Laie on the verge - Hawaii Editorials

Brigham Young University of Hawaii has been a part of the Koolau Loa community for more than 50 years.

[Living In Laie]

It is great to see the logical and well-thought-out basis for the proposals affecting Laie and Ko'olau Loa. Statistics do not lie, and they all point to job creation and sustainability, moderate economic development, and affordable housing. Kudos to Dr. Wheelwright and BYU-Hawaii for their open and candid leadership with something that affects us all. Mahalo!

[Looking Forward]

Thank you for explaining why we need to support the zoning change. Without BYU Hawaii, Laie will end up like Kahuku after the sugar mill shut down. We don't need or want to be like Town or Kapolei, but we do need a little growth to keep our families in the country.
This makes sense.

[Laie]

Keep it local and not like Kapolei or Honolulu and I am for it.

[Sly]

Go ahead and add a bunch of affordable homes and no businesses or few businesses. You'll have more people out there and most of them will have to commute a long distance to work. It's just a bunch of bs to get the people out there to fall in line with the program they want done.

[JMW]

Keep the country-country was a big slogan I saw many many BYU-Hawaii students wear even a year ago on their t-shirts as they marched to prevent growth from outside firms on the north shore. And students protested and protested this growth with University support. Kind of ironic now that they want growth for themself the keep the country- country slogan is silent on campus amongst those same student who protested north shore growth. This appeal for expansion with the locals should be interesting to see. Shoots!

[Misled]

I have an idea. Why doesn't BYU Hawaii and HRI build the affordable housing FIRST, and then expand their school? Because in the past, HRI has got all the expansion it wanted by promising affordable housing, but auwe, no more houses yet!

Or here's another idea: Dr. Wheelwright, can you let us know whether or our new houses will be fee simple? I'd love to hear the backpeddling on that question!

What exactly is Laie on the verge of? The unstated threat in all this is that is if BYU Hawaii doesn't get what they want, they will pack up and head back to Utah. And yes, that would be a bad thing. Plenty jobs lost, plenty community resources gone. But Laie will endure. Hey, if all the students and faculty go home, there will be plenty of affordable housing in Laie!

[TrialsRider]

Sly wrote:

Go ahead and add a bunch of affordable homes and no businesses or few businesses. You'll have more people out there and most of them will have to commute a long distance to work.

Braddah, the new homes are needed to house people already living out here in Laie (3, 4 generations in one home). Anyone who lives here knows how badly people are stacked up. And if the university grows, they'll be more jobs and a need for more homes.

[Kevin Schlag]

Disclosures: I work at BYU-Hawaii, and I'm also on the LCA Board.

I appreciate all the comments, and the fact that we can have an open discussion is part of the reason I love the freedoms we have.

I'm excited by the current process to take all things into consideration. I've only lived here 13 years, but I, too, have been a bit frustrated by the starts and stops we've had over the years. This time feels different. We're not just looking at affordable housing, but business development (so people won't have to commute), traffic alternatives, infrastructure upgrades, and so on. It feels more comprehensive this time around.

I'm just as anxious as anyone to get more of the details. But we're at the very beginning of the process. We don't know yet what the price of a home will be, or any such details. But I'd like to keep our options open at this point.

To me, keeping the country country means smart development. Do we want a sprawling mall here? I don't. But do we want to keep the country feel while making improvements? I do.

The one part of country life I don't enjoy is the roosters that start crowing at 3:30 am.:)

[Jase]

I am a local real estate agent focusing on First time buyers within the koolau loa region. I have sold 5 second homes/vacation rentals to young, local owner occupants within the past year. With the market the way it is right now and the programs available it is possible for young families to buy if they have been preparing for it and are well instructed. People keep waiting and complaining. We need to do something about it now and assist the growth for the future.
My understanding is that some of the properties will be fee and some will be leased. Start saving rather than complaining and buy the fee properties when they come up...if this development never happens you will be much closer to your goal of home ownership anyways. Besides you would be surprised at what you could afford NOW...Everyone who is renting that I have met with in Koolau Loa is shocked when I go over their situation with them and they realize they can buy a home and are able to do it soon.

[Richie Norton]

I think the goal is to Keep the Locals Local.

I've been sad watching all my friends leave Hawaii to find jobs on the mainland when they'd rather take all their newly acquired education and skills and invest it back into Hawaii.

How are we going to improve public education on the North / North East Shore if the upcoming teachers, mentors, leaders don't have anywhere to live?

What legacy can we leave Hawaii if all the new generations born in Hawaii have to leave Hawaii?

There is an opportunity here to Keep the Country Country AND Keep the Locals Local.

[Laie Wheelman]

Jase wrote:

I am a local real estate agent focusing on First time buyers within the koolau loa region. I have sold 5 second homes/vacation rentals to young, local owner occupants within the past year. With the market the way it is right now and the programs available it is possible for young families to buy if they have been preparing for it and are well instructed. People keep waiting and complaining. We need to do something about it now and assist the growth for the future.
My understanding is that some of the properties will be fee and some will be leased. Start saving rather than complaining and buy the fee properties when they come up...if this development never happens you will be much closer to your goal of home ownership anyways. Besides you would be surprised at what you could afford NOW...Everyone who is renting that I have met with in Koolau Loa is shocked when I go over their situation with them and they realize they can buy a home and are able to do it soon.

This guy is right and has some really good suggestions...but BYU-H still needs some growth to maintain its eoonomic vitality (and the associated jobs...and we must develop affordable workforce housing. The existing supply out here is too small.

[Read the whole Bible]

Preserve Malaekahana and Gunstock Ranch Ag Land

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/tell-a-friend/...

http://www.IndependentKamaaina.blogspot.com

Http://www.Laietalk.com

[GO HOME HARVARD]

WOW! LAU LAU. This Harvard guy knows better than every one else. He makes Bill Clinton "what is is" looks good. Houses versus population? Wheelright does not want to count the student population into this development? Where is he's gonna hide his 4,000 - 6,000 students? PCC - pls tell us where u going to hide your visitors on Kam Hwy?

[BYU Prez Shafting Locals]

Wheelwright is SHAFTING Locals
*CUT Polynesian by 30 percent
(How many Polynesian students were admitted this semester ? Locals ? Now 50% of students are from Mainland!)
*Cut IWES funding for Polynesian students
*CUT Student Recrutor to Polynesia
*CUT back Hawaii Studies Program
*CUT Local staff at BYU-Dorm supervsors-Hale Moms now from the mainland, etc
PCC
*CUT Local Crafters from their Gift Shops # yrs ago.
PCC brought in a CA company to run PCC Gifts Shops. Instead of employing local crafters, they have Made-in-China!
*BYU/PCC/HRI have kept SALARIES for locals so low for so long that no one can afford housing!

[Nursing School Instead]

Utah Elite has CHOSEN not to fund BYUH & Hawaiian/Polynesian Student!

Just be man enough to get up and say so!

BYU's Wheelwright wants to build a fancy US-Asia/China Business School & Business Retreat Center! This is what the Mormon elite is CHOOSING!

The Community was suggesting maybe a Nursing School at Kahuku Hospital: shortage of nurses worlwide, would fit Community needs. Then the Kahuklu Community would also be helped and we would not have to build a whole new town at Malaekahana!

[Save BYUH as is]

For the last 18yrs BYUH has been allowed to build Affordable Housing on the 250 acres behind BYU- and has not!

Now in their ENVISION LAIE Plan thes 250 acres will be "Cabins for visiting faculty & guests"

There is also PLENTY of room to build more Dormitories at BYU and still keep it beautiful. This would free-up housing for the local community!

If Wheelwright really wants local people to have Affordable Housing then just have BYU/PCC/HRI pay locals a good salery! There is plenty of Housing in Hauula, Kahuku, all up for sale at all different prices!

Instead Wheelwright wants to build a whole new town at Malaekahana! Affordable Housing ? or a Retirement Community for Baby Boomers from Utah!

[Sly]

TrialsRider wrote:

<quoted text>
Braddah, the new homes are needed to house people already living out here in Laie (3, 4 generations in one home). Anyone who lives here knows how badly people are stacked up. And if the university grows, they'll be more jobs and a need for more homes.

sure plenty of low paying wage slave jobs for the uneducated. How are they going to pay for 300,000+ mortgages?

[Wheelwright no support]

Must Read http://www.IndependentKamaaina.blogspot.com

Hawaii is not Utah or Massachusetts. Wheelwright wanted all students to wear suits and polished shoes on campus. Now only his elitist School of Business does it.
He brought his own mainland people to run the campus. He treated locals badly.- marginalized the host culture. He treated the Polynesian students badly. The BYU housing committee & programs were shut down - a lot of money was squandered with bad decisions. Yes, a few sheep & opportunists will support this new town. Many do not.

[A Fish Out of H2O]

Limit the growth to just 200 homes!!!!!!!!

[Locals not dumb]

"If we do nothing, the entire region will suffer. Without BYU-Hawaii, the region would be economically devastated. We would, no doubt, lose even more longtime residents and increase traffic as more people would be forced to commute to Honolulu for work. Already, there are fewer jobs per household than most any other place on Oahu."

I hate to bust up your place as the center of the Universe --- The only town in this region that depends solely on BYU-Hawaii for low-wages employment is Laie.

Don't hyperventilate here ---- This whole region WILL NOT be devastated.

This whole region WILL be devastated if it allows BYU/HRI to bring in more Utah rich folks and traffic. We don't need vacation homes, second homes and market-price homes they want to build in Malaekahana.

PCC WILL be devastated because tourists will go to Paradise Cove.
They come because of the region's country atmosphere.