Ocean Pointe drainage plan under attack
OHA and the Limu Project are concerned an outlet could harm the ocean's ecosystem
Haseko, the developer of Ewa Beach's Ocean Pointe master planned community, faces opposition over its drainage and runoff plan for the 4,850-home subdivision.
The company is seeking a state conservation district use permit for the second phase of the Papipi Road Drainage Project, which includes an ocean outlet. Plans have been challenged by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Limu Project and others who are concerned that the outlet could harm the ocean's ecosystem, and impact cultural sites and practices in the region.
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will preside over a contested-case hearing on the matter starting today. The hearing, which will begin following a 9 a.m. site inspection at Ocean Pointe, will be held at the Kapolei State Building at 601 Kamokila Blvd. The hearing is open to the public, but no unscheduled comments will be taken.
Haseko, which is near the halfway point for its 1,100-acre development, and some area residents contend that the drainage project is necessary to channel water away from neighborhoods during heavy rain.
Opponents are concerned that the plan could smother exposed reefs in Ewa Beach, harm the limu crop, and impact fishing and cultural sites.
"We believe the way that the drainage plan is designed now would adversely impact resources in the area," said Kai Markel, lead advocate for OHA's Native Rights, Land and Culture division.
OHA and other opponents of Haseko's plan want to ensure that the company's final plans keep neighborhood drainage from flowing into the ocean.
"Dumping runoff into the ocean from a residential area can't be safe for the environment," Markel said. "You can imagine the chemicals or toxins that would get into the reef."
Of particular concern is the protection of limu, a popular seaweed that has declined in Hawaii's coastal water due to careless harvesting, Markel said. The loss of the seaweed leaves ocean life without a critical food source or breeding cover.
OHA got involved in the case when it was contacted by Mike Lee and Henry Chang Wo of the Limu Project for help, Markel said.
Haseko spokeswoman Sharene Saito Tam said the developer has been respectful of native Hawaiian cultural practices, and worked with experts and kupuna and commissioned numerous archaeological surveys before it built any homes in Ewa Beach.
Haseko commissioned a study that found drains would not have an adverse effect on limu, Saito Tam said.
"This project for the community will not impede shoreline access or interfere with traditional cultural practices," she said.
Drainage is not the company's first contested issue since more than 2,000 homes in Ocean Pointe's planned community have taken shape.
Following a 2004 lawsuit, Haseko modified an 18-foot rock wall along Papipi Road. The wall, which drew criticism from the community for its imposing size, now features a six-foot wall of interlocking rock along Papipi Road, backed by a slope with ground cover, topped by a garden wall and safety barrier for Ocean Pointe residents.
Still, some neighbors worried that the added slope might contribute additional storm water runoff to Papipi Road and exacerbate the ponding problems on Papipi Road that have plagued the neighborhood for decades, Haseko said.
To address this concern, the company said it agreed to build a drainage system with an ocean outlet that would mitigate potential problems.
Since planning for Ocean Pointe began in the 1980s, Haseko has invested tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements to benefit residents living makai of Ocean Pointe, Saito Tam said.
The company plans to spend another $10 million to address storm water runoff and roadway ponding, she said.
"When our neighbors asked for our help to resolve a decades-long problem with drainage, Haseko committed to building the proposed drainage system with the ocean outlet," Saito Tam said.