Oʻahu racetrack gets the green light

Yahoo

10 hours ago

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The City and County of Honolulu was given the green light for a racetrack in West Oʻahu.
Plans in the works for 2 West Oahu racetracks
The former Navy land near Kalaeloa Airport has been a discussion since the late 90s, and officials said the track will start small before eventually expanding.
'It feels like a dream, it's been 26 years,' said long-time race track supporter and enthusiast Li Cobian.
Cobian said plans to acquire the land go back to Mayor Jeremy Harris back in 1998.
'If it wasn't for Rick Blangiardi and managing director Mike Formby, this would never have happened, I feel like crying,' Cobian added.
On Thursday evening, Mayor Blangiardi told a crowd at his last Town Hall of the year that the Parks and Recreation director received an e-mail earlier in the day that said they had approval to use the land.
'This is something we made a commitment to because there is a big, big interest across the island in auto sports,' he told community members at the town hall.
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Honolulu is the only county without a race track, which Mayor Blangiardi says results in more drivers speeding on roads and highways.
Four-hundred acres were transferred to the city by the National Park Service in June 2024.
'The National Park Service has agreed to let us do an interim use for the 20-acre lot out at Kalaeloa for a motor sports recreation use,' explained Parks Director Laura Thielen.
The plan for the track stretches from Coral Sea Road and Independence Road down to Kalaeloa Airport.
For now, Thielen says they can build a dirt style track.
'And that can happen concurrent while we go through with a master plan for the overall area,' she explained during the town hall meeting.
Cobian says the park service recognizing motor sports as recreation helped move the process along.
The city said the racetrack is intended to be an interim facility while it works on developing a master plan for all 400-acres.'Phase 1 is this parcel area which is 22.9 acres,' Cobian showed KHON2 while pointing towards parcels on the Kalaeloa Airport side of the road. 'Phase 2 is this whole area down almost a mile and it's close to 200 acres,' he added while pointing to the opposite side of the road.
Nearby residents said they are concerned about noise, traffic and safety as the city says there are many trespassers in the area. Cobian says most are homeless.
City crews were seen putting in concrete barriers to block access into parts of the wooded area.
'We got a lot of homeless and they're constantly dumping trash,' Cobian said. 'So the sooner we get out here and break ground and clean everything up, put some fences up, we're going to deter all of that.'
Cobian stated it will also prevent fires in the area.
The City says it has requested funds in the upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget for the master plan which will include public input.
The City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation said it has allocated $1.8 million in the upcoming budget for consultant services to help develop that Master Plan. DPR said it also appropriated $150,000 for on guard services to reduce illegal activity in the area, and $500,000 in CIP funds to renovate and reopen the bathrooms at the Kalaeloa Campgrounds.
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This half a million dollars with also assist with shoreline improvements to reduce illegal off-roading on White Sands Beach in collaboration with 808 Cleanups.
The city adds the Master Plan will include robust public input, along with environmental and cultural assessments. The permanent racetrack location and layout will be determined through that Master Plan, and may be in another area near this interim location.
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