Alfonso Pasco, Sr., has worked for Del Monte and lived in Poamoho Camp for 40 years. Now that a lease agreement has been made for Poamoho, Pasco can resume tending to his orchids, anthuriums and chickens without fear of being evicted. Pictured with him is one of his sons, Michael Pasco, and his granddaughter, Mahela Ripa.
Poamoho eager
for land dealCamp residents are thrilled
to have a chance to purchase
their land as a developer helps
The news that 300 residents of Poamoho Camp were saved from a June 9 eviction deadline swept the Central Oahu housing area before they were formally notified.
Developer Peter Savio met with the residents at the camp Tuesday and Wednesday to give them the news, but the community association's board learned of a settlement agreement Friday, and word spread quickly.
"You know how small this place is," said Vaeleti Tyrell, Poamoho Community Association president. "Everybody made big noise, everybody was happy."
Savio has acquired the lease to 90 acres that includes the camp from private land owner George Galbraith Trust. Until this week, the lease had been held by Del Monte Fresh Produce.
Savio said the residents looked as though a heavy burden has been lifted. They plan a June 12 celebration to thank people who helped them save their homes.
Del Monte informed its pineapple workers, retirees and their families in February that the company planned to vacate the land it leased from the Galbraith Trust at the end of this month and gave them 120-day eviction notices.
Savio said he approached Galbraith trustee Bank of Hawaii and Del Monte after reading about the camp residents' plight in the newspaper. He said both parties were cooperative from the start.
"They wanted this to happen, but weren't developers so they didn't have the know-how," Savio said.
The 60 families now have until the end of October to work with Savio to develop a plan to purchase their homes. Bank of Hawaii reassigned the lease for the camp's 90 acres to HIDC Poamoho Camp Ltd., a company Savio set up to help the residents buy their homes. Savio said he bought the lease for $10.
"We believe it's a win-win situation," said Leolani Abdul, Bank of Hawaii vice president of trust real estate.
The camp is part of the Galbraith Trust's 2,200 acres Del Monte had been leasing for pineapple production. The trust is scheduled to be dissolved in 2007 and the bank had no other plans for the property until then.
The lease is from June 1 to October 31 but it can be extended 30 days as needed, Abdul said. During that time Savio hopes to finalize the purchase of the 90 acres from the bank. Abdul said the bank expects to have an appraisal soon.
The camp occupies only a third of the 90-acre parcel. Fruit is grown on the other 60 acres. Maui Land & Pineapple Co. will harvest the crop and maintain the fields until Savio is able to find a buyer for the 60 acres. The sale would help reduce the price of the homes for the residents.
Star-Bulletin reporter Sally Apgar contributed to this report.
