Lessees pick lots again, 23 years later
By Kekoa Enomoto
Maui News
KEOKEA, Maui — Sixty-two Hawaiian Homes lessees reselected their homestead lots at Keokea on Saturday, nearly a quarter-century after they originally were awarded the 2-acre parcels in 1986.
"I am really excited. It's a long-awaited day," said Tasha Kama of Wailuku, an original Keokea lessee and executive officer of the Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homelands Assembly.
"Finally, finally, finally, after how many executive directors? Six," she said, referring to the state Department of Hawaiian Homelands.
Four homesteaders have lived on their farm lots without infrastructure for more than a decade, while the others waited for roads, water and other utilities, including telecommunications service.
The 66 Keokea lots form the only agricultural homestead on Maui.
"Oh my gosh, when we got our leases, we were in our prime," Kama added. "Now some of us are retired and on fixed incomes — and we're going to farm, yikes."
Part of a 6,500-acre Hawaiian Homes tract stretching makai of Kula Highway, the Keokea farm lots subdivision lies 1.25 miles south of the Waiohuli homestead. The space between the Waiohuli and Keokea subdivisions will provide 328 half-acre residential homesteads.
A road system had to be redesigned to incorporate the additional lots and to accommodate a cultural preserve of archaeologically significant sites. So, the farm lots were reconfigured. And, lessees and officials agreed to hold Saturday's Keokea reselection process.
After final county approval of the agricultural subdivision, Keokea lessees will be permitted to build houses, likely within three months, state officials said.
"We made a commitment to address some long-standing issues and not carry them over to another administration," said Micah A. Kane, director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. "This is a great day because people can finally build their home."
The estimated cost of the Keokea infrastructure that also will serve an initial 97 adjacent Waiohuli lots is nearly $35 million, according to a 2007 media report — about $213,600 per lot.
