, town centers and village centers.

The Wai`anae Concept is illustrated in the form of a color concept map. The elements of this concept, which is a further articulation of the Vision Statement, include:

· The traditional Ahupua`a of the Wai`anae Coast;
· The establishment of defined boundaries for preservation, agriculture, and rural community areas;
· The designation of town centers and village centers;
· Plans for Community Gathering Places;
· Preservation and restoration of streams and stream corridors;
· Preservation and protection of important cultural sites and cultural landscapes;
· Preservation of lands north of Kepuhi Point as open space lands;
· Restriction of coastal development makai of Farrington Highway;
· Beautification of Farrington Highway;
· Evaluation of the feasibility of a reliever highway.

Chapter 3: Land Use Policies and Guidelines

This chapter presents general policies and guidelines for the major land uses planned for the Wai`anae District. Also included in this chapter is some “overview” data and information on each of the land use types. For more detailed information on the District’s history, natural resources, demographics, development, and other concerns, the reader is referred to the “Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan – Background Report,” which is available from the Department of Planning and Permitting.

The principal land use policies are summarized as follows:

2.1 Preservation of Open Space
· Preserve and protect open space and scenic beauty.
· For proposed projects, provide a detailed analysis of the potential impact on open space and scenic beauty.
· No future urban/suburban development in areas where open space is of critical concern.
2.2 Preservation of Coastal Lands
· No new coastal development makai of Farrington Highway.
· Pursue opportunities to acquire coastal properties to return these lands to public use.
· Shore armoring structures should be discouraged.
2.3 Preservation of Mountain Forest Land
· Preserve and protect mountain forest lands in their natural state.
· Work toward the restoration of endemic and indigenous forest plants and animals.
· Do not permit uses that would degrade the District’s natural forest lands.
2.4 Preservation of Streams and Stream Floodplains
· Establish Stream Conservation Corridors.
· Restrict uses within stream conservation corridors to those uses that will not have an adverse impact on stream ecosystems.
· Establish minimum in-stream flow standards for the District’s few perennial streams.
2.5 Preservation of Historic and Cultural Resources
· Preserve and protect major concentrations of cultural sites.
· Preserve other scattered important cultural sites.
2.6 Preservation of Agricultural Lands
· Establish a firm boundary for Important Agricultural Lands.
· Define uses that are compatible with agricultural use.
· Provide zoning and tax incentives for people to farm the land.
2.7 Residential Land Use
· No increase in lands designated for residential use.
· Coordination with Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is important.
· Development encroachment on Agriculture Lands should not be permitted.
· Develop a Special Area Plan for Mäkaha Valley.
2.8 Commercial and Industrial Uses
· Encourage commercial and light industrial businesses that will serve the community.
2.9 Country Towns, Rural Community Commercial Centers, and Gathering Places
· Establish a phased development program for commercial centers and Gathering Places.
2.10 Parks and Recreational Areas
· Development of adequate public parks should be a top priority.
· No more golf courses should be permitted in the Wai`anae District.
2.11 Military Land Use
· The City’s long-range land use policy for the military lands at Lualualei and at Mäkua Valley is that these lands should be preserved as agriculture/open space lands.
· The importance of the U.S. military uses of these lands is also recognized.
· Cooperative programs will be continued and developed for the protection of important cultural and natural resources found on military lands in the Wai`anae District.

Chapter 4: Public Facilities and Infrastructure Policies and Guidelines

This chapter presents general policies and guidelines for the major public facilities and infrastructure systems in the Wai`anae District. The major policies may be summarized as follows:

3.1 Transportation Systems
· Design and implement a safety improvements program for Farrington Highway.
· Implement a beautification program for Farrington Highway.
· Establish an “Emergency Road” route for use when Farrington Highway is blocked.
· Study the need for and possible alignments for a “Reliever Road” that could carry some of the commuter traffic and allow for downsizing of Farrington Highway.
· Provide local shuttle bus or van service as a supplement to the regular City bus system.
· Encourage plans and programs for other modes of transportation, including bikeways and walkways.
3.2 Potable Water Systems
· Determine the safe yield of local aquifers as related to stream flow.
· Develop programs for the conservation and efficient use of scarce local potable water supplies.
· Provide affordable water for the farmers of the Wai`anae District.
3.3 Wastewater Collection and Treatment Systems
· Implement a phased program for the replacement of old sewer lines.
· Implement landscaping improvements for the Wai`anae Wastewater Treatment Plant.
3.4 Electrical Power and Communications
· Reduce the visual impact of power lines and utility poles, especially along Farrington Highway.
3.5 Drainage Systems
· Develop a comprehensive plan for the correction of flooding and drainage problems.
· Implement a sediment control program.
3.6 Solid Waste Handling and Disposal
· Enforce antidumping laws.
3.7 Civic, Public Safety and Educational Facilities
· Improve Satellite City Hall facilities and provide more police officers for the Wai`anae Police Station.
· Select new school sites in conformance with the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan.
· Plan for and emphasize the multipurpose function of schools as community resources.

Chapter 5: Implementation

This chapter discusses the various measures that will be necessary to ensure timely implementation of the plan, including measures that will minimize disruptions during the transition from the “old” Development Plan to the new “Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan.” Changes to the zoning maps and to the City’s Land Use Ordinance will be necessary to achieve required consistency with the Sustainable Communities Plan. Changes to other regulatory codes and ordinances will also be needed. This chapter also addresses monitoring of plan implementation and provides for comprehensive review of the plan at five-year intervals.

Appendix A

The Appendix contains three colored maps that illustrate some of the plan’s policies and guidelines. These maps are intended to be illustrations of the text, and therefore should there be any conflicts between the maps and the text, the text shall govern.

The 1989 Amendments to the General Plan included some important language on rural areas that applies to Wai`anae (Physical Development and Urban Design, Objective D, Policy 4): “Maintain rural areas which are intended to provide environments supportive of lifestyle choices which are dependent on the availability of land suitable for small to moderate size agricultural pursuits, a relatively open and scenic setting, and/or a small town, country atmosphere consisting of communities which are small in size, very low density and low rise in character, and may contain a mixture of uses.” Or, more simply stated, “keep the country country.”

Thus, the General Plan sets forth policies that emphasize the preservation of agriculture and rural land uses in Wai`anae, as well as in the other rural districts of the North Shore, Ko`olau Loa, and parts of Ko`olaupoko. The General Plan directs that Wai`anae’s proportional share of O`ahu’s 2010 population should be between 3.8 percent and 4.2 percent.

Land development and population trends in the Wai`anae District over the past 40 years suggest that “keeping Wai`anae country” will be a difficult policy to implement. The Farrington Highway corridor in the District, from Nänäkuli to Mäkaha, is already heavily developed. This developed coastal zone is about 8 miles long, and varies in width from about ¼ mile to over 1 mile. Land uses on the mauka side of Farrington Highway are typically suburban types of uses rather than rural uses: single family residential small lot development, multi-family residential development, shopping centers, a scattering of small commercial and industrial establishments, and various institutional and public uses including schools, health centers, fire and police stations, and a regional wastewater treatment plant. The makai side of the highway is dominated by beaches and beach parks, with some small subdivisions and a few larger apartment buildings.

Recently developed residential subdivisions are expanding this coastal development strip into the rural farm valleys of the District. Important parts of the District’s infrastructure are being stressed and overloaded, especially Farrington Highway, the public school system, and police and fire protection services.

The Revised Sustainable Communities Plan for the Wai`anae District addresses these core issues of preservation, growth, development, population, housing, infrastructure, and public facilities.

Nevertheless, amidst the differences were certain values that were frequently referred to or expressly stated. While it is not possible for everyone to share all of these values, they seem to be held by many people in the District, regardless of ethnicity, origin, or walk of life. Each frequently expressed value is listed below, followed by a description of what the value entails.

Wai`anae’s people practice their culture in many ways, and through friendship and marriage its culture has come to cross ethnic lines. Wai`anae’s cultural mix is Hawaiian, Portuguese, Filipino, Japanese, Samoan, Chinese, Caucasian, Vietnamese, Korean, African American, and more.

· The hundreds of small farms, many of them family-owned and operated, that raise livestock and grow various crops. These farms are found primarily in Lualualei and Wai`anae Valley;

· The extensive open spaces and special visual and cultural qualities of the principal valleys of the District: Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha, and Mäkua;

· The rugged beauty of the Wai`anae Mountains that shape and define the District;

· The miles of shoreline, sandy beaches, and beach parks;
· The “small town values” of many of Wai`anae’s people, who are open, friendly, family-oriented, and strongly attached to the land and the sea.

The Sustainable Communities Plan process for O`ahu’s rural communities seeks to look ahead to the year 2020 and beyond. The population of the Wai`anae region has grown significantly since the end of World War II. The District’s population in 1950 was about 7,000 people, 2 percent of O`ahu’s population at that time. By 1998, there were at least 40,000 people living in the Wai`anae District, about 4.5 percent of O`ahu’s population. If these growth trends continue for the next 20+ years, this District could add 10,000 to 20,000 people to its population between 1998 and the year 2020.

Population growth and land development in the Wai`anae District over the past 40+ years have been more typical of a suburbanizing urban fringe community than that of a stable rural community. These growth and development trends are likely to continue unless the City implements a strong “growth control” plan for the District. Continued urban and suburban development will consume agricultural lands and put still more stress on Wai`anae’s roads, schools, parks, and other facilities, which are already overcrowded. The country values and lifestyle that are of such great importance to the Wai`anae community will be further eroded and undermined.

The Vision for the future of the Wai`anae Community CAN be attained if City policies and programs vigorously support the preservation of country lifestyles, the rural landscape, and the natural and cultural resources of this District. The Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan is one important element in this overall City strategy for “keeping the country country” in Wai`anae.

2.4    COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PROCESS

The VISION STATEMENT for the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan emerged through an extensive and intensive COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PROCESS.
From an early stage in the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan project, the planning team began to develop an overall strategy for a meaningful community participation process. The team received invaluable advice from a well-known member of the Wai`anae community who was at that time the Executive Director of the Wai`anae Coast Community Alternative Development Corporation.

“Public input” or “community input” has become a common “buzzword” in the public planning process: City and State agencies typically take some pains to assure decision-makers that “community input” has been solicited and received. In practice, however, this “input” often consists of one or two “public informational meetings” and/or public hearings in which the agency presents a summary of their plan or program to the public, and then listens to comments and questions for an hour or two. This kind of “community input” thus often has little influence on the actual shape and substance of the plan.

The planning team for the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan was determined to undertake a more meaningful process wherein members of the community could truly participate in the formulation of the plan. The team felt that community “ownership” of the plan was essential. With the assistance and advice of the team’s community advisor, a “three level” strategy for community participation was articulated and implemented:

1. First meet one-on-one with community leaders. Explain the scope of the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan project. Seek the advice and assistance of these leaders.

2. Then meet with many small groups and local community organizations to explain the project and solicit their ideas and concerns. At the same time, conduct a number of one-on-one interviews with local people from various walks of life.

3. Based on steps 1 and 2 above, identify important community groups and organizations and ask them to participate in a series of “Community Advisory Committee” meetings. Use these broadly based community meetings to articulate a deeply grounded VISION STATEMENT for the Wai`anae Coast, and to evolve a Sustainable Communities Plan that builds on this overall Vision.

During the first months of the project, planning team members met with about a dozen well-known community leaders, talked with some twenty community groups and organizations, and interviewed another twenty individuals. Then about thirty groups, organizations, and agencies were invited to form a Community Advisory Committee and to participate in the development of the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan. These organizations and agencies were as follows:

· Aha Leo Kupuna Kaiaulu
· Boys and Girls Club of Wai`anae
· Hawaii Filipinos of Wai`anae
· Hoa`aina o Mäkaha
· Ho`omau Ke Ola, Inc.
· Ka`ala Farms, Inc.
· Mäkaha Ahupua`a Community Association
· Nani `O Wai`anae
· Na `Opio Aloha `Aina
· Na Kupuna O Nänäkuli Ahupua`a
· Nänäkuli Ahupua`a Council
· Nänäkuli Hawaiian Homestead Community Association
· Ohana Lualualei Ahupua`a
· Puhawai Farmers Association
· Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center
· Wai`anae Ahupua`a Council
· Wai`anae Coast Coalition
· Wai`anae Coast Community Alternative Development Corp.
· Wai`anae Valley Homestead Association
· Wai`anae Coast Rotary Club
· West O`ahu County Farm Bureau
· Wai`anae O`ahu Employment Corporation
· Wai`anae Kai Homestead Association
· Wai`anae Coast Neighborhood Board (maximum of 10 members to serve on the CAC)
· Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
· O`ahu Hawaiian Homelands Community Board
· U.S. Navy
· U.S. Army

The Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan Community Advisory Committee (CAC) met four times during the course of the planning project. CAC meetings were also open to the general public. In addition, there were two open “public workshops” that involved CAC members and other people from the community. Attendance at these six meetings ranged from 40 to 60 community members. The focus of these six meetings was as follows:

· October 1997 -- the first CAC meeting focused on community problems, issues, and needs.
· February 1998 -- the second CAC meeting focused on a discussion of community values and desires for the future.
· April 1998 -- the third CAC meeting featured a presentation by the planning team of an “Environmental Concept” for the Wai`anae Coast, and a preliminary draft “Land Use Plan” for the future.
· May 1998 -- first open public workshop: “information fair” and presentation of progress to date on the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan.
· October 1998 -- fourth CAC meeting: presentation of the “Public Review Draft” of the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan.
· May 1999 -- presentation of the “Final Draft” of the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan to the CAC and other interested community members.

In all, the planning team devoted over 1,000 hours to the various aspects of the community participation process. As a result of this focus on meaningful community participation, the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan incorporates the overall Vision, the Values, and the desires for the future as expressed by Wai`anae’s people.

2.5    THE AHUPUA`A/ECOSYSTEM CONCEPT

The VISION STATEMENT is further expressed by the Ahupua`a/Ecosystem planning concept.

Contemporary regional planning methods include a number of concepts that can be useful for the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan, including:

· Watershed Planning
· Ecosystem Planning
· Town Center Planning

The traditional Hawaiian land division system of AHUPUA`A is strongly related to these planning concepts, and could be a powerful tool for physical planning for areas like Wai`anae where the ahupua`a are strongly defined and still recognized by many of the residents. It is interesting to consider the following:

· The major ahupua`a in the Wai`anae District – Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha, and Mäkua – are all physically distinct valleys with associated ridges and mountain areas, and are at the same time distinct and separate stream watersheds. Nänäkuli has one major stream (Nänäkuli Stream), Lualualei has one major stream (Mä`ili`ili`i Stream) and one secondary stream (Ulehawa Stream), Wai`anae has one major stream (Kaupuni Stream) with several named branches, Mäkaha has one major stream (Mäkaha Stream) and two secondary streams, and Mäkua has one major stream (Mäkua Stream) and one secondary stream.

· Each of the major ahupua`a has a similar range of topographic/climatic zones that support similar ecosystems: a coastal/beach zone, a lower valley zone, an upper valley zone, dry valley walls, moister mountain slopes at the backs of the valleys.

· The major ahupua`a are to some degree identified with a particular subcommunity. This seems to be especially true of Nänäkuli and is somewhat the case for Wai`anae, with its identifiable town center. The Lualualei ahupua`a has a diversity of development, including the village of Mä`ili, the farmlot communities along Hakimo Road and Lualualei Valley Road, and the two large U.S. Navy installations. Mäkaha includes residential subdivisions near Farrington Highway, farmlots in the lower part of the valley, and the Mäkaha Resort, Mäkaha Towers, and Mäkaha Estates projects in the central part of the valley.

· There appears to be among Wai`anae residents a growing interest in and recognition of the importance of ahupua`a as an organizing concept for community communication, coordination, and united action. The “Ahupua`a Councils,” which were formed in 1994, have begun to evolve into important community-based planning and development entities.

2.6    ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA FOR LAND USE PLANNING

The VISION STATEMENT is further supported by an understanding of the Wai`anae District’s land and water resources.

The overview of Wai`anae’s environmental resources presented in the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan Background Report provides some strong guidelines for land use and development planning for the district. These guidelines may be summarized as follows:

a) Wai`anae's climate is very favorable for many types of agriculture. However, the district has a limited amount of good agricultural soils. If agriculture is to grow and expand here, there will need to be an emphasis on agricultural methods and products that can take advantage of the favorable climate but that do not require prime agricultural soils. Livestock farming is already very important here. Hydroponic crops may be one option. “Backyard aquaculture” is already being developed.

b) Expansive Soils are a constraint. Some of the soils in the valleys, and most of the soils on the lower slopes of the ridges and mountains are highly expansive clay soils that are not good for either agriculture or construction of foundations for homes and other structures. These expansive soils can be built on – with special foundation construction techniques – on relatively level sites. However, steeper sites are subject to slumping and sliding, and should not be developed.

c) The District’s aquifers have a very small sustainable yield. The sustainable yield of the dike-formation aquifers in the district is only about 6 mgd, which is about what the City is currently pumping from their wells in Wai`anae and Mäkaha Valleys. This volume of water is less than the current district demand of 8 to 9 mgd. The balance of 2 to 3 mgd is currently imported into the district from the much larger Pearl Harbor aquifer system.

The Wai`anae District’s limited groundwater resources suggest that major water users like golf courses should not be developed here. Further, since all new development will increase the amount of potable water that will have to be imported, and since the long-range prospect for potable water on O`ahu is for a continued future increase in both demand and cost, significant growth of housing and commercial uses in Wai`anae should not be encouraged. Nonpotable water sources, including reclaimed water, will need to be further developed so that the limited local supply of potable water can be put to best use.

d) There are large natural and cultural resource areas in the Wai`anae District that should be protected and managed so that the resources are preserved or enhanced. These important areas include the higher elevations of the Wai`anae Range, where there are important plant and animal ecosystems, and the undeveloped upper valley areas of Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha and Mäkua, where there are extensive archaeological sites.

Consideration should be given to defining special resource protection or resource management zones that could be included in the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan graphic plans and policy statements.

e) Special attention should be given to the protection and preservation of Wai`anae’s coastal resources, including the district’s beaches and coral reefs. There should be no further commercial or residential development on the makai side of Farrington Highway. The construction of “shore armoring” structures should be discouraged. There should be no coastal development at all beyond Mäkaha. A long-range program for the control of nonpoint source pollution of nearshore waters needs to be developed.

f) A comprehensive plan needs to be developed for specific drainage and roadway improvements to alleviate local flooding problems. An emergency roadway route needs to be created so that people have an alternate means of moving through and out of the district when Farrington Highway is blocked by storm flooding or other problems.

g) Town Centers and Village Centers. Consideration should be given to the incremental development of identifiable town centers and village centers for the district’s subcommunities.

h) The ahupua`a planning concept should be incorporated into the Sustainable Communities Plan process.

2.7    THE WAI`ANAE CONCEPT

The overall approach to land use and environmental planning in support of the Vision Statement for Wai`anae is embodied in the graphic entitled “THE WAI`ANAE CONCEPT”. This concept emerged from a planning process that had a strong dual focus: (1) extensive community participation and (2) an understanding of the natural and cultural resources of the Wai`anae Coast. The principal elements of the Wai`anae Concept are:

· Recognize the traditional AHUPUA`A land divisions of the Wai`anae Coast and adapt the ahupua`a concept as a framework for land use and open space planning;

· Establish four major land and resource types with defined boundaries:

1. Preservation lands;
2. Coastal lands;
3. Agriculture lands;
4. Rural community areas;

· Designate Wai`anae Town Center as a “Country Town”;

· Designate Village Centers for the communities of Nänäkuli, Mä`ili/Lualualei, and Mäkaha;

· Plan and develop Community Gathering Places for Nänäkuli, Mä`ili, Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha, and other subcommunities of the District, as needed;

· Preserve and restore important streams and stream corridors;

· Preserve and protect important cultural sites and cultural landscapes;

· Preserve all lands north of Kepuhi Point as open space lands;
· Restrict coastal urban/suburban or resort development makai of Farrington Highway;

· Plan and implement safety improvements and beautification programs for Farrington Highway to bring the community closer to the beaches and coastline;

· Evaluate the feasibility of a new roadway that could divert commuter traffic from Farrington Highway.

The Wai`anae Concept is not meant to be a detailed land use plan—the concept provides the physical and conceptual framework for the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan policies and related maps. The principal elements of the Wai`anae Concept and the long-range Vision for the Wai`anae District are discussed in some detail below.

The traditional ahupua`a of the Wai`anae Coast are strongly defined by the District’s natural geologic and topographic form of steep-walled valleys. The ahupua`a of Wai`anae also embrace the natural stream systems of each valley, together with their associated historic and contemporary agricultural lands. There are nine ahupua`a in the Wai`anae District:

· Nänäkuli
· Lualualei
· Wai`anae
· Mäkaha
· Kea`au
· Ohikilolo
· Mäkua
· Kahanahaiki
· Keawa`ula

The ahupua`a of the Wai`anae Coast range in size from the great valley of Lualualei, which covers some 10,000 acres, to the relatively small ahupua`a of Ohikilolo, which is about 250 acres. It should also be noted that the Wai`anae “moku” extended across the Wahiawa plain and up to the ridgeline of the Koolau Mountains. During the 19^th century ranching era and the early 20^th century sugar plantation era in Wai`anae, the principal ahupua`a in terms of economic activity and population were Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha, and Mäkua. Archaeological research and local lore indicate that all of the nine ahupua`a were settled by the early Hawaiians.

The awareness and respect for boundaries continues to be an important part of the Wai`anae Coast culture even today. Many of the local people feel a strong identity with their ahupua`a. In 1994, the Wai`anae Coast Coalition, with the support of Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center-Nänäkuli Unit, began to organize “Ahupua`a Councils” for the four major populated valleys: Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, and Mäkaha. Since that time, these Councils have grown in membership and activities. The Councils have developed a way of working together through the “Wai`anae Coast Coalition,” a community-based organization that consists of representatives from many of the principal community groups and social service agencies in the District.

Clearly, then, the concept of the ahupua`a has great significance and importance in the Wai`anae District – in terms of natural landscape form, historical patterns of land use, traditional social and cultural practices, contemporary customs, and recent community organization. It is thus important to adapt the ahupua`a concept into the land use planning process for the Wai`anae Coast.

2.7.2    Establish Four Major Land and Resource Types with Defined Boundaries

The Wai`anae Concept establishes four principal land types with defined boundaries:

· The PRESERVATION LANDS consist generally of the steeper lands, mountainous lands, and coastal ridges and pu`u, including such prominent coastal features as Pu`u Heleakala, Pu`u o Hulu, Pu`u Mä`ili`ili`i, Pu`u Pahe`ehe`e, Pu`u Kamaileunu, and Mauna Lahilahi. Land uses within these areas should be limited to those uses that are compatible with the preservation and conservation of natural ecosystems and traditional and cultural sites and resources.

· COASTAL LANDS include the surf zone, the beaches, and lands just inland of the beaches: generally all lands makai of Farrington Highway. Coastal lands should be preserved and protected for open space, beach parks, and public access. New residential, commercial, or resort development should generally not be permitted makai of Farrington Highway. Over time, inappropriate coastal development, including mid-rise condominium buildings, should be phased out and these sites should be restored to public use.

· The AGRICULTURAL LANDS should encompass the farmlands and undeveloped valley lands in the nine ahupua`a of the Wai`anae Coast. Agricultural land uses within these areas, including commercial farms, family farms, and family gardens, should be preserved and encouraged. Land uses within these areas should be limited to agriculture and other uses that are compatible with a rural landscape and country lifestyle. These compatible uses include farm dwellings, small country stores, agricultural support facilities including storage and small-scale processing of farm products, and cultural places and preserves. Residential subdivisions including large acreage “gentlemen estates,” public or private schools, and golf courses are not compatible uses.

· RURAL COMMUNITY AREAS are defined by a line that generally follows the limits of existing urban and suburban development along the Farrington Highway corridor. Within the Rural Community areas, there should be a limited amount of acreage for infill residential and commercial development. With the exception of a small number of isolated farm lots that are already surrounded by housing development, no other agricultural lands should be included within these development areas. Continued small-scale agricultural uses on these farm lots should be encouraged.

2.7.3    Country Town and Village Centers

Within the RURAL COMMUNITY areas of each of the principal developed ahupua`a – Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, and Mäkaha – there is the need for the development of more strongly defined commercial and service Centers. These Centers should contain a concentration of small retail businesses, restaurants, professional offices like dentists and doctors, and social services offices. They should also contain some clustered housing units, including second-story housing units above ground-level commercial space. Structures would be one or two stories in height. This more efficient development pattern would provide for a stronger local community identity, encourage more pedestrian traffic and less dependence on cars, support small local businesses, and potentially alleviate the strong “strip commercial” development pattern that presently exists along Farrington Highway.

This concept includes the proposed designation of Wai`anae town center as a “Country Town” commercial and service center. Historically, at least from the mid-19<sup>th</sup> century, Wai`anae Town was the most important settlement in the District. Today, with Wai`anae Mall and the mix of small older buildings and newer buildings in the vicinity of Pöka`i Bay, Wai`anae Town Center is the area of the District that is recognized as the largest concentration of commercial and services facilities.

Smaller “Village Centers” are schematically shown on the Wai`anae Concept graphic for the communities of Nänäkuli, Lualualei/Mä`ili, and Mäkaha. These smaller commercial centers would provide shops, stores, restaurants, and social service offices for the local communities, as well as a stronger sense of physical identity.

For both the Wai`anae Country Town and the several Village Centers, a phased action program for capital improvements and investment needs to be developed.

2.7.4    Community Gathering Places

Community Gathering Places of several acres each are needed within the major ahupua`a. These Gathering Places are quite different from the predominantly retail commercial Country Town and Village Centers. As envisioned by community groups, the Gathering Places are open areas with perhaps a few small buildings where people can gather informally to visit and talk story; have parties and celebrations; stage festivals and special events; teach and learn traditional crafts, music, and dance; buy, sell, and barter homegrown produce and homemade items; and generally renew contact with friends and neighbors.

Given the range of community activities envisioned for these Gathering Places, it is recommended that they be located within the residential communities and not along the automobile-oriented main transportation route of Farrington Highway. The Gathering Places thus could be close to the Country Town or Village Centers, but, with the possible exception of Mäkaha Village Center, should not be located within the Centers. In the case of Mäkaha, a community group is already working toward the establishment of a Community Gathering Place at the site of the former Coronet Store complex at Farrington Highway and Mäkaha Valley Road.

The Sustainable Communities Plan recognizes the importance of these Community Gathering Places. The exact location of these Places will depend on many factors, and cannot be precisely determined at this time. The locations for Gathering Places that are shown on the Wai`anae Concept graphic and on the Sustainable Communities Plan Open Space Map should therefore be considered preliminary in nature.

1.6.5 Stream Conservation Corridors

The major streams and stream corridors of Wai`anae’s valleys are very important elements of the landscape and the natural ecology of the region.
Some of these streams are perennial streams near their origins high in the Wai`anae Mountains, but all are intermittent streams as they flow down through the valleys. Hundreds of years ago, when the Hawaiian people first began to settle the ahupua`a of the Wai`anae Coast, they located the streams with year-round flows and tapped these streams for water for extensive terraced lo`i kalo, located in the upper sections of the larger valleys: Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha, and Mäkua. The streams were also essential as a source of drinking water, and for their natural plants and freshwater fish.

“Modern” development practices have severely impacted many of these streams. Impacts include alteration of stream channels through grading operations for roads and houselots, siltation from eroding farm fields and residential subdivisions, trash and debris dumped into stream channels, and “improvement” of major stream channels near the coast by means of concrete-lined, engineered channels.

A coordinated City/State/Federal and Private landowners program is needed for the protection and restoration of Wai`anae’s natural streams and stream corridors. The Sustainable Communities Plan should therefore designate, where feasible, all important perennial and intermittent streams and stream channels as special STREAM CONSERVATION CORRIDORS. Appropriate State and City agencies then need to work together to initiate a program that will enhance stream flow and protect the natural ecology of Wai`anae’s streams, stream floodplains, and associated plants and animals. This program should include a “no dumping” rule within the Stream Conservation Corridor, requirements for siltation basins or other means of controlling urban and agricultural stormwater runoff, and a program for the restoration of natural vegetation within stream floodplain areas. A community-based “adopt a stream” program could be an important part of this overall stream conservation program.

1.6.6 Preserve All Lands North of Kepuhi Point as Open Space Lands

The Wai`anae Concept includes a general policy that there should be no urban/suburban or resort development, or golf course development, or other type of commercial land development permitted or approved north of Kepuhi Point and north of Mäkaha Valley. There is a strong community consensus, as well as a general consensus among the responsible State and City agencies, that these lands should be preserved and protected for open space, public access, and public recreation.

The present use of Mäkua Valley by the U.S. Army for live fire combat training is not in keeping with this general resource preservation policy. However, it is recognized that the Army’s current use of these lands is an important part of the Army’s mission. It is also recognized that the Army has made considerable efforts in recent years to develop an “ecosystems management program” for these and other Army training lands, and to develop a dialogue with the community concerning public access to cultural sites within Mäkua Valley. Military land uses within the Wai`anae District are addressed in detail in the policies and guidelines section of this Plan.

2.7.7    Restrict Urban/Suburban or Resort Development Makai of Farrington Highway

Lands makai of Farrington Highway are at present mostly beach parks and undeveloped shore lands. There are also a number of small lot subdivisions, a few apartment buildings in Wai`anae and Mäkaha, the Nanaikapono Elementary School in Nänäkuli, some small commercial buildings in Wai`anae Town, Wai`anae High School, and the Wai`anae Small Boat Harbor.

Further development encroachment on these coastal lands should not be permitted, with the exception of some very limited redevelopment of small commercial properties in Wai`anae town. The long-range goal should be to return developed coastal lands to public use. Toward that end, the City should act on opportunities to purchase coastal properties when such uses become non-viable due to economic conditions, storm damage, or other causes.

2.7.8    Plan and Implement Safety Improvements and Beautification Programs for Farrington Highway

Over the years, Farrington Highway has evolved from a narrow, unpaved coastal roadway into a wide, 4-lane arterial highway that is dangerous in many places for both drivers and pedestrians. Safety improvements, beautification, and, where possible, narrowing of the roadway width are needed to reduce Farrington Highway’s negative impact on the community that it is supposed to serve.

Farrington Highway in some ways separates the community from the area’s natural resources of sandy beaches and scenic coastline. The narrowing of Farrington Highway to a local roadway with slower speeds and less traffic would help bring the community closer to its beaches and coastline.

2.7.9    Evaluate the Feasibility of a New Roadway that will Divert Commuter Traffic from Farrington Highway

Farrington Highway will continue to be congested and dangerous unless a “reliever road” can be provided to carry significant volumes of commuter traffic. A second arterial road would also provide for emergency access and egress at such times as Farrington Highway is closed to traffic due to coastal storms or major auto accidents. Community concerns about a second arterial road focused on the risk of urban development expansion that often results from major transportation improvements.

The WAI`ANAE CONCEPT articulates the long-range VISION for the Wai`anae community and the Wai`anae District. The Concept also serves as the general framework for the more detailed policies, guidelines, and maps, which are presented in the next sections of this document.

General Policies are statements that express the City’s overall philosophy and long-range planning intent with regard to particular land uses. The planning guidelines are more specific statements that are meant to provide guidance to City agencies and other public and private entities in relation to how the planning, design, and implementation of various types of programs and projects should be achieved. Planning guidelines have been provided for those land uses where more detailed physical planning concepts require explanation.

For each major land use type, the presentation of policies and guidelines is preceded by an “Overview” section that provides a summary of important facts and trends relating to that land use type.

3.0    OVERVIEW OF LAND USE AND POPULATION GROWTH

Before proceeding with detailed policies and guidelines for the Wai`anae District, it is helpful to summarize key facts pertaining to existing land use, existing State and City designations for land use, and recent population growth trends.

2.65535.1 General Physical Setting

Wai`anae is an area of great physical beauty. The overall form of the landscape consists of white sand beaches along the coast, a narrow coastal plain, large valleys that extend from 3 to 5 miles inland, and the dramatically eroded, steep walls of the Wai`anae Mountains. The major valleys – Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha, and Mäkua – are defined and separated from each other by steep-sided basalt ridges, the remnants of the flanks of the great volcano that emerged from the ocean some 3 million years ago. The waters of the Pacific Ocean here are a deep blue, and the offshore currents are strong and often treacherous.

The Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan area consists of 38,089 acres, which is about 59.5 square miles, almost 10 percent of O`ahu’s 602 square miles. Of the eight Development Plan/ Sustainable Communities Plan areas, Wai`anae ranks fifth in size – between Ko`olaupoko at 41,279 acres and Ko`olau Loa at 37,060 acres.

The climate of Wai`anae is generally hot and dry along the coastal areas and in the lower sections of the valleys. Cooler and wetter conditions prevail in the upper sections of the valleys and on up into the Wai`anae Mountains. Average annual rainfall ranges from less than 20 inches along the coast to more than 75 inches near the summit of Mount Ka`ala.

Mount Ka`ala, the highest peak on O`ahu at 4,025 feet (USGS), is visible (clouds permitting) from much of the coastal area of Wai`anae.

To many of Wai`anae’s residents, this landscape is one of unique grandeur and beauty.

3.0.2    State and City Land Use Designations

The State Land Use Classification System currently designates land in the Wai`anae District as follows:

The City’s Development Plan Annual Reports for FY 1996 and FY 1997 indicated that 652 acres of land designated “Single-Family Residential” were vacant/undeveloped. The accompanying “Undeveloped Residential Lands” map shows larger undeveloped parcels located at the following sites:

Recent City data indicate the following existing urban and agricultural land uses:

· Sheraton Mäkaha resort (closed in 1996)
· Mäkaha Valley Towers condominiums
· Mäkaha Valley Plantation townhouses
· Mäkaha Estates gated community
· Two 18-hole golf courses

The valley also contains, as noted above, four parcels of undeveloped, residentially zoned land totaling approximately 270 acres. Important land use issues for Mäkaha Valley include: protection of and access to important cultural sites, including Kaneaki Heiau at the back of the valley, future potential uses of the resort facilities, and the future development of the residentially zoned 270 acres.

3.1    BOUNDARY DEFINITIONS

The following boundaries have been established for the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan. They generally organize major groupings and types of land uses within the region. Their purpose is to provide one of the primary tools needed for long-term organization and guidance of land use patterns with regard to the primary direction of this plan, which is to preserve the rural landscape of the Wai`anae District and the Country lifestyle of Wai`anae’s people.

It is intended that these boundaries will be fixed for the life of the plan, to the year 2020, and that they will help guide future development, redevelopment, or resource management within existing zoning designations or future zoning designations and other standards or guidelines that may be developed in response to plan provisions, other land use permits or entitlements, or in accordance with pertinent policy and character described in this plan.

3.1.1    Rural Community Boundary

The rural community boundary is established to define, protect, and contain communities in areas which the General Plan designates "rural" and which exhibit the physical characteristics of rural lifestyles. The purpose of this boundary is to provide adequate lands for facilities needed to support established communities, to protect such communities from more intense land uses and patterns of development associated with more urban areas and to protect areas outside the boundary for agriculture or other resource or open space values. Where appropriate, this boundary also contains open space elements, the preservation of which is essential to the character of the rural community being defined. They may include lands designated "park," "agriculture," "preservation," or areas with development-related hazards such as steep slopes or unstable soils.

Rural communities defined by this boundary consist of smaller, more dispersed, less intensively developed residential communities and towns, and minor industrial areas that are smaller than those of urban or urban fringe areas.

Development character is generally low-density, low-rise, small scale, and reflective of a "country" setting. Within residential areas, the landscaping and front yards which provide the foregrounds to their respective residences are the principal visual elements. In commercial areas, the pedestrian environment and associated amenities predominate, and storefronts on both sides of the street are simultaneously perceivable. Buildings are oriented principally toward the street, relate readily to a human scale, and are organized to encourage interaction between the public and private domains.

3.1.2    Agriculture Boundary

The agriculture boundary is established to protect important agricultural lands for their economic and open space values, and for their value in helping to give a region its identifiable character. Important agricultural lands include lands currently in agricultural use and lands with high value for future agricultural use. They include lands designated "prime," "unique," or "other" by the "Agricultural Lands of Importance to the State of Hawaii" (ALISH) maps.

The primary use of all lands within these boundaries must be agriculture or uses directly supportive of the agriculture industry. Exceptions include "institutional" uses which must be developed and operated to maintain compatibility with agricultural uses, and other nonrural uses such as waste disposal or quarry sites which must also demonstrate such compatibility. Exceptions to agricultural uses, if any, must conform to the requirements of the City’s Land Use Ordinance and to any project-specific conditions that the City may require. The review through the Land Use Ordinance permit process should also consider the high priority on the preservation of agricultural land in Wai`anae, the protection of scenic, natural, and cultural resources and the area’s rural quality, more suitable land use categories in Wai`anae, and the availability of lands in other DP or SCP areas.

3.1.3    Preservation Boundary

The preservation boundary is established to protect lands that form an important part of a region’s open space fabric for their natural, cultural, or scenic resource values. Such lands include important wildlife habitat, archaeological or historic sites, significant landforms or landscapes over which significant views are available, and natural hazard areas. They exclude lands that are located within the rural community or agriculture boundary areas.

3.1.4    Relation to Land Use Map

The Rural Community Boundary is shown on the Land Use Map in Appendix A as a heavy, dashed black line. A thinner solid black line shows the conceptual boundary between agriculture and preservation lands.

3.2    PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACE

3.2.1    Overview of Large-Scale Open Spaces, Visual and Scenic Resources

Wai`anae is considered by many people, including both residents and visitors, as one of the most scenic regions of the Island of O`ahu.

The Wai`anae landscape is a large-scale, bold landscape. The major elements of this landscape are the deep blue of the ocean; the long ribbons of white sand beach; the green valleys; the rugged pu`u and ridges along the coast, including Pu`u Heleakala, Pu`u O Hulu, Pu`u Mä`ili`ili`i, and Pahe`ehe`e Ridge; the steep, harsh side walls of the valleys, and the greener, softer walls at the backs of the valleys; the high peaks of the Wai`anae Range, including Pu`u Kaua at 3,127 feet, Pu`u Kalena at 3,504 feet, and Mount Ka`ala at 4,025 feet.

The large-scale open spaces of the region are not immediately apparent from Farrington Highway, the main coastal roadway. Along most of the highway, residential and commercial development blocks the driver’s view of the great valleys of the region. Once people leave the highway and turn up into the valleys, they are greeted with dramatic views of open valley lands and the steep-walled ridges and mountains beyond.

The “Coastal View Study” commissioned by the City Department of Land Utilization and published in 1987 identifies a number of “significant stationary views”: from Mäkaha Beach Park, Mauna Lahilahi Beach Park, Pöka`i Bay Beach Park, and Mä`ili Beach Park. There are also many dramatic mauka views, and special views from higher elevations looking toward the coast, including spectacular views from the scenic overlook near Kolekole Pass.

Lands north of Kepuhi Point, which marks the northern coastal limits of Mäkaha Valley, are largely undeveloped lands. Land uses include beach parks, ranch lands, the Army’s training area at Mäkua Valley, and extensive areas of State-owned forest lands. The undeveloped, rugged beauty of this part of the Wai`anae coast still provides a sense of what most of the leeward coast once looked like. The ahupua`a of Kea`au, Ohikilolo, Mäkua, Kahanahäiki, and Keawa`ula are of great cultural importance to the native Hawaiian community.

In contrast to the dramatic natural beauty of the area, much of the residential and commercial development along Farrington Highway is run down and dilapidated. These man-made elements detract from the scenic qualities of this coastal highway.

Certain types of potential future development would also have an adverse impact on the visual quality of the district, including any further commercial or multifamily housing development on the makai side of Farrington Highway, residential subdivisions replacing valley farmlands, or large lot subdivisions being developed on the lower slopes of the Wai`anae Range.

The open space character and dramatic visual beauty of Wai`anae’s shorelands, valleys and mountains must be preserved and protected for the enjoyment of many generations to come.

3.2.2    General Policies Pertaining to Large-Scale Open Spaces

3.2.2.1    Open Space: Priority Value and Consideration
The preservation of open space and scenic beauty should be a high priority consideration for any and all public programs and projects that may affect the coastal lands, valleys, and mountains of the Wai`anae District.

3.2.2.2    Project Impacts on Open Space to be Addressed
The environmental impact analysis for any proposed project, whether public or private, that may be planned for coastal, valley, or mountain sites within the Wai`anae District should include a detailed analysis of the project’s potential impact on open space and scenic beauty.

3.2.2.3    Limits on Urban Development
Future urban and suburban development in the Wai`anae District should be limited to the Rural Community areas, and should not be allowed to intrude into the Coastal area, the Agricultural area, or the Preservation area. The undeveloped open spaces north of Kepuhi Point should be protected and preserved as open space lands in perpetuity. Uses of lands north of Kepuhi Point should be limited to conservation uses, beach parks, limited ranching and low-impact public recreational uses.

3.2.3    Relation to Open Space Map

Areas shown as “Agriculture” and as “Preservation” on the Open Space Map generally include the District’s large-scale open space resources.

3.3    PRESERVATION OF COASTAL LANDS

3.3.1    Overview of Coastal Lands

The Wai`anae District has about 20 miles of coastline, measured from the beginning of the District about ½ mile south of Piliokahi Avenue in Nänäkuli to the northern end of the District near Ka`ena Point.

About 18 miles of the District’s 20-mile coastline are beaches, and most of these beaches are City beach parks with some facilities for beach users. The remaining 2 miles of coastline are rocky ledges and residential coastal development. From south to north, the beach parks are:

· Nänäkuli Beach Park
· Ulehawa Beach Park
· Mä`ili Beach Park
· Lualualei Beach Park
· Pöka`i Bay Beach Park
· Wai`anae Kai Military Reservation Beach (U.S. Army)
· Wai`anae Regional Park (active recreation park with coral cliff shoreline)
· Mauna Lahilahi Beach Park
· Mäkaha Beach Park
· Kea`au Beach Park
· Mäkua Beach Park (state-owned: facilities being planned)
· Ka`ena Natural Area Reserve

There are at least four sections of the Wai`anae shore zone that are experiencing significant chronic erosion: Mä`ili Beach, Mauna Lahilahi Beach Park, Mäkaha Beach, and Keawa`ula Bay. The erosion of shores and beaches is a natural process that affects certain coastal areas. Generally, “shore armoring” devices such as seawalls and rock groins are not appropriate solutions to these erosion problems. Shore armoring often results in still more severe shore erosion in areas near the “armored” site.

The coastal lands of the Wai`anae District are important scenic and recreational resources, and must be preserved and protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

3.3.2    General Policies Pertaining to Coastal Lands

3.3.2.1    No New Coastal Development
There should be no new residential, commercial, industrial, resort or other urban or suburban type of development makai of Farrington Highway, with the exception of new development or redevelopment of low-rise commercial and public buildings associated with the development of Wai`anae Country Town.

3.3.2.2    Incremental Acquisition of Coastal Properties
The long-range goal for the coastal lands of the Wai`anae District should be the establishment of a coastal zone that is free of urban or suburban development and that is open to public access and public recreation. In working toward this goal, opportunities to acquire parcels or rights-of-way in coastal areas for public use should be pursued, especially lands adjacent to public parks. Any such acquired parcels should be restored to open space and made available to public access and/or public recreational use.

The acquisition of land for the expansion and improvement of Pöka`i Bay Beach Park should be a top priority.

3.3.2.3    Shore Armoring Discouraged
Shore armoring along any beaches of the Wai`anae District, including seawalls, groins, and breakwaters, should generally be discouraged.

3.3.3    Relation to Land Use and Open Space Maps

Coastal Preservation lands are shown on the Land Use and Open Space Maps.

3.4    PRESERVATION OF MOUNTAIN FOREST LANDS

3.4.1    Overview of Mountain Forest Lands

The important forest lands of the Wai`anae District include the steep ridges and pu`u near the coast and the slopes and peaks of the Wai`anae Mountains that form the backbone and scenic backdrop of the region.

Botanical historians believe that Wai`anae once supported a dryland forest in the lower coastal plain area, grading gradually to wetter forest types in the upper parts of the valleys and the slopes of the mountains, and finally culminating in the wetland forest of the high elevations, with abundant ohia lehua, sandalwood, and associated native plant species.

The natural landscape began to change with the first settlements of Native Hawaiian people here some 800 to 1,000 years ago (Cordy, 1998). Today, little of these natural forest communities remain, except in the highest elevations of the Wai`anae Mountains. The higher elevations of the mountains are still important habitat for rare and endangered plants, as well as for endangered animal species like the Elepaio, a rare forest bird, and the Achatinella tree snail.

Preservation and restoration of these mountain forest lands and forest resources are of great importance to the Wai`anae community and to the people of O`ahu.

3.4.2    General Policies Pertaining to Mountain Forest Lands

3.4.2.1    General Preservation Policy
Preserve and protect the Mountain Forest Lands of the Wai`anae District in their natural state.

3.4.2.2    Forest Restoration Program
Coordinate plans and programs towards the restoration of endemic and indigenous forest plants and animals in the Forest Lands of the Wai`anae District.

3.4.2.3    City Permitting Powers
Land use permits should not be granted to any uses of the District’s forest lands that may degrade the natural ecology and scenic beauty of these lands.

3.4.3    Planning Guidelines for the Preservation of Forest Lands

3.4.3.1    Protection of Rare and Endangered Species
Avoid or minimize development and human impacts in areas known to provide important habitat for rare species, especially those that are listed as threatened or endangered species.

3.4.3.2    Preventing the Introduction of Alien Species
Prevent the introduction of alien plant, mammal, bird, and insect species that could compete with, prey upon, or hybridize with native species. Marine alien species are also becoming a problem that will require coordinated programs to correct.

3.4.4    Relation to Land Use and Open Space Maps

Mountain Forest lands to be preserved are designated as “Preservation” on the Land Use and Open Space Maps.

3.5    PRESERVATION OF STREAMS AND STREAM FLOODPLAINS

3.5.1    Overview of Streams and Stream Systems

The streams of the major valleys of the Wai`anae Coast have always been considered a sacred part of the natural landscape. The streams traditionally provided precious fresh water for drinking and agriculture, as well as for other daily uses including bathing and washing.

The major valleys – Nänäkuli, Lualualei, Wai`anae, Mäkaha, and Mäkua – have well-articulated systems of intermittent streams: Nänäkuli Stream, Ulehawa Stream and Mä`ili`ili`i Stream in Lualualei Valley, Kaupuni Stream and Kawiwi Stream in Wai`anae Valley, Mäkaha Stream and Mäkua Stream. In recent years, the makai sections of the streams in Lualualei and Wai`anae Valleys have been replaced with concrete drainage channels.

Descriptions of these streams in the source material label them as “perennial” (flowing all year round) in the upper reaches of Wai`anae Valley and Mäkaha Valley, and “intermittent” (flowing only after significant rainfalls) in the lower parts of these two valleys and in the other valleys of the region. Groundwater stored in the high elevation dike-structure of volcanic rocks discharges as seeps and springs that form the “base flow” – the fair weather flow – of the higher level perennial streams. The relative absence of perennial streams here is a reflection of the generally arid climate and the alluvial soils of the valleys, through which the streams become nonvisible “underflow.”

The point at which a particular Wai`anae stream changes from perennial flow to intermittent flow depends on a number of natural factors, including:

· The season: with flows stronger during the wetter winter months;
· The year: with flows stronger during wetter years.

During the past 1 million+ years, the region’s streams have accomplished the immense job of sculpting the slopes of the Wai`anae volcano and forming the deep valleys that we see today. Thus we can see that these streams are powerful shapers of the landscape. However, these streams are relatively small water features, and are vulnerable to the negative impacts of human development.

Negative impacts include runoff from agricultural lands, with sometimes high concentrations of silt, herbicides, pesticides, and farm animal wastes; runoff from urban lands, with herbicides, oils, grease, paint products and other harmful and toxic substances; dumping of trash, broken appliances, old cars, etc.; and various acts of grading and filling that result in faster runoff into area streams, with attendant erosion of natural stream banks. Unfortunately, development which results in damage to natural streambeds often eventually requires the construction of concrete channels to “manage” the urban runoff. The net result: the natural stream channel and flood plain are completely obliterated.

Wai`anae’s streams are important elements of the landscape. They are the natural “arteries” of the valleys, bringing water down into the valleys from the mountains. They are a special environment for fresh water plants and animals, and also provide ribbons of fertile floodplain soils through the predominantly plastic and sticky soils of the alluvial valleys. Healthy streams are an indicator of a healthy landscape; sick streams indicate poor land use practices and uncontrolled agricultural and urban runoff.
3.5.2    General Policies Pertaining to Streams

3.5.2.1    Establish Stream Conservation Corridors
Stream Conservation Corridors should be established where feasible as an element of the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan. These Stream Conservation Corridors are illustrated on the “Open Space Map” for the Wai`anae Sustainable Communities Plan. Appropriate City, state and federal agencies should work with the community to establish a strong, pro-active program for the detailed delineation of Stream Conservation Corridors and the establishment of appropriate and enforceable rules, regulations, fines, penalties, and community monitoring and oversight programs for the protection of streams and stream floodplains.

3.5.2.2    Principal Stream Conservation Corridors
Stream Conservation Corridors should be established where feasible for all significant perennial and intermittent Streams in the Wai`anae District. These streams include the following:

· Nänäkuli Stream
· Ulehawa Stream
· Mä`ili`ili`i Stream
· Kaupuni Stream
· Kawiwi Stream
· Mäkaha Stream
· Mäkua Stream

Existing residential and other development may limit the delineation of Stream Conservation Corridors in some areas. However, these corridors should be established to the fullest extent possible.

3.5.2.3    Uses Within the Stream Conservation Corridors
Uses and activities within these Stream Conservation Corridors should be restricted to natural resources conservation uses and programs, compatible recreational uses such as walking and gathering of native plants and stream animals, and controlled diversion of stream waters for agricultural purposes. Other compatible uses should be permitted as may be defined by the agency with jurisdiction. There should be no dumping, littering, disposal of toxic or hazardous materials, disposal of animal or human wastes, or other activities that may be deleterious to stream quality and stream ecosystems. There should also be no filling, grading, or other significant changes to the natural contours within a Stream Conservation Corridor unless there is an overriding need for such action that relates to public health, safety or welfare.

3.5.2.4    Establish Minimum In-Stream Flow Standards
There is a need to develop a cooperative government-community program toward the establishment of minimum in-stream flow standards for the perennial streams of upper Wai`anae Valley and upper Mäkaha Valley. The overall objective of such a program would be to adequately protect fishery, wildlife, recreational, aesthetic, scenic or other beneficial in-stream uses. The setting of instream flow standards would weigh the benefits of instream and non-instream uses of water resources, including the economic impact of restrictions of such uses. The establishment of flow standards is a scientifically and culturally complex process that will require a significant amount of time.

3.5.3    Relation to Open Space Map

Stream Conservation Corridors are schematically shown on the Open Space Map.

3.6    PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

3.6.1    Overview of Historic and Cultural Resources

The Wai`anae area was first settled by Hawaiians about 800 to 1,000 years ago. Almost every valley in the Wai`anae District contains extensive archaeological sites associated with the region’s past history. Many of these sites are important to local people as traditional and cultural sites. The upper valleys, beyond the limits of today’s housing developments and small farms, have numerous archaeological sites. The coastal dunes contain sites and burials that are hidden beneath the surface of the ground. Sometimes these sites survive under existing buildings; scattered heiau also still survive.

Large-scale archaeological surveys have been completed for upper Nänäkuli Valley (conducted by the State Historic Preservation Division), upper Lualualei Valley (by the Bishop Museum), and mid to upper Mäkaha Valley (by the Bishop Museum). Other areas of the District have much smaller areas that have been surveyed, or areas where only preliminary reconnaissance information is available. Many areas of the District have not yet been surveyed.

Many of these historical and cultural sites and concentrations of sites are of great importance to the community.

Based on archaeological studies completed to date, the Historic Preservation Division of the State Department of Land and Natural Resources has provided a summary of the important cultural sites and resources of the Wai`anae district, as follows:

Information on archaeological properties in the Wai`anae District varies with survey coverage. Since 1987, most developments have been preceded by an archaeological survey (if needed) as part of the historic preservation laws' review process. Also, the Army and Navy have conducted surveys of their lands. Lands that were developed for housing, schools, businesses, etc., prior to 1987 often were not surveyed, and information on archaeological sites in those areas comes from older 1930 or earlier archaeological studies which usually simply identified heiau. Copies of these reports are on file in the library at the State Historic Preservation Division (Department of Land and Natural Resources, State of Hawai`i). This summary of archaeological information was supplied by the State Historic Preservation Division.

Current models of Hawaiian history have permanent settlement on O`ahu being focused on the wet, windward sides of the island from perhaps A.D. 0 to A.D. 900. During those years, residents of that side of the island often visited the leeward sides to exploit various resources -- fishing areas, bird colonies, the shellfish of Pearl Harbor, etc. Small campsites associated with those visits are expected throughout the leeward area. In the Wai`anae District, such a site appears to have been present in Wai`anae Valley along Pöka`i Bay in the Wai`anae Army Recreation Center.

Beginning about A.D. 1000, it appears that the population spread over into the leeward areas of O`ahu, and people settled into the lower valleys of leeward O`ahu from the 1000s-1300s. Dates from Pearl Harbor, Kalihi, and Mäkaha and Wai`anae Valleys all show people were residing in coastal areas and farming the lower valleys.

In the 1300s, oral histories indicate larger countries formed on O`ahu -- apparently Kona district (Honolulu), Ko`olaupoko/Ko`olau Loa, and Ewa (with Wai`anae and Waialua) were the three countries which formed. This marked the start of more complex and more stratified societies. By the 1400s, the entire island was unified. Large heiau in the islands started to be built in the 1400s, based on archaeological information, and large fishponds also began to be built by this time -- all evidence of more stratification and countries with larger populations. From the 1400s-1700s, population grew on the island. People spread up into the upper valleys, where scattered houses and fields were found. In the 1700s, oral histories show that O`ahu expanded to control all of Moloka`i and parts of Kaua`i. But, the O`ahu kingdom fell to Maui in 1783, and Maui fell to the Hawai`i Kingdom in 1795. Throughout these years, Wai`anae district was probably distant from the ruling centers of the O`ahu and later kingdoms -- which were primarily in Waikiki, the 'Ewa area, and in Kailua. But, within Wai`anae, Wai`anae Valley was the political and religious center of the area. The high chief controlling much of the area had a residence in Wai`anae Valley (where the ruler resided when passing through) and large national sacrificial temples (luakini) were present in Wai`anae (with one also in Mäkaha). All of the Wai`anae lands filled in during these years, with farms covering the land up into the uppermost valleys, and with houses scattered among these farms.

Almost every valley in Wai`anae District today still contains archaeological sites associated with O`ahu's and Wai`anae's past history and life. The upper valleys, beyond the end of today's houses, are nearly all covered with archaeological sites. The coastal dunes contain sites (including burials) which are hidden under the ground surface. Sometimes these sites survive under existing buildings and scattered heiau still survive. The only fairly complete large archaeological surveys that have been done are in upper Nänäkuli (done by the State Historic Preservation Division), in upper Lualualei (done by the Bishop Museum), in mid to upper Mäkaha (done by the Bishop Museum), and on the coastal flats of Kea`au (done by International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc.). Other areas of the district have much smaller areas, which have received complete coverage, or areas where only initial reconnaissance information is available. And many areas of