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Opponents of
Pua‘ena Camp project
suspicious of
Council’s vote delay

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

The final City Council vote for the Pua'ena Camp project in Haleiwa has been delayed, raising questions by opponents of the Campers Village plan.

The application for the special management area use permit by Campers Villages LLC narrowly won a 3-2 approval by the Council Planning Committee two weeks ago, seemingly setting the stage for a showdown at next Wednesday's Council meeting.

But the permit request did not make the meeting's agenda, which came out yesterday. Because the Campers Villages' application expires Sept. 20, before the next scheduled meeting, the Council needs to grant a 90-day extension.

"Council members are requesting an extension to allow more time for discussion," said North Shore Councilwoman Rene Mansho. "The Council majority had questions in the last meeting and we're still addressing those concerns."

Opponents of the project, however, think a final vote is being delayed so that the developer can buy enough time to find five votes.

Mansho, John DeSoto and Duke Bainum have voted for the project. Steve Holmes, Andy Mirikitani and John Henry Felix have voted against, while Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura has also raised concerns.

The project probably would have won approval had a final vote been held earlier because Mufi Hannemann and Donna Mercado Kim, who both resigned July 25 to run for other offices, both backed the project.

"I think it was pulled from the Aug. 9 agenda because the developer realized he would have lost the vote," said Warren Scoville, the Kawailoa area representative on the North Shore Neighborhood Board and a member of Friends to Preserve Pua'ena Point.

"Our group believes they would like to stretch this as far out as it can in order to try to obtain more votes," said Renee Webb, president of Friends to Preserve Pua'ena.

Mansho, however, said that isn't the case.

"In fairness to the applicant, we will definitely take it up on Sept. 27," she said. "In business, time is money."

That meeting would take place before replacements for Hannemann and Kim can take their seats on the Council. The special election for the two vacancies will take place Sept. 23, primary election day, but the two new Council members won't be allowed to take their seats until at least Oct. 13 because of a required 20-day challenge period.