Hi Everyone! 

Sorry for the long silence. Unbelievably itʻs been 2 years since the LIn Yee Chung Association published its Draft EA for the infamous Mānoa Banyan Court and now, again at Christmas time, they are at last gifting us with a Final EA (submitted but not yet published)  with DPP decision expected by December 27.

We are hoping DPP will see the light and demand a full scale EIS. No way does this massive cement monstrosity so inappropriate for deep iconic historic Manoa Valley deserve a FONSI. The threatened Kūlani lands are where Kaʻahumanu died after being carried on her bed from Waikiki to the houses she had built in the forest in the early 1800s. This entire area was a sacred puʻuhonua for the Hawaiian aliʻi  The Queen Regentʻs last words to Hiram Bingham in 1831 as she was carried into Mānoa on her dying epic journey to a most beloved place, were "Iʻm going now where the mansions are ready". The cemeteryʻs own literature (Wah Chan Thom, The Story of the Mānoa Chinese Cemetery, 1985 and cemetery newsletters) has recorded more than once, the presence of two 2 story houses of the aliʻi on the now densely forested Kūlani land which wraps around the east side of the cemetery and extends for 10 acres makai.  The two houses in the cemeteryʻs literature were undoubtedly the mansions to which she referred in her words to the missionary Bingham. (Peter Young, Images of Old Hawaii). https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/together-forever/

The plot has thickened now with another massive development proposal hanging fire for Saint Francis, Mānoa. The valleyʻs infrastructure roads, fire emergency resources, water and sewer are not adquate to handle any high density development much less a seeming onslaught of them.

Here is the link to the submitted but not yet published Final EA for your review if you dare. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HQFwNh_w5GOU1Cpeq5UQqGJhKzNcK4ma If you have last minute opinions to voice, send them now to Director Dawn Takeuchi-Apuna at d.takeuchiapuna@honolulu.gov

Mele Kalikimaka and Mahalo for your kokua in garnering a last round of signatures from social media etc. as this petition will be printed and presented late tomorrow. We will continue to build signatures after the decision regardless of what it is.

Ellen