By TREENA SHAPIRO Associated Press ADVERTISING HONOLULU — Gov. Neil Abercrombie and two Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees urged lawmakers Monday to approve a $200 million real estate deal that would settle the department’s longstanding ceded lands claims with the
By TREENA SHAPIRO
Associated Press
HONOLULU — Gov. Neil Abercrombie and two Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees urged lawmakers Monday to approve a $200 million real estate deal that would settle the department’s longstanding ceded lands claims with the state.
Legislative approval is needed to move forward on the tentative settlement agreement announced by the Democratic governor and OHA in November. That agreement would transfer more than 30 acres of land near the Kakaako Waterfront Park to OHA.
In return, OHA would waive all ceded lands claims from 1978 through June 2012.
“This is a good resolution to what has been an ongoing challenge over many legislatures and many years,” Abercrombie told members of the House Hawaiian Affairs and Water, Land and Ocean Resources committees.
This is the second time since 2008 that a $200 million land transfer has been proposed. The issue has also been brought before the state supreme court three times, with the court indicating each time the matter needed to be brought before the Legislature.
In 2008, OHA and Gov. Linda Lingle’s administration presented a similar deal to the Legislature, with different parcels involved. Lawmakers did not approve the 2008 settlement, in part because of opposition from Native Hawaiian groups.
This time, OHA has been more diligent about reaching out to beneficiaries, stressing the message that this settlement applies strictly to overdue ceded land payments and that the agency is committed to performing due diligence.
“We’re working really cooperatively. We’re scrutinizing every bit. Some of the trustees supported this with strong reservations, and that means we’ve been working harder to get to the point where we can all say this is a valuable and worthy proposition,” said OHA Chairwoman Collette Machado.
At Monday’s public hearing, the Hawaiian civil clubs, the Native Hawaiian Charter School Alliance and other groups endorsed the proposed settlement on behalf of their members.
No cash is involved in the settlement, but Abercrombie and Machado pointed out that developing the prime Kakaako parcels could make them far more valuable than they are now.
“They have tremendous commercial value,” Machado said. “We could be looking at another $10 million associated with two of the parcels.”
OHA Trustee Peter Apo asked lawmakers to embrace the settlement as an investment in the Hawaiian economy.
“We have a huge footprint on the economy of the Hawaiian islands,” he said. “Although it will take longer than if this were a cash settlement for the money to hit the streets, it will hit the streets in a very profound way.”
Apo noted that OHA’s work helps the state as a whole, through job creation and programs that serve the general public. “When Hawaiians benefit, everyone benefits and that’s what this settlement ought to be about,” he said.
Ceded lands, once owned by the Hawaiian monarchy, are now held in trust by the state for the benefit of Native Hawaiians and the general public.
OHA’s current share of ceded lands receipts is about $15.1 million a year.
Two House committees will vote on the proposal Wednesday.
