KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 31

PLANNING, ZONING AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
7:00 to 9:00 pm
In-person at Kalama Beach Park
Chair: Donna Wong. Members: Kelli Ann Kobayashi, Levani Lipton, Steve Trecker, and Gary Weller.
1. Call to Order
2. Approval of Minutes
3. Announcements
4. Resident and Community Concerns
5. Presentation: SMA Major Permit Application for 430D N. Kalaheo Ave. TMK (1)4-3-017:019 by Mark Howland, Whale Environmental Services
6. Bill 53 (2024) changes to SMA approval process (CD1 postponed in committee)
7. Hawaii-California Training and Testing DEIS/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement DEIS – The Navy is requesting to continue and expand training in Pacific including nearshore areas such as Kaneohe Bay and new activities including training in ocean mine warfare.
8. Marine Corps Base Hawaii
9. Dog park at Hamakua – Funding is available to begin construction.
10. Ka’iwa Ridge (“Lanikai Pillbox”) Trail
11. Adventist Health Castle
12. Kawainui-Hamakua Master Plan Project
13. Kailua Bay water quality
14. Kailua Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant and Ocean Outfall
15. City Stormwater Utility Facility
16. Kailua public schools land transferred from City and County to State DOE
17. Olomana Ag cluster
18. Ironwood trees along Kailua Road
19. 735 Kihapai Place city acquisition to support affordable housing
20. 330 Kuulei Rd. (Kuulei LLC) proposed apartments – 60-foot building; in Koolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan 40-foot commercial zoning height limit
21. 320 Po’opo’o Place Driveway DEA
22. Kihapai Hale https://www.hawaiicdc.com/projects/kihapai-hale-kailua-oahu
23. 580C North Kalaheo Avenue SMA Major Use Permit
24. 111 Kailuana Loop SMA pending
25. New landfill location
26. Kalaheo Hillside
27. Protection of Wedge tailed shearwaters ‘Ua’u kani
28. 1588 Mokulua Drive SMA Major Use Permit
29. 614 Wailepo St. – Wailepo Partners new apartment building
30. 1226 Mokulua Dr SMAP and Shoreline Setback Variance to repair/reinforce a nonconforming concrete seawall (Council denied SMAP Reso 24-226 (9/10/24))
31. 604 D North Kalaheo Ave. SMA permit application
32. 12 Kailua Road SMA permit application (motion before 9/5/24 KNB)
33. 275 Kaelepulu Drive SMA permit application (motion before 9/5/24 KNB)
34. Wind turbines in the ocean
35. Kawainui Canal Shoreline Access
36. 144 Kaapuni Drive SMA permit application
37. 156 Kihapai Street SMA permit application
38. New Business
39. Adjournment

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Planning, Zoning & Environment (PZ&E) Committee
January 2025 Meeting Report
Chair, Donna Wong
1. A committee meeting was held in-person on January 21, 2025, chaired by Donna Wong and attended by committee members Levani Lipton and Gary Weller and presenter Ron Haas.
2. Presentation on Mid-Pacific’s proposal to construct a Short-Game Practice Facility in 2026. Mid-Pacific General Manager Ron Hass provided information on their proposal as a courtesy to the board and the community. The Committee did not take any positions on the proposal because it is premature and will wait until the EA/SMA comes out.
3. The Navy’s December 2024 2,822 page (with 16 Appendices) Hawaii-California Training and Testing Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)/Oversees Environmental Impact was discussed. The DEIS, in addition to discussing installation and maintenance of ocean mine warfare training areas off Hawaii and more and maintenance of ocean mine war, the DEIS discusses more frequent use of nearshore areas such as Kaneohe Bay and Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, along with new activities that include training in ocean mine warfare.
The committee unanimously passed the following motion:
The Kailua Neighborhood Board supports the following comments, questions, and recommendations as comments on the Navy’s Hawaii-California Training and Testing DEIS/Overseas Environmental Impacts Statement.
a. Comments requesting clarity:
(1) In the FEIS identify the areas where bombing activities routinely occur and provide information on the measures that will be taken to protect the marine environment, coral, and human health.
(2) In the FEIS state the number of times that air-to-surface gunnery tests of fixed-wing aircraft test the delivery of bombs against surface maritime targets will occur in the deep ocean waters off Kaneohe Bay, Kailua Bay and Waimanalo coastline. In the FEIS explain the short and long-term impacts from each “test” and cumulative impacts from all air-to-surface gunnery tests on the marine environment and ocean marine life.
(3) In the FEIS identify and explain the long-term and cumulative impacts from projectiles, missiles, bombs, target-related materials, chaff (including fibers, end caps, and pistons), and decerators/parachutes on the marine environment and large ocean marine life such as whales off the coast of Kaneohe, Kailua and Waimanalo.
(4) In the FEIS identify the areas where air-to-surface bombing exercises air-to-surface will occur and identify the short and long-term and cumulative impacts on the ocean environment and large marine mammals such as whales and dolphins.
(5) In the FEIS identify areas, if any, off the coast of Kaneohe Bay, Kailua Bay and Waimanalo where bomb drops will occur. In the FEIS explain any short and long-term and cumulative impacts from these bombings on the marine environment, fish, large ocean mammals, nearshore coastal areas and human health.
b. According to the DEIS facilities and operations will support the home basing of P-8A Mission Maritime Aircraft fleet and fleet replacement squadrons at NAS North Island and MCB Kaneohe Bay and base up to two Marine Medium Titrotor squadrons in MCB Kaneohe Bay to conduct aviation operations at training areas on all islands.
(1) The introduction of new squadrons will require new housing for Navy personnel and their families. In the FEIS provide the number of new housing units that will be built on base to house new Navy personnel and their families.
(2) In the FEIS provide the number of new people that will be based at MCB Hawaii and the short and long-term and cumulative impacts on off base housing.
(3) In the FEIS identify and explain the short and long-term and cumulative impacts from the additional aircraft noise on Kailua residents who live off base.
(4) In the FEIS identify the number of new P-8s to be based at MCB Hawaii, the expected number of flight events each year and short and long-term impacts from noise on Kailua residents.
(5) The maps in the DEIS are unclear. Will there be any bombing or exercises that use explosives on the Kailua Bay side of the Marine Base and in Kailua Bay? If so, in the FEIS identify the short and long-term and cumulative impacts to the bay marine environment, nearshore environment and human health from these activities.
c. Fiber optics will be installed on the seafloor as part of range sustainment and modernization. The cables will be installed at underwater ranges.
(1) In the FEIS identify the location of the fiber optic in Kaneohe Bay and specify the short and long-term and cumulative impacts on the marine environment especially coral and fish from the installation of fiber optics in the bay.
(2) In the FEIS identify the location and number of on land structures needed to be built in connection with fiber optic cable and provide information on the short and long-term impacts to the land and ocean resources from this construction.
(3) In the FEIS provide information on the possibility of an underwater range and cable line being placed in Kailua Bay. If a cable line is proposed describe the project, the process, number, location of buildings, underwater location of the cable line, location where cable will come on shore and short and long-term impacts on the land and marine environment.
(4) In the FEIS discuss what precautions are in place to protect marine mammals during the approximately 40 days cable laying process?
d. The DEIS states that green sea turtles and hawksbill sea turtles nest regularly in the Study Area with rare instances of olive ridley nesting at MCB Hawaii.
(1) Does the study area include MCB Hawaii? If so, in the FEIS identify the nesting locations on MCB Hawaii of the green sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles and olive ridley turtles, describe actions that will be taken to protect all three turtle species during construction, daily activities and mission exercises.
(2) The DEIS is unclear on exactly how whales and other large marine life will be protected during dangerous deep ocean activities such as use of sonar and air to ocean explosives, and ocean floor mines. In the FEIS identify all measures to be used to ensure the safety of large mammals during sonar and explosive actions.
(3) In the FEIS identify the short and long-term and cumulative impacts from construction and new activities, identified in the DEIS, and ocean mine warfare training on green sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles and olive ridley turtles.
(4) Will the Navy and/or the MCB Hawaii seek a “take” of any of these turtles.? If so, in the FEIS state how many of the green sea turtles, hawksbill sea turtles and olive ridley turtles can be killed during each calendar year and how long the “take” will last for each species.
(5) In the FEIS explain how turtle nests and baby turtles will be protected during exercises that use beaches on and off MCB Hawaii.
e. In the FEIS describe in detail the types of new training or testing activities that will take place in the nearshore areas of Kaneohe Bay?
(1) Will training and testing activities take place in nearshore waters in Kaneohe Bay, Kailua Bay and Waimanalo coast that are open to the public? If so, in the FEIS describe the types of activities and the short and long and cumulative impacts of those activities on the public and marine life.
(2) Will the Navy close Kaneohe Bay and Waimanalo coast from public use for training and/or testing activities? If so, in the FEIS identify the types of activities, length of time the bay and coastline will be closed for each event, number of times the bay and coastline will be closed for each training or testing and the short and long term and cumulative impacts of each closing on the marine environment.
(3) Will ammunition be detonated in Kaneohe Bay and off the Waimanalo coast? If so, in the FEIS identify the types of ammunition that will be detonated and the short and long-term and cumulative impacts on human health, the marine environment i.e. coral, fish, turtles in Kaneohe Bay and along the Waimanalo coast.
(4) In the FEIS provide information on how often Kaneohe Bay will be used for new readiness activities and provide information on the short and long-term impacts on water quality, marine life, endangered species and human health from each event and cumulative impacts from all events combined.
(5) In the FEIS identify and describe all activities including military readiness activities and new training or testing activities that will take place along the Kailua Bay coastline of MCB Hawaii.
(6) If training or testing activities will take place along the Kailua Bay coastline of MCB Hawaii in the FEIS describe the short and long-term impacts and cumulative impacts on water quality, marine life, endangered species, and human health from such activities.
(7) In the FEIS discuss long and short-term and cumulative impacts on water quality, marine life, endangered species and human health in Kaneohe Bay and Kailua Bay from deep ocean training and testing exercises.
(8) In the FEIS state the cumulative effects on air quality on Kailua, Kaneohe and Waimanalo residents from the increased flight activities over these residential communities.
(9) Will any explosives be used in Kailua Bay or Kaneohe Bay? If so, in the FEIS identify the type of explosives, describe how often they will be used, identify the number of explosives to be used at each event and provide information on the short and long-term and cumulative impacts on the marine environment and human health from the use of explosives in both bays.
(10) In the FEIS provide the distance from the shoreline along the Windward Coast, Kailua, Kaneohe and Waimanalo that explosives of any kind will be used in the water. In the FEIS identify short and long-term and cumulative impacts from using explosives in the near shore marine environment on residents fishing and snorkeling, tourism and human health.
(11) Will there be an increase in artillery and rocket fire in the future on MCB Hawaii and will there be late evening firing? If so, in the FEIS explain what actions have been or will be taken to not impact off base residents with excessive noise.
(12) In the FEIS provide the number of new housing units that are needed and how many housing units will be built to house personnel and their families with the P-8A Mission Maritime Aircraft fleet and fleet replacement squadrons.
(13) In the FEIS identify the short and long-term and cumulative impacts on the ocean environment and marine life in Kaneohe Bay and Kailua Bay from increased numbers of people and increased construction activities at MCB Hawaii.
(14) In the FEIS identify and explain the processes to be used should unexploded munitions be found on the coast of Kaneohe Bay, Kailua Bay and Waimanalo coast.
(15) In the FEIS identify and explain the processes to be used to remove unexploded munitions found in the ocean waters of Kaneohe and Kailua Bays.
(16) In the FEIS explain how explosive debris will be cleared from the ocean floor, corals and along coastlines.
(17) In the FEIS explain what efforts will be used to test water quality for metals and radioactive materials after each explosive action.
(18) In the FEIS explain what base line measurements of water quality and measurement post training on water quality will be taken.
(19) In the FEIS describe how unexploded ordnances will be handled on land and in the water.
(20) In the FEIS provide information if any munitions used in ocean warfare including mines will be radioactive.
(21) In the FEIS discuss if any weapons in ocean mine warfare will be radioactive.

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