At what point do we say enough is enough?

In Windward Oahu, our communities are rising to reject unjust development at the county level, at Sherwoods in Waimanalo, and now in Puohala Village in Kaneohe.

The message is the same: Our communities do not feel their interests are being represented in government, to the extent we must fend for ourselves to protect our homes, while balancing competing needs to survive in Hawaii.

For half a century, nearly 4 acres of preservation land in Puohala remained untouched until now. A local land company is proposing to convert these lands, lands purchased at very low costs, into a gated residential community, a change many say would significantly alter the aging neighborhood.

From the start, the community rejected the proposed development due to concerns over flooding, further damage to the ecosystem and increased traffic. Residents contend the lands are not safe because it is too wet. To respond, the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board passed a resolution to oppose it. But yet, the concerns of the board and these families were ignored.

Kau'i Pratt-Aquino

To add insult to injury, this month, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the approval of the rezone against the recommendations of the Department of Planning and Permitting to scale down the project, and despite over 300 signatures from residents in opposition. The application is now under consideration by the Zoning Committee of the City Council.

The message from the community is clear: The City Council should not reward developers who purchase preservation land at cheap prices to turn a profit, and bully the community to force a rezone. It sets a dangerous precedent for Hawaii while our families struggle to make ends meet, to stay in Hawaii and purchase their own homes at market value.

Preservation lands were zoned that way for a reason, to preserve those lands for the environment and residents of the county, not to be used as an opportunity to make a profit.

To stop the attack on our communities and to save what we have, the City Council should reject the rezone for the people they swore to protect.