Council has ‘minor’ City Council leaders and members of Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration say it's not a big deal that the city still does not have the title to the 270-acre Central Oahu Regional Park, even if the city has already appropriated some $55 million for it.
concerns about Waipio
park ownership
The city still doesn't
have title to the landBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comThe first 100 acres of the park, which eventually will be bigger than Kapiolani Park and Ala Moana Park combined, was opened to the public over the weekend.
"I'm concerned about it, but to say it's high on my list of concerns would be untrue," Council Chairman Jon Yoshimura said. "But I think the administration has a lot of explaining to do."
Council Parks Chairman Gary Okino said he has some concerns about the way the administration handled the project, but says they are minor because it was important to get the park opened.
The important thing, he said, is that the Council made a policy decision to establish the park, which the administration is implementing.
Harris officials on Monday confirmed that the title has not passed from Castle & Cooke. The reason, they said, is because Castle & Cooke wants the city to first pay the $2.1 million needed for cleanup of contamination on the Managers Drive property in Waipahu, which is part of the cash-and-land exchange for the park property.
The Council's Budget Committee takes up the matter of additional funding at its meeting Friday.
In 1999, the city agreed to give Castle & Cooke the 37-acre Managers Drive property plus $4.5 million for the park site. The Managers Drive parcel has been assessed at $8.2 million; the park property at $12.7 million.
But the discovery of contaminants -- believed primarily to be from oil and other fluids left by abandoned vehicles on the vacant site -- have caused Castle & Cooke to seek the additional $2.1 million.
Yoshimura said he has no doubt that the city is required to pay the additional funds. Nonetheless, he said, the purchase of the park site for the Managers Drive property and $6.6 million still make it a good deal. He noted that the city received the Managers Drive parcel from Amfac in 1991 at no cost as part of an impact fee required when the developer received approval to put up a golf course in Waikele.
City Managing Director Ben Lee said the Council is not being asked to provide any actual additional funding since the original appropriation for the park purchase was for about $6.75 million.
Harry Saunders, Castle & Cooke Homes president, told the Star-Bulletin yesterday that he did not consider the title situation a serious issue and that Castle & Cooke has no interest in taking back the park property.
"We're going forward with our planning as if it's a done deal," he said.
City & County of Honolulu
