It was my job, and that of the Pearl City community, to "make lemonade out of lemons" through a community planning process, which recommended the site be designated for commercial use.
As the area Council member and chairman of the community-driven planning group that developed the master plan for the property, I bore the brunt of criticism leveled by those opposing Home Depot.
Meanwhile, the mayor remained curiously silent, ultimately resorting to childish name-calling after he didn't have his way. This belittling is nothing new. He once called Steve Holmes "clueless," John Henry Felix a "flip-flop," and strongly inferred that Donna Mercado Kim was crooked in her dealings on the Waiawa project.
Arguments can be raised for and against Home Depot. However, what has been overshadowed is the administration's role, specifically its selection of Home Depot as the winning bidder for the property back in May 1997.
In the days before the Council vote, I met with the mayor's chief of staff and budget director to assess the mayor's endorsement of the selection process and commitment to the sale. I was given every indication that Harris would unequivocally support the sale of the property, and answer charges of a flawed process, special treatment for Home Depot, and the perceived inappropriateness of one of his political advisers working as its consultant.
Instead, what we received was an impersonal news release from the mayor the evening before the vote, in effect throwing the mess to the City Council.
The mayor displayed what is becoming an all-too-characteristic indecisiveness in times of crisis. He failed to step forward and defend his actions, and instead denigrated the Council. Yet this is the same chief executive who is first in line anytime there's good news to report.
So where do we go from here?
The Council's action means the severance of the rezoning of the Pearl City Junction property from Home Depot's proposed purchase of that site. I was one of eight Council members who felt the deferral was necessary to clear the air of suspicion.
I am also suggesting that the Council move forward with the rezoning of the land for commercial/industrial mixed use, in keeping with the wishes of the community task force and Pearl City Neighborhood Board.
Once the rezoning is completed, the city administration can reissue the request for proposals to develop the land. This should address any concerns that Home Depot was receiving special treatment, or that the city was "selling" zoning permits, and give local and mainland businesses another shot at purchasing the land.
Meanwhile, Home Depot has agreed to withdraw its bid to purchase the Pearl City Junction site and not pursue this matter in the courts. It has also reaffirmed its commitment to establish operations in Hawaii.
I contend that Home Depot's entry into Hawaii cannot be blocked. We cannot accept Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Walmart, K-Mart, Eagle Hardware, Safeway and other mainland retailers, yet deny Home Depot the same freedom of entry.
Finally, the mayor has made much out of the costs associated with the Council's deferral of the rezoning request, stating that the decision, in his words, will cost taxpayers $4,000 a day in interest payments. There has been no response from him to my request for clarification of this figure.
It's ironic that Harris would be so concerned about interest payments on this parcel when the bankrupt Ewa Villages project that he championed as the Fasi administration's managing director and now as mayor is costing residents nearly $7,000 a day in interest costs.