Thoughtful Approach

Traffic

Mobility, or lack of it, is a major concern for Hawai`i residents.

Castle & Cooke’s thoughtful approach to development changes that.  Koa Ridge will include a variety of places to go and a variety of ways to get there. Walk. Bike. Bus. Drive.  And in the future…Ride the train.

Koa Ridge is a “transit ready” community.  The community is planned for efficient connection to the proposed rail transit corridor.  We call it sustainable planning.

Within the community, employment-generating healthcare services, office, commercial, and industrial facilities mean that residents can avoid the commute by finding work opportunity right in the neighborhood.

And neighborhood amenities – parks, recreation centers, a Village Center, even healthcare services – are all within walking distances of residential areas.

Agricultural Land and Open Space

Housing demand on Oahu will continue to grow in the coming years, but our need for open space and viable agricultural lands won’t diminish.

Koa Ridge addresses both seemingly conflicting needs through our thoughtful approach to development.  We are working with Aloun Farms, the current tenant at Koa Ridge, to find a suitable replacement on lands owned by our sister company, Dole Foods Company.  The new site has all of the elements needed for Aloun Farms to maintain a high level of production – good soils, clean water, accessibility, and favorable climate.

By design, Koa Ridge preserves agricultural land and open space.  A high density, compact community like Koa Ridge accommodates a greater share of population growth, thereby relieving pressure to develop on agricultural or open space lands elsewhere.

Within Koa Ridge, a commitment to linking parks and open spaces with a system of pathways provides access to active and passive recreational opportunities and creates a healthy, desirable community.

Affordable Housing

Koa Ridge offers a wide range of housing types and prices that will be geared to residents in different income ranges and stages of life, from young families to working professionals to seniors.  All are targeted to Hawai`i families.

Of the 3,500 planned housing units, 30 percent are planned as affordable, per City and County of Honolulu guidelines for new development.  That equates to more than 1,000 new affordable units integrated into Koa Ridge.

The affordable units will include a range of styles and sizes of homes, and like all homes in Koa Ridge, these will be within easy walking distance of neighborhood parks, community centers and other amenities.

Water Resources

Water is a precious resource. At Koa Ridge, we’re exploring innovative methods to conserve and protect our natural water resources. 

In addition to installing water conserving fixtures in homes and businesses, we’re considering ways to reduce consumption of potable water.  We’re actively pursuing using non-potable water for irrigation—water from catchment systems, reclaimed wastewater, or other sources of non-potable water—thoughtfully selecting landscape plants, and will educate residents and businesses on the importance of water conservation.

We’re planning to go beyond the standard practices of protecting stream water quality.  We’re looking at the latest techniques to reduce non-point source pollution, such as bio-retention, bio-swales, rain gardens, pervious paving, and rainwater catchment systems.  Our hope is that Koa Ridge will be a model community for water conservation and resource protection.

Schools

We understand the importance of providing quality educational opportunities for our children.   An elementary school is thoughtfully situated in the center of Koa Ridge, within easily walking distance of many homes and accessible from multiple pathways and bicycle paths.  In addition to providing the 12-acre site to the Department of Education (DOE), we are also contributing towards the cost of school facilities through the DOE’s impact fee program and will jointly work with the DOE to ensure the timely delivery of the school.

Smart Growth

Not all developments are created equally.  Some developments are more environmentally, fiscally, and economically smarter than others.   The “smartest” of these communities called Smart Growth communities.  There are ten recognized characteristics of Smart Growth communities and we have invested much effort into planning and design to ensure that Koa Ridge is consistent with these principles.

1. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices.  A diverse range of housing units will be developed for a wide range of income levels.  Housing types will include townhomes, stacked flat multi-family units, live-work units, duplexes, and single-family homes.  Housing units for the growing senior population will also be developed.  Homes will be offered at prices for entry-level households, including households earning less than 80% of area median income (AMI), as well as mid- and upper-level income levels.  The array of housing opportunities to be provided ensure that Koa Ridge will accommodate the housing needs of a diverse range of households.
2. Create Walkable Neighborhoods.  Creating a walkable neighborhood was one of the driving goals when developing the land use plan for Koa Ridge.  Nearly all homes will be within a five-minute walk to a park or recreation area.  Koa Ridge will truly be a live-work-shop-learn-play community by integrating homes with pedestrian oriented retail establishments and restaurants, elementary schools, parks, and employment generating healthcare and commercial establishments.  A network of pathways and bike paths will be provided within the communities and careful attention will be paid to urban design and streetscape to create an environment that promotes walking and bicycling.
3. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration.  Since 2003 we have engaged a community visioning group to formulate project goals and principles and to assist in preparing land use plans for Koa Ridge.  This community group, comprised of area residents and organizations, has been essential in ensuring that Koa Ridge will meet the needs and expectations of existing and future residents.  We have also presented the project and solicited feedback from area neighborhood boards, political representatives, and businesses.
4. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place.  We recognize the importance and value of developing communities that have a  distinctive, unique character.  The urban design and landscaping plans being prepared for Koa Ridge promote a distinct presence and strong sense of place.
5. Make Development Decisions Predictable, Fair and Cost Effective.  We strongly support transparency in decision-making and are supportive of the entitlement process leading to government exactions that are predictable, fair and cost effective.  We continue to work with government agencies to share project information and have provided an objective account of project impacts through the environmental review process.
6. Mix land uses.  A diverse mix of land uses are proposed at Koa Ridge Makai including single- and multi-family homes, retail and restaurants establishments, healthcare facilities, commercial and light industrial uses, neighborhood and community parks, churches and elementary schools.  This mix of uses is integral to developing the communities as a live-work-play-shop-learn communities. 
7. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas.  We acknowledge that the project site includes high-quality agricultural land, however, the preservation of farmland must be balanced with Oahu’s growing urban needs.  Koa Ridge is suitable for development as it is adjacent to existing or planned communities, has site characteristics that make it suitable for urban development, does not contain critical environmental areas, and is within the City’s urban growth boundary.  We also note that existing agricultural operations at Koa Ridge will be relocated to currently fallow lands and that Castle & Cooke continues to lease over 2,000 acres of land for agricultural use, in addition to agricultural lands leased by Dole Foods Company.
8. Provide a variety of transportation choices.  A network of paths and bikeways are incorporated into Koa Ridge’s design to provide alternatives to the private automobile.  A grid street and block layout provides multiple, direct routes for pedestrians and bicyclists.  Koa Ridge’s land use plan incorporates a bus transit center and a high level of City bus service is anticipated.  Roadways in the vicinity of Koa Ridge will also be improved to ensure that automobile traffic impacts are mitigated.
9. Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities.  Koa Ridge is considered “infill” developments as it is adjacent to the existing communities of Waipio and Mililani.  Koa Ridge has been identified by the City as suitable for urban development and is within the City’s Urban Community Boundary.  As Koa Ridge is intended to address an existing shortage of housing and to accommodate future population growth, its development will reduce pressure to develop rural areas of Oahu.
10. Take advantage of compact building design.   Koa Ridge will be a comparatively dense, compact community.  Residential density will be at least 10 units per acre, which is double the density of many traditional subdivisions.  The higher density supports the viability of local-serving retail and restaurants within walking distance of homes, makes public transit cost effective, and preserves open space and agricultural land.