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A Wal-Mart in Pearl City could worsen traffic congestion for passing motorists in the Manana section, several area representatives are warning. Potential traffic tops
concerns of proposed
Pearl City Wal-MartThe city's sale of land
to Wal-Mart would help fund
another land settlementBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.com"We have major traffic issues in that area," said state Rep. Mark Takai (D, Waimalu-Newtown). "To think that a store as big as Wal-Mart is not going to have any impact on the community is totally out in left field."
Area residents, meanwhile, appear torn about the idea.
"It's more convenient for me," said Waikele resident Barry Watanabe. "But yeah, traffic is going to get worse."
The city owns the 20-acre parcel, part of a larger tract known as Manana which formerly housed naval warehouses.
Last week, the Honolulu City Council agreed to approve what amounts to a three-way land deal.
About $17.5 million in proceeds from the expected Wal-Mart sale are to help pay for the purchase of the area known as "Golf Course 5 & 6" across from Sandy Beach, ending a longtime dispute with landowner Kamehameha Schools and lessee Maunalua Associates.
A judge ruled that the city improperly downzoned the 30 acres in East Honolulu in 1989, in effect creating an "inverse condemnation" of lands that had been eyed for luxury home development. The settlement would end all claims.
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The value of Golf Course 5 & 6 is estimated to be as much as $200 million. The entire settlement would bring between $60 million and $70 million."There needs to be a big timeout here, figure out what really happened," Takai said.
State Rep. Roy Takumi (D, Pearl City) said: "My understanding is that any time a Wal-Mart comes into the community, it means literally thousands of cars converging into an area. I'd like to see how Wal-Mart plans to deal with that."
Takumi said he also has problems with Wal-Mart's practice of hiring part-timers.
Takai noted that the Pearl City Task Force was a community effort set up by the city primarily to address issues dealing with the future of the 100-plus acres in Manana.
Pearl City Councilman Gary Okino, who heads the task force, said he voted for the swap last week with serious reservations.
"It gives the city a very good settlement," he said. "We would have to pay tens of millions of dollars if we had to take (the Golf Course 5 & 6 issue) to court. But I don't know if having Wal-Mart is a good thing."
Okino said he also was concerned about traffic and economic impacts.
Okino said Council Policy Chairman Romy Cachola negotiated the deal confidentially with the owners of Golf Course 5 & 6 interests and that other Council members were not told of the details until late in the process.
"It's not something we could react to before the deal was made," Okino said.
A zoning bill that would clear the way for the Wal-Mart and other development in Manana is expected to be heard by the Council next month. Okino said he hoped some of the concerns could be addressed then.
Several other Council members also raised concerns about the deal and the negotiating process but ended up voting for the swap.
Cachola said he will work with Okino to address issues the community might have.
At the Pearl City Post Office yesterday, residents said they welcome the convenience of a Wal-Mart in their neighborhood. Many have reservations about the potential traffic but say traffic has improved somewhat since the city opened the $8.5 million Kuala Street last year which connects Waimano Home Road with Acacia Road.
Retired police officer Steven Burke thinks a Wal-Mart would be good for consumers. Traffic at Acacia Road and Kamehameha Highway is a worry, particularly on weekends, he said. But the situation can be eased if traffic signals there are better synchronized, Burke said.
Traffic "can't get much worse than it is," said Waipio resident John Williams, who said he would likely go to a new Wal-Mart rather than the existing one in Mililani.
Consumers already go into the area for the post office, Home Depot, Sam's Club and Pearl Highlands Center, he said.
Audrey Nabor of Moanalua said traffic along Kamehameha "sucks," but noted that she has been using Kuala to her advantage since it opened. She said she also would likely shop at a Manana Wal-Mart.
Colliers Monroe Friedlander, which helped broker the deal for Wal-Mart, also manages Pearl Highlands. Andrew Friedlander, the company's chief executive officer, said most of the traffic for a Wal-Mart would come through Kuala rather than Kamehameha Highway.
"We do not expect people to be coming from West Oahu because they already are being served by two Wal-Marts (in Kunia and Mililani) there," he said.
Friedlander said a Wal-Mart would enhance rather than hurt the diverse mix of businesses in the area.