By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Oahu Mayor Jeremy Harris talked about his land-use vision for the
island at a meeting Wednesday
TV show to outline mayor's land-use vision
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-BulletinMayor Jeremy Harris wants residents to stake a claim on the future development of Oahu.
A half-hour program will urge that and is scheduled to air over local television stations starting tomorrow. It stars Harris, Gov. Ben Cayetano and seven of the nine members of the City Council.
Harris says community participation is critical if his land-use vision for the island is to succeed.
Colorful renderings showing a new Sand Island parkway, a trolley system through downtown and tree-lined neighborhoods surrounded Harris as he unveiled the visioning project yesterday.
But when asked if the the pictures came with any written proposals, Harris and other city officials noted it will be up to the "everyday people" in each of 19 "visioning districts" to be the architects of what their communities will look like decades into the 21st century.
"We don't know what the vision is yet," Harris said. "It has yet to be created."
The written text of the video offers a few more details about what's on the table before the community gets a gander at the vision.
Much of what is tentatively planned has been culled from the city's eight development plans, although some come out of the minds of elected officials.
"I'm here to invite you to get involved in the most exciting project we've ever undertaken in the City and County of Honolulu," Harris states at the beginning of the video.
The mayor reiterates his plans to concentrate future growth in Honolulu and Kapolei partly through creating urban growth boundaries that protect rural areas from development.
He also repeats his call for a light-rail trolley system through the metropolitan core and the use of increased express and regular bus service to meet the needs of other regions.
Harris talks about creating the Sand Island Parkway -- essentially a downtown bypass that would include a tunnel beneath Honolulu Harbor -- from Sand Island to South Street to relieve the burden on Nimitz Highway.
Cayetano, who made a rare appearance at Honolulu Hale yesterday to endorse Harris' plan, speaks in the video about a West Oahu university campus and other initiatives to build up Kapolei. He also speaks of redevelopment of the Honolulu waterfront and the creation of a fishing village at Pier 38.
Council members also get into the act. Andy Mirikitani talks about his push for bikeways. Rene Mansho chats up the use of Lake Wilson for more recreational activities. John Henry Felix backs the new Kaiwi Shoreline Park.
Steve Holmes discusses eco-tourism and Haiku Stairs. John DeSoto talks about improving mauka roads in Waianae, and Duke Bainum pushes improvements to Waikiki such as restoration of the Natatorium.
Council Chairman Mufi Hannemann appears at the end of the video to offer his support and renew the call for citizen involvement.
The program airs tomorrow from 5:30 to 6 p.m. on KHON, KITV, KGMB and KHNL. It repeats on Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m., on KGMB. On Oct. 3 it will air at 1 p.m. on KHNL, 6 p.m. on KITV and 6:30 p.m. on KHON.
By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Council members and Gov. Ben Cayetano listen to Mayor Jeremy Harris
explain his land use vision. A half-hour program is scheduled to air over
local television stations starting tomorrow that urges community
participation in the plan.
Due to a large response, the city has changed the site of its first visioning public workshop tomorrow: It'll be held in Room 316 of the Hawai'i Convention Center, starting at 8:30 a.m. On-site parking is $2. Call 523-4385 for information. A teams effort
Attendees will be split into 19 community groups:
Team 1: Aiea/Pearl City
Manoa
Meetings will
Star-Bulletin
air residents’
transportation
suggestionsCity transportation officials will begin their first round of islandwide meetings as part of "Oahu Trans 2K" on Monday.
Residents will be asked what they feel is necessary to improve traffic conditions in their area.
Results of the meetings will eventually be incorporated into the city's transit corridor study, a component of Mayor Jeremy Harris' "vision for Honolulu" push.
The city's preliminary scheme, as proposed by Harris, calls for a light-rail trolley line running from Moiliili to Pearlridge. More buses, including express vehicles, would handle commuters' needs elsewhere.
Meetings being held over the next two weeks all run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The study is expected to be completed in January.
