DRAFT EA PUBLISHED FOR 820 ISENBERG STREET RENTAL PROJECT
News Release from DHHL, Jan 10, 2022
(Mōʻiliʻili, Oʻahu) – The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) has published a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the redevelopment of its 820 Isenberg Street property in Mōʻiliʻili, Oʻahu. The project is in partnership with Stanford Carr Development.
The draft EA was presented to the Hawaiian Homes and published in The Environmental Notice periodical in December 2021.
As part of the development process, DHHL will host a virtual Beneficiary Consultation meeting on Thursday, January 13, 2022, to update its beneficiaries on the findings of the draft EA. A public comment period for the draft EA will conclude on January 24, 2022.
“We are getting closer to bringing forward another housing option for beneficiaries,” said Deputy to the Chair Tyler Iokepa Gomes. “It is important for the Department to include a rental complex like this as part of addressing the residential housing needs of our community given our limited landholdings on Oʻahu. I encourage beneficiaries to take part in the development process.”
The property is located at the site of the former Stadium Bowl-O-Drome bowling alley, which opened in 1955 and closed in 2004. DHHL acquired the land from the Department of Land and Natural Resources in 1995. Currently, the site sits unoccupied.
The 210-foot, 23-story high rise will consist of 270 affordable rental units for native Hawaiian beneficiaries of the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. Building amenities will include management offices, laundry and mailrooms, and community facilities. A four-story, 266-stall parking structure is planned to be lined with seven townhouse units and 4,680 square feet of retail space along Isenberg Street with an additional 29 on-grade parking stalls.
Projected costs for construction stand at approximately $137 million, financed through a combination of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, the State’s Rental Housing Revolving Fund, and private sources. DHHL will not expend any of its trust funds or legislative appropriations toward the development of this project.
To learn more about the 820 Isenberg Street project and view the draft EA, visit dhhl.hawaii.gov/po/oahu.
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FINAL EA PUBLISHED FOR BARBERS POINT SOLAR PROJECT
News Release from DHHL, Jan 10, 2022
(Kalaeloa, Oʻahu) – The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) has published its final Environmental Assessment (EA) with a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed Barbers Point Solar Project in the Kalaeloa district of Oʻahu.
A review of the significant criteria outlined in HRS Chapter 343 and HAR Section 11-200.1-13 on the development of the Barbers Point Solar Project has been determined to not result in significant adverse effects on the natural or human environment.
The Hawaiian Homes Commission (HHC) evaluated the final EA and issued a FONSI determination at its December 2021 HHC meeting. The final EA and FONSI were published in the Environmental Review Program’s (formerly the Office of Environmental Quality Control) January 8, 2022, The Environmental Notice.
“The Kalaeloa Industrial area was designated for Industrial use in DHHL’s 2014 Oahu Island Plan as a result of its terrain, lack of infrastructure, and proximity to Kalaeloa Airport,” said Hawaiian Homes Commission Chair William J. Ailā, Jr. “This lack of infrastructure makes the land difficult to homestead but certain revenue-generating activities, like the Barbers Point Solar Project, yield the Department much-needed resources to develop homestead lots, while also creating renewable energy for the public.”
In July 2019, the Commission authorized the Chairman to issue a Right-of-Entry permit to Innergex Renewables USA LLC to conduct due diligence activities to assess the potential of developing a solar project on DHHL’s Industrial parcels in Kalaeloa.
A draft Environmental Assessment was presented to HHC on September 21, 2021 and published in The Environmental Notice periodical on October 8, 2021. Innergex Renewables USA LLC hosted an October 20, 2021 virtual public information meeting and collected public comment during the statutory 30-day public review and comment period which occurred from October 8, 2021, to November 8, 2021. A total of 26 public comments were received and incorporated into the final EA.
The Barbers Point Solar Project will consist of a 15-megawatt solar photovoltaic system coupled with a battery energy storage system and ancillary support infrastructure. The total combined footprint of project components located on DHHL lands will be less than 100 acres, of which the solar panels will cover approximately 45 acres. Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2022 with major construction activities primarily occurring in 2023. Commercial operations are expected to commence in early 2024.
To learn more about the Barber’s Point Solar Project and to view the final EA, visit dhhl.hawaii.gov/po/oahu.
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