By: Francine Gora

Great front-page coverage of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ (OHA) plans for Kakaako Makai (“Battle over Kakaako housing continues,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 6). The future of this neighborhood is important to all of Hawaii, not just Native Hawaiians.

OHA is indeed “coming back hard” against deliberate mischaracterizations of its plans by opponents.

OHA will not impede access to the shoreline. Don’t forget that Native Hawaiian cultural practices and activism are why we have a public shoreline access law today. There will be far more public access points at Hakuone than there are now.

And it’s laughable to see Friends Of Kewalos pitching things to build in the area. Build your aquarium for tourists somewhere else. Hakuone will feature a Native Hawaiian cultural center and other local amenities.

Lifting the restrictions on residential development will allow Hakuone to become a genuine local community and sustainably fund OHA’s mission to uplift all Native Hawaiians.

Francine Gora