After five years of careful research, planning, consultation with neighbors, community leaders, cultural groups, environmental experts, and City and State agencies, MDHE LLC has submitted a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) and a Conservation District Use Application (CDUA) to the Department of Land and Natural Resources Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (DLNR OCCL) for approval of our plans to create our home and restore a section of eroded land to a native forest.
Land and Resource Management
A six (6) acre area of low benefit, eroded, trash strewn, encroached upon land dominated by non-native and invasive vegetation will be incrementally restored or transformed over a ten (10) year period into a native and Hawaiian canoe plant dominated Lowland Mesic Forest in accord with our Forest Stewardship Management Plan approved by the State Forest Stewardship Committee, and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife, and with our Conservation Plan approved by the Windward Oahu Soil Water Conservation District.
Owner Occupied Home
One Single Family Residence meeting the specific needs of MDHE LLC’s disabled family member with a small therapy pool, attached garage and storage area, and access road driveway will be constructed in a minimally visible location. The house design meets all applicable State Conservation District Use rules.
Family Subsistence Garden (Agriculture Use)
Approximately 0.6 of an acre immediately below the home will be used to plant fruit trees, vegetables, and herbs using pesticide free, organic gardening techniques to provide a safe source of food meeting the specific needs of MDHE LLC’s disabled family member.
Open Space
Our proposal will retain 99.7% percent of the land as Open Space, the vast majority of it as “Conservation Cover” which means unchanged topography and vegetation except for select removal of invasive species.
If you would like to know more about our plans you may find the Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) and Conservation District Use Application (CDUA OA-3818) at the links below. Public Comments are being accepted by the Division of Land and Natural Resources, Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands(OCCL) until June 22, 2018.
our Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) which can be found here
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/files/2018/05/Kanapuu_DEA_041718.pdf
and our Conservation District Use Application (CDUA) OA-3818 which can be found here
https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/occl/files/2018/05/Kanapuu-Kailua_CDUA_04-18-18-Opt.pdf
When you review CDUA and DEA documents, please note that the only actual proposed uses for the property are the few items listed above. Please do not become confused by the fact that the process requires us to study and evaluate several different alternative home sites in order to find the most suitable site. Only one home on Site A is proposed for construction.
The DEA also contains “Alternatives to the Proposed Action” which discuss possible uses for the property that we do NOT propose. The process requires us to compare the relative impacts of uses proposed by prior owners of the land or other allowed uses of this type of property. It is unfortunate that a few Kailua Bluffs folks are pointing to this discussion of “Alternatives”, out of context, and are attempting to scare neighbors into believing that we are proposing to build condominiums, subdivide, and create trails and camps.
Many thanks to all the wonderful people who have helped us to study and learn about our property and prepare to serve as it’s stewards for the future generations.