Kokokahi Hillside Comments Due

A master plan in the hills above Kokokahi Place is up for public review, as a conservation district use permit is required before the area can be prepared to house a few domestic animals (as pets) plus native and non-native plants.

The public has until Jan. 7 to comment on the final environmental assessment (FES) before the Geary Landscaping, Erosion Control and Animal Husbandry Project can begin. The land is owned by Kailua resident Sharon Geary, a former president of the Lani-Kailua Outdoor Circle.

About 12 acres of the 56-acre parcel will be used, with three of those acres to be fenced for “small flocks of domestic animals” (sheep, and female chickens and ducks).

The property is south of Kaneohe Bay Drive between Kamehameha Highway and the H-3 Freeway. Houses border the makai side of the land, and undeveloped conservation land and state-owned forest reserves are on the mauka side.

The project would include terraced planter boxes, animals shelters and upgrades of existing utilities, including an erosion control plan. A single-family home on the property burned down in 2001 and has not been rebuilt, though potable water and electric power are still available.

The FES lists no findings of significant impact. For more information, call Sam Lemmo of the state DLNR at 587-0377.