On December 4, 2012, the Waianae Neighborhood Board voted to deny support for a conditional use permit (CUP) to expand an alcohol and drug group living facility. R. Elsey, the applicant for the CUP, plans to increase their group of 15 participants to 30 people, using two houses connected by a lanai in Makaha. The Waianae board felt that the application did not consider safety issues for their neighbors. The board also doubted its effectiveness as there are several drug houses located on the same street as the facility.
The Waianae Board also discussed the problems caused by the 144 homeless people in the brush located between the Waianae Boat Harbor and the Waianae High School. They heard complaints about bad health practices, environmental pollution, increased home invasions/robberies, and school-aged children living there. These homeless people have refused social services and do not want to live in shelters. The Waianae Community Outreach visits the children and tends to their needs.
Representative Jo Jordan announced that the community is invited to attend a presentation concerning the Native Hawaiian Scholarship `Aha on January 8, 2013, 6-8 P.M., at Waianae High School cafeteria. In addition, the group Active HI, an advocate for health issues such as obesity, diabetes, teen mothers, and lack of physical activity, is holding an event on January 5, 2013, at Makaha Valley Playground. There will be various booths where one can sign up for different physical activities, and a concert by Rebel Soujahz will follow. For more information email [email protected] or call 457-6385.
The next meeting of the Waianae Neighborhood Board will be held on January 8, 2013, at 7 P.M. at the Waianae Community Center.
I’d like to make a couple clarifications in case our actions were misunderstood in regards to Mr. Elsey’s CUP request. The Board was one vote shy of passing the resolution supporting the request, but this vote did not adversely affect Mr. Elsey’s CUP application process, which only required him to provide a presentation to the neighborhood board. The neighborhood board is not the approving agency for the CUP request. It should be noted that all three members of the neighborhood board that represent Makaha Valley were in full support of Mr. Elsey’s CUP request and the positive efforts he was making in the community with the E Kumu Wawae Clean and Sober Home initiative.