KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 31
PLANNING, ZONING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
7:00 to 9:00 pm
In-person at Kalama Beach Park
Chair: Donna Wong. Members: Kelli Ann Kobayashi, Levani Lipton, Steve Trecker, and Gary Weller.
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes
3. Announcements
4. Resident and Community Concerns
5. Bill 53 (2024) changes to SMA approval process (CD1 postponed in committee)
6. Hawaii-California Training and Testing DEIS/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement DEIS
7. Marine Corps Base Hawaii
a. DEA Water Reclamation Facility Upgrade April 2025
8. Dog park at Hamakua
a. DLNR is conducting an Environmental Site Assessment of the property
9. Ka’iwa Ridge (“Lanikai Pillbox”) Trail
a. SMA Major Resolution 25-78 is before City Council
10. Adventist Health Castle
11. Kawainui-Hamakua Master Plan Project
12. Kailua Bay water quality
13. Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and Ocean Outfall
14. City Stormwater Utility Facility
15. Kailua public schools land transferred from City and County to State DOE
16. Olomana Ag cluster
17. Ironwood trees along Kailua Road
18. 330 Kuulei Rd. (Kuulei LLC) proposed apartments – 60 foot building; in Koolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan 40-foot commercial zoning height limit. Construction has begun.
19. 734-735 Kihapai Place city owned property for affordable housing
20. 320 Po’opo’o Place Driveway DEA
21. Kihapai Hale https://www.hawaiicdc.com/projects/kihapai-hale-kailua-oahu
22. 580C North Kalaheo Avenue SMA Major Use Permit
23. 111 Kailuana Loop SMA pending
24. New landfill location
25. Kalaheo Hillside
26. Protection of Wedge tailed shearwaters ‘Ua’u kani
27. 1588 Mokulua Drive SMA Major Use Permit
28. 614 Wailepo St. – Wailepo Partners new apartment building
29. 1226 Mokulua Dr SMAP and Shoreline Setback Variance to repair/reinforce a nonconforming concrete seawall (Council denied SMAP Reso 24-226 (9/10/24))
30. 604 D North Kalaheo Ave. SMA permit application
31. 12 Kailua Road SMA permit application (motion before 9/5/24 KNB)
32. 275 Kaelepulu Drive SMA permit application (motion before 9/5/24 KNB)
33. Wind turbines in the ocean
34. Kawainui Canal Shoreline Access
35. 144 Kaapuni Drive SMA permit application
36. 156 Kihapai Street SMA permit application
37. New Business
a. New charter commission
b. Geothermal in Kailua
39. Adjournment
Planning, Zoning & Environment (PZ&E) Committee
April 2025 Meeting Report
Chair, Donna Wong
1. A committee meeting was held in-person on April 15, 2025, chaired by Donna Wong and attended by committee members Kelli Ann Kobayashi, Levani Lipton, Steve Trecker, and Gary Weller. Authors of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii Water Reclamation Facility Upgrade DEA of April 2025, including Patrick Crile, also attended the meeting to answer any questions or concerns committee members had.
2. After a lengthy discussion of the Water Reclamation Facility Upgrade DEA, Kelly Ann Kobayashi moved and Gary Weller seconded the following motion, which passed unanimously.
The Kailua Neighborhood Board submits the following comments on the 2025 DEA Water Reclamation Facility Upgrade at Marine Corp Base Hawaii.
1. The Final Environmental Assessment (FEA) should evaluate the possibility of Marine Corps Base Hawaii constructing its own outfall sewer line to terminate in Kaneohe Bay on the opposite side of the peninsula from Kailua Bay. This action would divert about 2 million gallons per day of treated wastewater from the Kailua Wastewater Treatment sewer line and into Kailua Bay. It is hoped that diverting approximately 2 million gallons per day will relieve stress on Kailua’s aging and heavily used system and help prevent sewage spills into Kailua Bay.
2. The FEA should include a requirement that should `iwi be found during construction or any ground disturbance that all work will stop with OHA and ohana being notified immediately.
3. The FEA states that approximately 2,100 linear feet of security fencing would include three strands of barbed wire fencing which poses a risk of entanglement for the Hawaiian hoary bat. The fence totaling approximately 6,300 linear feet with a height of eight feet will enclose the entire wastewater treatment facility.
a. The FEA should include a map of the areas where barbed wire fencing could impact the Hawaiian hoary bat (`ope`ape`a).
b. The DEA states that “the compound is enclosed with chain-link fence and has been for decades. The fence does not currently have barbed wire.”
c. In the FEA explain what problem placing barbed wire on top of a 7-foot fence is trying to solve and identify the areas and number of times the 7-foot fence has been breached and the impacts of that breach.
d. The Kailua Neighborhood Board recommends increasing the height of the chain-link fence, instead of adding 1-foot of barbed wire, to protect Hawaii’s only native terrestrial mammal, the Hawaiian hoary bat (ope`ape`a), which is both federally and state listed as endangered.
3. Residents of Kihapai Place attended the meeting to voice their concern and opposition to the City’s affordable housing Kihapai Hale. Some of their concerns are impacts to Kawainui Marsh, impacts to aukuu (Black-crowned Night Heron) nesting, impacts to known burials, over-crowding of a very narrow street, and lack of parking. However, the development is zoned for apartment use and has all of the needed permits.
To view agenda and minutes, visit our board website.
Event shows physical location; however, other options of participation may also include WebEx and phone. If available, instructions for WebEx and phone can be found at the top of the agenda.