Update On Public School Repairs, Farming Plans
Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz
My office has received some updates on projects for the Central Oahu area. The following state Department of Education projects are either ongoing or will be started in the near future:
* Wahiawa Elementary School: $138,254 for Building L reroofing
* Mililani Mauka Elementary School: $447,494 for repainting of metal roof for Buildings B, C and D
* Mililani Middle School: $248,888 for repair to fire alarm
* Traffic Signal at Meheula Parkway and Kuaoa Street: Currently in design phase, project is expected to be completed in summer of 2014
I would also like to provide the following status report on the Wahiawa Court Facility project, which is the construction of a brand new, state-of-the-art facility next to the Wahiawa Bus Transit Center.
This project will maximize use of underutilized land by creating a mixed-use facility that will not only serve the general public, but also foster economic development in the area as well. Planning and land acquisition are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The Whitmore Village Agricultural Development Plan continues to draw interest from the agricultural community, industry people and pertinent entities. We have done presentations of the plan to various interested groups and individuals and will be doing others as we go along. We all are working toward having this plan implemented in a timely manner.
A huge first step was the acquisition of the Galbraith Estate lands, which will provide the much-needed acreage for farm lands. We are working toward the next step, which will be a boon to the project, and that is the currently unused 24-acre Dole land with facilities which we hope to utilize as a packing and processing hub.
There were a number of issues that generated a lot of attention this session such as legalizing marijuana, gun control, GMO food, the Public Land Development Corporation, legalizing gambling and the purchase of Turtle Bay.
Most of the issues had several bills addressing different aspects of the issue with some of them dead for the session and others still making their way through.
PLDC likely will be repealed; the bill for the state to acquire Turtle Bay lands was passed but now is being deferred temporarily; and legalized gambling in its various forms appears to be dead for this session.
I will report on which bills did pass at the end of the session as well as the status of capital improvement projects for Central Oahu.
Contact state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, D-22nd District (Whitmore to Mililani Mauka) at 586-6090 or sendelacruz@capitol.hawaii.gov.
