Dillingham Ranch wants to subdivide and sell 900 acres

WAIALUA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Dillingham Ranch wants to develop about 934 acres of its Waialua property into an agricultural subdivision.  The property would be cut up into 91 lots that would then be sold. Buyers could build a farm dwelling, grow crops and herd cattle on their property.

The Mokuleia Community Association supports the plan.  Association president Stewart Ring said it protects the land from 
over-development by restricting the size of structures.

"It can only be 5,000 square feet.  That includes houses, tennis courts, swimming pools or whatever else they have. So it's not going to be a major development," he said.

But opponents of developing outside Oahu's urban core insist developing Dillingham Ranch will have irreversible effects.

"They're not going to bulldoze them down and turn it back into ranch land," North Shore Neighborhood Board member Bryan Phillips said. "Once we lose our ag lands, we lose them forever. So we need to be careful when we develop these agricultural spaces."

Mokuleia homeowner Bill Nations wants Dillingham Ranch to address traffic concerns, explain its proposed wastewater system, and what impact the development could have on the area's fresh water supply.

"We have a private water system. It is a PUC approved private water system that Dillingham ranch owns and operates. Absolutely nothing should happen that would change that," he said.

"My understanding is that they're going to improve the quality of the water," Ring said.  "They're going to put in some new piping. And that will improve the quality of the water. It will help the quality of life of the people who use that water."

Dillingham Ranch's proposal includes new roads within the subdivision.

The company has submitted a draft environmental assessment to city and state departments. If approved, the agricultural subdivision would be implemented in phases over the next 5 to 7 years.

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