Ka Iwi Bench Invigorates Its Guardians
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Del.icio.usFriends and family of David Matthews sat on his new memorial bench near Sandy Beach on Dec. 30 - one year after his death - but they have been standing up ever since.
According to state Rep. Gene Ward, the dedication ceremony was intended to inspire residents to rise up and make sure “David’s sacred Ka Iwi” would never again be threatened by development. Two key public meetings with the potential developer’s attorney followed in January, resulting in yet another resounding call from Hawaii Kai residents and their neighborhood board to reject any buildings on the hillsides mauka of the Ka Iwi shoreline.
“We prevailed last year with David’s help,” colleague Elizabeth Reilly said at a December press conference,“and though we will miss him this year, there is momentum for all of David’s good work that is still with us.I believe there is not greater gift we can give his family than a victory again this year and keeping the cabins off Ka Iwi permanently.
“The dedication of the Dave Matthews Bench cements that commitment.” Reilly is a member of the neighborhood board and board and Livable Hawaii Kai Hui.
The bench,with a plaque installed by his family, now commands a prominent spot at the east end of Sandy Beach that overlooks a seemingly peaceful stretch of the coast, considered by many to be Oahu’s last open shoreline. Matthews, a Queen’s Gate resident and co-founder of Save Sandy Beach, spent his final years fighting off any and all threats to the area’s pristine condition.
On Jan 29 before a large crowd at Hahaione Elementary School cafeteria, the board voted 13-0 to oppose QRM LLC’s plan to build 181 vacation cabins on the P-2 General Preservation land known as Queen’s Rise and Mauuwai.
“Hawaii Kai is a residential neighborhood and not a resort area,” the board stated in its resolution. “The board reaffirms its complete and adamant opposition to any development project on the hillsides in the Ka Iwi Coast scenic area.” It also urged city planners to reject the proposal and “respect the integrity of preservation-zoned land.” In casting that vote, the board also rejected the developer’s offer to give the Queen’s Rise parcel to the city or a nonprofit for preservation purposes.
Area lawmakers, meanwhile, have introduced measures to have the state buy the property and to reclassify the land into the conservation district.
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