9th February 2011
Posted in Updates

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser ran a story today on a new survey showing that nearly two-thirds (63%) of Ko‘olau Loa district residents feel things in their local community today are heading in the “right direction.” Here is an excerpt from the article:

Hawaii Reserves Inc., which manages and owns LDS-affiliated property, plans to show both surveys to city and state officials who eventually will decide whether to rezone the land, said R. Eric Beaver, president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Reserves.

Some community meetings over the plan have seen dozens of supporters wearing powder-blue “Envision Laie” T-shirts in opposition to people in dark green “Keep the Country Country” T-shirts.

The surveys show that a majority of Oahu residents both in and out of Koolauloa actually support the fundamental reasons behind the project, specifically the need for jobs and affordable homes in Koolauloa, Beaver said.

The survey was conducted by nationally recognized Heart+Mind Strategies in partnership with Honolulu-based Ward Research between December 8 and 17, 2010 for Envision Lā‘ie. A total of 832 O‘ahu residents, including 157 residents from the Ko‘olau Loa District were polled for this survey.

“Our community’s position has been consistent through the Envision Lā‘ie process,” said Eric Beaver, president of Hawai‘i Reserves, Inc. “It comes down to keeping the country sustainable for the generations who have been, are, or will have dedicated their lives to this community.”

Across O‘ahu, residents place high priority on addressing three important issues facing the people who reside in the Ko‘olau Loa region: education, jobs, and housing. This North/East Shore community is challenged by fewer jobs per household than in the rest of O‘ahu and a greater percentage of families below the poverty line (13 percent) than in the City and County of Honolulu (7 percent.)

Two-thirds of O‘ahu residents believe that a “moderate amount of growth in the Ko‘olau Loa district is necessary for the communities in the region to be vibrant and sustainable” (O‘ahu 65 percent; Ko‘olau Loa 67 percent.)  These views mirror an earlier survey conducted by Heart+Mind Strategies in conjunction with the Hawai’i-based OmniTrak Group, Inc. in the district in 2009.  In that survey, responders overwhelmingly (75 percent) said “yes” to growth that would improve the quality of lives for those who live there.

The proposed draft of the Ko‘olau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan received support from nearly two-thirds of the Ko‘olau Loa residents (64 percent) with half (49 percent) of those residing in Ko‘olau Loa saying that they or a family member have participated in regional planning or envisioning activities.  Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of the Ko‘olau Loa residents also favor developing “new affordable community housing” in Malaekahana, including 875 new housing units.

Envision Lā‘ie represents a diverse group of residents and stakeholders of Ko‘olau Loa working together to study Lā‘ie and plan for its future possibilities, a future that protects quality of life and emphasizes the values of the people who live in the region.To download a pdf with details on specific questions and methodology, please click here.