It's been a long time coming, literally. Now after decades of planning and a few false starts, the dream of truly making Kapolei a "Second City" is at last taking shape. And fast.

That dream includes thousands of new homes, a university campus, nonprofit agencies, several new roads and government offices designed to make it easy for folks to live, work and play in Kapolei. That means spending less time on the already clogged H-1, slogging into town to get things done — and that's a good thing.

It's true that O'ahu has not seen a construction boom like this one perhaps since the development of Waikiki in the 1960s. But there's much to like about what's happening in Kapolei that doesn't grab the headlines or make it on the nightly newscast.

First, there's the fast-tracked network of basic improvements that aren't glamorous, but are essential to building any successful community. Kapolei Property Development Co., a subsidiary of the James Campbell Co., is set to complete a $172 million package of public improvements, including roads, sewers and drainage, by 2010. And by this state's standards, that's almost unheard of.

David Rae, Kapolei's senior vice president for development, credits the developer's unique partnership with the city for helping to expedite the process, while maintaining public health and safety standards.

"You don't have a community if you don't have an infrastructure to serve it," Rae said

We couldn't agree more.

On to that buzzword: sustainability. With much at stake in the effort to deal with global warming and create more eco-friendly and truly "sustainable" development, going green in Kapolei is key.

So it's great to see energy-efficient buildings — many of which have won awards for their eco-friendly approach — and an emphasis on creating a walkable community. Plans call for a 56-mile bikeway system and smaller block sizes and pedestrian malls designed to encourage folks to walk rather than take their cars. That's no small matter, as the state Legislature reviews a draft master plan designed to provide the state with a sustainable future well into 2050 that will surely affect future construction and land use in West O'ahu.

Water is also crucial here, and vital to our sustainable future. Kapolei's dual water system allows for nonpotable water to be used for irrigation. And a unique urban design plan for Kapolei approved by the city council requires anyone building in Kapolei to use drought-resistant landscaping, with an eye on conserving precious water resources. It's that urban design plan that will help give the development a true sense of place that is critical to development in the Islands. It calls for architectural style and design reflective of our kama'aina culture with unique roof designs, use of stone and tile and integration with the Hawai'i's natural beauty. That will ensure the Second City isn't just a Mainland cookie-cutter development anchored with rows of stucco strip malls. Thank goodness for that.

Let's not forget traffic. That would be the folks making the weekday commute who are forced to stew in traffic for hours — each way. They can find holiday cheer in the millions of dollars going into major transportation projects. Among them: the North-South Road, a new Kapolei/ H-1 interchange and Kapolei Parkway and widening Fort Weaver Road.

With D.R. Horton Schuler Division's plan for 12,000 new homes and Kapolei Property Development's projects that collectively will add 6,500 (30 percent of which will be set aside as affordable housing) more homes, integrating Kapolei into the city's new transit project is important.

A station in Kapolei is a must — so it's good to see plans for a new 5-acre transit hub that includes parking and other services for commuters. Smart move.

Kapolei construction is in high gear, taking the area from cane fields to, if all goes well, a model city.

As Rae puts it: "We all hope to see a vibrant, livable, sustainable community with people at the heart of it — something more than just buildings and roads. I would like to see a place that people are proud to call home and which gives the next generation hope for their futures."

That's something that would benefit all of Hawai'i.

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