Haleiwa Park
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Mayor Carlisle has introduced a resolution to sell 3.4 acres of Haleiwa Beach Park to developer Andy Anderson for hotel construction, despite opposition from residents and community groups. The park was originally acquired by the city for public use in the 1970s, but its assessed value has since dropped 97% while adjacent land owned by Anderson has increased in value. Many argue the park serves important public purposes and its sale would go against past city policies of preserving coastal public parks. Opponents question the legality and purpose of the mayor's actions.
![North Shore area and that these specific 3.4 acres should be improved as Haleiwa Beach Park
Mauka to meet these needs3.
According to State Law, proceeds from the sale of its Park lands are required to be used to
purchase other Park lands4.
In 2006, Anderson submitted a request to the City to purchase four of the six parcels comprising
Haleiwa Regional Park. In March of that year, City Land Division Chief Thomas Miyata strongly
recommend[ed] against the sale of theHaleiwa Regional Park. He stated that the City
expended considerable funds, time, and effort to acquire this landfor park and recreational
purposes and although as yet undeveloped, it would defeat the purpose to sell these
properties.
In May 2006, Mary Pat Waterhouse, Director of Parks and Recreation, sent a letter to Anderson
denying his request and stating that the Department of Parks and Recreation and Design and
Construction do not consider the subject parcels surplus to the Citys needs and strongly
recommend against the sale of the subject parcels. She explained:
The City has acquired properties, when available, in advance of the ability to develop them.
This strategy has served as a means to set aside lands for recreational needs when lands are
still available at reasonable costs. The subject parcels are considered to be an integral part of
Haleiwa Regional Park when developed.5
Between 2006 and 2012, something resulted in the Mayors decision to overturn the Citys
previous policies regarding Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka, culminating in the recently announced
plans to sell the park to the highest bidding abutting landowner.
Past precedent and present needs
Although Andy Anderson has stated that a 2-acre portion of the park property would continue to
be made available for public use, similar promises in the past were not kept. In 2002, the City
required that Andy Andersons Sunset Colony residential development at Velzyland include
1.5 acres to be transferred to the Parks Department. Property tax information shows the land is
still owned by Andersons development partner Western Life Assurance.6
A wide variety of residents, canoe paddlers, and visitorsincluding Kamehameha School
students and families who use the park to access the nearby Loko Ea Fishpondenjoy Haleiwa
Beach Park Mauka on a daily basis. Kamehameha Schools has even offered an alternative
revenue generating mechanism for the City whereby the City retains the Park for the benefit of
the public and receives a monthly fee in return for Kamehameha Schools vehicles and program
participants being able to park at the Park. Also, in March 2012, Mayor Carlisle personally
signed a thank you letter to the Hui o Hee Nalu for their efforts to maintain Haleiwa Beach Park
Mauka under an official City and County of Honolulu Adopt-a-Park agreement.
According to North Shore resident Lucky Cole, It is an absurdity for the Mayor to call the
invaluable 3.4 acres along the North Shores renown coastline excess or remnant property,
3
http://honoluludpp.org/Planning/NorthShore/NS-5yr/NSSCP_FinalPlan_April2011.pdf (p. 3-31, 3-33, and 5-13,
5-14)
4
(Section 46-1.5(16)(C), Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS):
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol02_Ch0046-0115/HRS0046/HRS_0046-0001_0005.htm
5
See Memorandum to Thomas T. Miyata, Chief, Land Division, from Clifford Lau, Chief, Facilities Division re:
Haleiwa Regional Park Addition, Tax Map Keys 6-2-003:017, 019, 020, 022, and 038 (March 10, 2006). (emphases
added) Available on request. See Letter to Andy Anderson from Mary Pat Waterhouse re: Haleiwa Regional Park
Addition Tax Map Key No. 6-2-003:17, 19, 20, 38 (May 23, 2006) (emphases added). Available on request.
6
TMK: 58006058; www.honolulupropertytax.com](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/haleiwaparkpr-120621022200-phpapp01/85/Haleiwa-Park-2-320.jpg)
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Haleiwa Park
- 1. For Immediate Release Contact: Larry McElheny June 20, 2012 638-8484 / lkmcelheny@gmail.com 1Mayor Carlisle Pushes to Sell Haleiwa Public Park to Developer Andy Anderson for Hotel Construction Resolution for closure and sale already introduced to the City Council, despite opposition by residents and community groups On June 15th, Mayor Carlisle introduced Resolution 12-1431 to secure City Council approval for the closure and sale of the 3.4 acre Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka (also referred to as Haleiwa Regional Park). The Resolution proposes sealed competitive bidding between the two property owners that own land abutting Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka: Andy Anderson and Kamehameha Schools, and may be heard as early as June 25 by the City Councils Budget Committee, whose 5 members include Council Vice-Chair, Ikaika Anderson (Andy Andersons grand-nephew). According to the Resolution, the minimum bid for the 3.4 acre coastal property is $300,000. However, trusts such as Kamehameha Schools are bound by fiduciary duty and federal tax law to purchase property at appraised value and therefore may be at a disadvantage in this type of process, making Andy Anderson the prime bidder. Many community organizations and residents across the island are opposed to the closure and sale of this public park for a variety of reasons: Sudden devaluation of the parks property value There are various discrepancies between the Citys original position with respect to the parks economic and public use value and the Mayors sudden decision to sell it for private development: For example, the total 3.4 acres of Park land in question had a City real property tax assessed value in 2009 of $2.7 million, but by 2012 (after Anderson announced his plans to purchase the park land in 2010) its tax assessed value dropped by 97% to $83,000 2. No other nearby North Shore park experienced a similar precipitous assessment devaluation by City staff. On the other hand, Anderson purchased his adjacent .57 acre parcel, where the restaurant Jamesons By the Sea currently stands, for approximately $2.3 million in September 2010. Also, the directly adjacent makai portion of Haleiwa Beach Park was assessed at $22 million for 2012. At the time of its condemnation and purchase from Kamehameha Schools in 1970, the parks value was $262,476 . According to the United States Department of Labor inflation calculator, the purchasing power of $262,476 in 2012 is $1,533,354 . Conflict with widespread public opinion on the parks value Public opposition to the sale of the Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka is clearly reflected in the 2011 North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan, approved by the City Council and Mayor Carlisle himself in 2011, which documents that there is a shortage of community-based parks in the 1 To read Resolution 12-143: http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-127692/RES12-143.htm. Also See City Resolution 03 (1968) for Condemnation Purposes, Providing for the acquisition of various parcels of land for public use, to-wit: Haleiwa BeachPark Addition . . . , approved by Mayor on Jan. 10, 1968 (copy available at Hawaii Bureau of Conveyances) (hereinafter City Resolution 03); see also City and County of Honolulu v. Market Center, Ltd., et al, Civ. No. 23005, Final Order of Condemnation (July 23, 1969); City and County of Honolulu v. Frank Midkiff, et al, Civ. No. 24273, Final Order of Condemnation (July 10,1970). Available by request. 2 Honolulupropertytax.com (TMK: 6-2-003:017, 19, 20, 22, 35, and 38)
- 2. North Shore area and that these specific 3.4 acres should be improved as Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka to meet these needs3. According to State Law, proceeds from the sale of its Park lands are required to be used to purchase other Park lands4. In 2006, Anderson submitted a request to the City to purchase four of the six parcels comprising Haleiwa Regional Park. In March of that year, City Land Division Chief Thomas Miyata strongly recommend[ed] against the sale of theHaleiwa Regional Park. He stated that the City expended considerable funds, time, and effort to acquire this landfor park and recreational purposes and although as yet undeveloped, it would defeat the purpose to sell these properties. In May 2006, Mary Pat Waterhouse, Director of Parks and Recreation, sent a letter to Anderson denying his request and stating that the Department of Parks and Recreation and Design and Construction do not consider the subject parcels surplus to the Citys needs and strongly recommend against the sale of the subject parcels. She explained: The City has acquired properties, when available, in advance of the ability to develop them. This strategy has served as a means to set aside lands for recreational needs when lands are still available at reasonable costs. The subject parcels are considered to be an integral part of Haleiwa Regional Park when developed.5 Between 2006 and 2012, something resulted in the Mayors decision to overturn the Citys previous policies regarding Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka, culminating in the recently announced plans to sell the park to the highest bidding abutting landowner. Past precedent and present needs Although Andy Anderson has stated that a 2-acre portion of the park property would continue to be made available for public use, similar promises in the past were not kept. In 2002, the City required that Andy Andersons Sunset Colony residential development at Velzyland include 1.5 acres to be transferred to the Parks Department. Property tax information shows the land is still owned by Andersons development partner Western Life Assurance.6 A wide variety of residents, canoe paddlers, and visitorsincluding Kamehameha School students and families who use the park to access the nearby Loko Ea Fishpondenjoy Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka on a daily basis. Kamehameha Schools has even offered an alternative revenue generating mechanism for the City whereby the City retains the Park for the benefit of the public and receives a monthly fee in return for Kamehameha Schools vehicles and program participants being able to park at the Park. Also, in March 2012, Mayor Carlisle personally signed a thank you letter to the Hui o Hee Nalu for their efforts to maintain Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka under an official City and County of Honolulu Adopt-a-Park agreement. According to North Shore resident Lucky Cole, It is an absurdity for the Mayor to call the invaluable 3.4 acres along the North Shores renown coastline excess or remnant property, 3 http://honoluludpp.org/Planning/NorthShore/NS-5yr/NSSCP_FinalPlan_April2011.pdf (p. 3-31, 3-33, and 5-13, 5-14) 4 (Section 46-1.5(16)(C), Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS): http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol02_Ch0046-0115/HRS0046/HRS_0046-0001_0005.htm 5 See Memorandum to Thomas T. Miyata, Chief, Land Division, from Clifford Lau, Chief, Facilities Division re: Haleiwa Regional Park Addition, Tax Map Keys 6-2-003:017, 019, 020, 022, and 038 (March 10, 2006). (emphases added) Available on request. See Letter to Andy Anderson from Mary Pat Waterhouse re: Haleiwa Regional Park Addition Tax Map Key No. 6-2-003:17, 19, 20, 38 (May 23, 2006) (emphases added). Available on request. 6 TMK: 58006058; www.honolulupropertytax.com
- 3. surplus to the Citys park needs, when it is well-known that one of the new adjacent land- owners believes the park to be a prime location for a world-class hotel for visitors to enjoy the natural and cultural resources of the site (including Haleiwa towns widest and most accessible beach as well as Loko Ea Fishpond). There are serious questions regarding the legality and underlying purpose of the Mayors dealings with Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka, says North Shore resident and activist Larry McElheny. The Mayor needs to go back to the drawing board before the City Council should even consider taking the drastic step of closing a public park along the precious North Shore coastline, eliminating a public park that is being cared for by the community, and selling it to a private party for private purposes at a very small fraction of its value to the tax-payer. Organizations supporting the effort to save Haleiwa Beach Park (partial list) : Malama Loko Ea Foundation Hui o Hee Nalu Defend Oahu Coalition Save Sunset Beach Coalition Friends of Kukaniloko Livable Hawaii Kai Hui