Two Bishop Estate
apartment projects
nixed by City Council

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

The City Council has shot down two apartment projects proposed by Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate that would have added close to 500 units to McCully-Moiliili.

Being sought were zoning exemptions to allow for "affordable housing" towers near the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus and Isenberg Street.

The Varsity Place project consisted of a 21-story, 290-unit rental apartment that was to be targeted for university residents.

Area residents, however, noted that Varsity Lane is already heavily congested and short of parking. A project bringing 300 to 500 cars would not help, they said.

Area Councilman Andy Mirikitani questioned the need for student housing, noting that one recent study shows that official UH dormitory space was running at about 11 percent vacant.

Janet Inamine, an area resident, said she and neighbors collected more than 550 signatures opposing the project in two weeks.

Jan Sullivan, city director of planning and permitting, also opposed the project saying the exemptions would have cleared 20 times allowable density, seven times allowable height and only a third of required parking.

The request for exemptions was defeated 6-3. Members Duke Bainum, John DeSoto, John Henry Felix, Steve Holmes and Rene Mansho joined Mirikitani in defeating the bill. Members Mufi Hannemann, Donna Mercado Kim and Jon Yoshimura voted to allow the exemptions.

Also defeated was Bishop Estate's request for exemptions on a proposal for a 217-unit apartment project on Isenberg Street near old Honolulu Stadium.

Resident Nicholas Augusta, who had gathered an 800-signature petition opposed to the project, said there is "no lack of affordability or units" in the McCully-Moiliili area.

He noted that newspaper classified advertisements have listed units at prices cheaper than the "affordable" ones proposed by Bishop Estate.

Mirikitani described the project as "clearly far too big and far too dense and another case of spot zoning that would clearly impact the community."

The Isenberg exemptions were shot down 9-0.

Exemptions for a third apartment project, this one proposed by the Hawaii Housing Development Corp., was approved 9-0 by the Council.

The nonprofit organization is proposing a 91-unit apartment complex on vacant land at South King and Alder Streets.

Its financing scheme requires that only people 62 years old and older can live in the project for the first 60 years.

The key exemption approved allows for 42 on-site parking stalls instead of the required 101. Project cost was put at $14.2 million.

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