LUC Stops Cemetery Expansion In Kaneohe

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Plans to expand Hawaiian Memorial Park have stalled with the unanimous vote by the state Land Use Commission to deny the owner’s petition to reclassify its conservation land in Kaneohe.

Late last month, the LUC voted 7 to 0 to deny Hawaiian Memorial Life Plan Ltd. permission to reclassify 56.4 acres of its land - a step needed to develop thousands of new burial units. About half of the land area would be used for burials, HMP general manager Jay Morford told MidWeek prior to an LUC hearing last March. The expansion is “a given,” he said, in order to serve a growing need in the community.

Local lawmakers and the grass-roots group Hui o Pikoiloa, however, are very pleased. “The development went against every vision set forth for our community,” said state Sen. Jill Tokuda (Kaneohe, Kailua),“and it is our duty to preserve the beauty of this place for the benefit of future generations.”

Tokuda noted that she and state Rep. Ken Ito have opposed the plan from the beginning, citing issues with grading, erosion, deforestation and encroachment on significant cultural areas.

“Hui o Pikoiloa and their leaders, who intervened on behalf of the community, are to be commended for their dedication and commitment,” she added.“They are proof that when people come together to do what is right, anything is possible.”

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