Leases for future Hawaiian homestead lots set for awarding
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM / FEB. 6 The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands broke ground in July 2023 on infrastructure for 127 homestead lots in the II-C increment of the Ka 'uluokaha 'i East Kapolei II master-planned community. Today, 665 'undivided interest ' leases will be awarded. Above, a view of the land owned by DHHL.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO @STARADVERTISER.COM / FEB. 6 The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands broke ground in July 2023 on infrastructure for 127 homestead lots in the II-C increment of the Ka 'uluokaha 'i East Kapolei II master-planned community. Today, 665 'undivided interest ' leases will be awarded. Above, a view of the land owned by DHHL.
More than 650 Native Hawaiian households are slated to receive advance homestead leases today for as-yet-undeveloped house lots in Kapolei.
The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands intends to award 665 'undivided interest ' leases this morning for future house lots in the agency's Ka 'uluokaha 'i and Kaupe 'a communities.
The event at the Salvation Army Kroc Center repre sents the first time DHHL has awarded such leases since the 2000s.
Awarding what are sometimes referred to as 'paper leases ' is in part intended to allow awardees to prepare themselves financially to become homeowners. Such leases also can be transferred to a successor who would not qualify to receive a lease directly from DHHL, because of blood quantum requirements, if the awardee dies before an actual lot lease is issued.
Under DHHL rules, beneficiaries must be at least half Hawaiian and can pass on a homestead lease to an approved successor who is at least a quarter Hawaiian.
At least 2, 100 DHHL beneficiaries have died while on the agency's waitlist. The agency has a recent waitlist of 29, 543 applicants seeking homesteads. Under the program, beneficiaries receive a homestead lease for $1 a year but must buy or build their own home.
Don 't miss out on what 's happening !
Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE !
Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.
DHHL Director Kali Watson said in 2024 that he intended to issue nearly 3, 700 paper leases at numerous envisioned homestead projects, including some with uncertain funding prospects and development timetables.
During a state House of Representatives briefing in January 2024, Watson said undivided interest award recipients can look at model homes for an existing phase and see house lots on plans that they might like.
'They also can have the assurance that they'll have a lease, and should the unfortunate situation arise (of a paper leaseholder dying ), they at least have an opportunity for the successor to take over, ' he said.
Receiving paper leases, however, comes with some uncertainty over when a lot lease will follow.
In one prior big push that involved awarding 1, 434 undivided interest leases in 2005 and 2006, about half of the paper leases had not been converted to homestead leases with beneficiaries moved into new homes 16 years later.
At today's event DHHL plans to award 605 paper leases for Ka 'uluokaha 'i and 60 for Kaupe 'a.
DHHL received $600 million from the Legislature in 2022 to accelerate homestead lot development, and the agency indicated earlier this year that it intends to use $141 million to produce 450 lots at Ka 'uluokaha 'i. A second phase with 250 lots is projected to cost another $68 million and is subject to DHHL acquiring additional funding.
DHHL also plans to use $22 million of its 2022 appropriation to develop 60 lots next to its existing Kaupe 'a subdivision, using $8 million to buy land for the additional phase and $14 million to develop the 60 lots.
Overall, DHHL anticipates being able to produce 2, 180 lots with its $600 million appropriation, and seeks more funding from the Legislature this year.
6 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our.
Having trouble with comments ? .
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Ridding state Capitol of water leaks nears completion
Keeping rainwater out of subterranean spaces of the state Capitol has been a big undertaking that now is within sight of completion by September after some unexpected extra effort. Meanwhile, an elaborate related project to replace water that had long filled two reflecting pools outside the building with painted glass tiles created in part by around 2, 000 Hawaii residents led by a renown Native Hawaiian artist won't likely be completely finished before 2027. The leak repair work, pool conversion and other related exterior refurbishments promise to be a long-lasting improvement to the 56-year-old building, which was designed to symbolize physical natural attributes of the island state but has been largely walled off since 2020 by decorated construction barriers. Overall, the three-phase project budgeted for close to $50 million is about 50 % done. All the work is intended to keep several symbolic design features of the historic building—parts representing the ocean (pool basins ), volcanoes (House and Senate chamber walls ) and palm trees (columns )—in good shape for at least another half century. 'None of the other 49 states have a Capitol like this, ' Gordon Wood, public works administrator for the state Department of Accounting and General Serv ices, said during a Tuesday tour of the site. 'In our job, we do a lot of fairly mundane work—replacing (air conditioning ) chillers, replacing roofs, ' Wood said. 'And the opportunity to be able to do something like this that's not only really repairing the state Capitol but making it even better, how often do we get to do that ?' Waterproofing An initial phase of work to re-waterproof the more heavily degraded pool basin on the Diamond Head side of the building began in May 2023 to stop foul water from infiltrating basement offices, hallways, the parking garage and even the Senate Chamber after heavy rain. This phase took about seven months to finish, and included repairs to structural and electrical system damage that had been an issue even after the pools were emptied in 2020. Work on the Capitol's Ewa pool basin began in mid-2024 and wrapped up around January, but represented only part of a larger second phase of waterproofing work. Second-phase work also involves stopping rainwater from penetrating the building through cracked concrete entryways to the Capitol rotunda. To fix these areas, which include steps and ramps on the mauka and makai sides of the building, four inches of concrete have to be removed to reach a layer of waterproofing needing replacement. Restoring the entryways was complicated by a need to have concrete exactly match two existing shades, and replicating different-sized groove patterns to the satisfaction of the State Historic Preservation Division. 'We don't want people to really know (that ) they redid this, ' Wood said. 'It should all look the same.' Work on the Ewa half of each entryway began between July and August, and is slated to be finished in about two weeks. Then the job will be repeated on the Diamond Head halves of each entryway and should take about two to three months to finish. A third phase of work has yet to begin, and includes removing and reattaching black concrete tiles on exterior walls of the House and Senate chambers designed to symbolize volcanoes, and repainting columns around the building that also need some fixes to spalling damage. Some of the black tiles are loose or have fallen off. Wood said the need for these repairs to such a large building that extends underground is not unusual because of impacts from heat, wind and occasional earth shaking. 'That does wear out things and cause things to separate and crack, ' he said. 'We think of buildings as stationary, but buildings are always moving.' The Capitol also has been plagued, since it opened in 1969, by the design of its reflecting pools, which originally were part of the building's air-conditioning system. Pool changes Cold water from a brackish well was pumped through air-conditioning chillers that returned warmed water to the pools for temperature acclimation before discharge into storm drains in a cycle that was supposed to keep pool water circulating and clean. Yet complaints about unpleasant odors from dying algae in the pools arose soon after the building opened, and the air-conditioning system was disconnected due to corrosion issues. Many unsatisfactory attempts were made over decades to address unexpected costly pool maintenance, including the use of chemicals, fish, fountains and prisoner labor. More recently, DAGS explored and then pursued the idea to replace the pool water with an artistic representation of water as part of the pool repair project, and in early 2024 board members of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts selected Hawaiian artist Solomon Enos for the job from among 122 applicants. There has been some criticism of the pool conversion plan degrading the character of the Capitol, which is on the Hawaii and National Registers of Historic Places. Such criticism has come from the Historic Hawai 'i Foundation and William Chapman, dean of the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Architecture, among others. However, the State Historic Preservation Division, which is part of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, signed off on the plan. Enos, operating out of Capitol Modern, the state art museum next to the Capitol building, enlisted the public to add tiny textural details to an underlying painting he made to convey an abstract vision of waters surrounding islands in the Pacific Ocean. The resulting composite mural will be drastically enlarged and sealed between layers of glass forming about 6, 300 tiles, each measuring about 3 feet by 3 feet, that will be set in the pool basins to create two symbolic lanai spaces for public and special-event use. Night lighting DAGS created a mock-up of tiles around part of one column with lighting below, and Wood said it was impressive especially at night. 'When you see this lit up at night, oh my God … . It was so beautiful, ' he said. Enos said that lighting initially did not seem like it would be feasible in part based on tests that resulted in glare. 'All it was doing was removing art, ' he said. 'You couldn't see the art.' But then, a mix of light arrangements and angling resulted in what Enos described as a 'holy smokes ' moment. 'This is like light filtering through the ocean during dawn and a sunrise, ' he said. Enos said care will be taken to avoid light pollution, and that he sees potential to host music festivals and other events on Capitol grounds at night. 'It's super exciting, ' he said. Tile installation, which is part of the third phase of the pool and plaza entryway overhaul project, is expected mainly next year after fabrication in Paderborn, Germany, begins later this year. Tiles will be at a level similar to the prior water level, and ramps from the basin perimeter will allow people to walk down onto the glass. Other pieces of the pool conversion include adding benches around column bases for seating, widening the concrete terrace around the basins to create a promenade and adding glass railings in some places. Earlier, DAGS had a goal to finish the entire project in time for the January 2027 inauguration of Hawaii's next governor. But Wood said that now looks too ambitious. However, Wood anticipates that one side of the pool conversion should be ready by then and could serve as a backdrop for the event.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
What to Buy at ALDI in June: 9 New Products to Add to Your Cart, from Bulgogi Beef to Mini Ice Cream Cones
No matter what grocery store you're most loyal to, ALDI is well worth a trip if there's one near you. The supermarket chain mainly sells its own generic brands, which keeps prices low, but it doesn't sacrifice quality, either. Just so you know what to keep an eye out for on your next visit, I've rounded up nine new products that I can't wait to taste. They range from an on-trend frozen pizza to shockingly affordably tuna steaks to summer-ready mini ice cream cones. Read on to find out what to buy at ALDI this month, no matter what's on your shopping list. The 8 Best Trader Joe's Frozen Foods, According to Our Editors ALDI Available: June 4 Complete with a garlic-peppercorn rub, this wild-caught fish is just right for poke bowls, salads, sandwiches and sushi rolls alike. It's ready to eat once thawed for three to five hours, so trade forethought for cooking time and dinner is served. $5 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 11 Long live the swicy trend. This heat-and-eat pie is crowned with hot honey tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni made from pork, chicken and beef. If you're not into spicy food, go for the new Philly cheesesteak variety instead, teeming with cheddar cheese sauce, mozzarella, provolone, seasoned sliced steak, roasted green peppers and caramelized onions $5 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 11 This wheatless, cheesy main features a three-cheese filling, amped up with lemon oil and basil. Better yet, it's part of ALDI's partnership with Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, a pediatric cancer charity. Shop for a good cause by keeping an eye out for lemon items on store shelves; this contributes to ALDI's $10 million fundraising goal for early 2026. $4 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 18 Its Hawaiian namesake guarantees a sweet, caramelized flavor profile that's begging to be dunked in tangy dip or smashed onto a deli sandwich. If you prefer your chips spicy, opt for the chili pepper lime variety instead. $2 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 18 ALDI is delivering the Korean BBQ to you in June with this pre-marinated gem. Whether you serve it over rice with kimchi, pile it high on a sandwich or use it as taco filling, it'll satisfy your craving for a fraction of the price. (Psst: There's a pulled pork iteration, too.) $6 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 25 It may be non-alcoholic, but it's still refreshing and tasty enough to bring the party. With citrus and botanical flavors—and just enough effervescence to beat the heat—it'll quench your thirst on its own, but it also works as a mixer. I won't tell if you spike it. $6 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 4 Hosting a dinner party, birthday gathering or cookout? This crowd-pleasing confection, which is equal parts sweet, sour and zesty, is just the dessert for the occasion. Warm it up and dole it out to up to eight guests. Bonus points for topping it with vanilla ice cream. $4 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 11 Remember those lemon bars your mom used to make for every summer barbecue? These bright, citrusy almonds are encased in a yellow candy shell that tastes just like 'em. P.S.: There are new, sweet-tart dark chocolate raspberry almonds to try too, in case those are more your speed. $5 at ALDI ALDI Available: June 25 An ice cream cone that clocks in at less than 60 calories per serving? Good luck not eating the whole dozen in one sitting. There are three varieties to choose from: vanilla in chocolate-flavored coating with roasted hazelnuts, chocolate with chocolate-flavored coating and milk chocolate curls and strawberry topped with strawberry-flavored sauce. $4 at ALDI The 15 Best Trader Joe's Snacks, According to Our Editors
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Experience allure of 1912 Craftsman masterpiece for sale in Woodland CA
The allure of a stately 1912 Craftsman-style home for sale in Woodland, California, begins at the curb, draws you past a prominent front-yard fountain and up a grand porch. If you're not hooked on the place by then, wait until you step inside. The historic residence exudes charm, warmth and character thanks to an abundance of rich woodwork, gorgeous coffered ceilings and shining hardwood floors. Upstairs, a 1,200-square-foot ballroom is ready for a dance party. Welcome to the Stille estate. Situated at 875 W. Southwood Drive in Woodland, 34 miles northwest of Sacramento, the commanding property comprises two lots on nearly an acre of land. With five bedrooms, four bathrooms and 5,600 square feet of living space, the home just hit the market for $1.97 million. Seller Greg Stille is part of the Stille family, who founded Nugget Markets in Woodland in 1926 and still owns and operates the Northern California grocery chain. He and his wife, Susy Spardlin-Stille, retired from Nugget Markets in 2007. They are the founders and operators of Monarch Coffee, a family-run coffee farm in Kona, Hawaii. The couple has thoughtfully and extensively renovated their Woodland home since buying the property in 1994. They preserved a significant portion of the home's original materials, such as beveled windows, handcrafted wood, glass knobs and doors, carefully re-purposing and restoring them wherever possible. The masterful update marries the home's rich heritage with today's modern conveniences. 'The (rooms) are all updated, they're modern, they're current,' listing agent Molly Scott of Realty One Group said about the home. 'You get a beautiful blend of history, the updated and modern, and also a little in between.' Scott is the daughter of the owners and lived at the residence for many years. Gustavis Allison Jordan built the home in 1912, and his wife, Maehart Elston Jordan, is credited with the design of the home, according to Scott. The minute you step inside, the quality of the material and craftsmanship used in building the house — from the hardwood flooring to the tall boxwood ceilings — can be seen and appreciated. For example, the floors are made of Ohia wood from the Hawaiian tree, Susy Spardlin-Stille said. 'The floors that you're standing on are Ohia wood,' she said while giving a reporter a tour of the house. 'And that Ohia tree is the first tree that comes up (from the earth) after the volcano, so it is spiritually a strong foundational wood.' Koa wood, a Hawaiian product known for its durability, was also used throughout. Spardlin-Stille said they were fortunate enough to meet Alison Hollingsworth, the granddaughter of the original owner. She stayed with them and provided firsthand historical insights about the home during her visit. Spardlin-Stille saved a swath of expensive silk that originally covered the walls of the living room. 'We had the honor of having Alison bring her mom to the house,' Spardlin-Stille said. 'And the first thing she did is she walked in the door and came over (to the wall). She put her tiny hands up here, and she says, 'I knew it was here.' She was talking about the silk.' The home flows from room to room like the open-concept floor plans popular in contemporary houses. Downstairs, the formal living room — one of many gathering areas — proceeds into the dining room, which is next to a well-appointed chef's kitchen. The kitchen's highlights include a large island, two dishwashers, a double oven, gas stovetop and a hammered copper farm sink. The dining room accesses a beautiful attached solarium with a fireplace. Bathed in natural light, the solarium projects an indoor-outdoor feeling. Perhaps the most spectacular room is the grand upstairs ballroom. 'A true ballroom steals the show,' the property listing states. 'The scale, ceiling details, and access to a private deck make it the kind of space that turns guests into storytellers.' The ballroom maintains its original grandeur when it was used for dances, but has been remodeled with a wet bar. 'There are stories about people coming from Woodland to come and dance up here,' Spardlin-Stille said. The massive room has a wood-burning fireplace adorned with the Jordan family crest, which features a pheasant in a nod to the family's business of raising birds for plumage to sell in San Francisco's garment district. A bathroom and two bedrooms sit adjacent to the ballroom — just in case you're too tired from dancing to make it back down the stairs. There is also a piano room or library on the second floor. Outside, a covered patio next to an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven offers an opportunity for al fresco dining. The expansive grounds unfold across a large lawn and bursts of lush plants. The space has vast potential for entertaining, gardening — or adding a pool, tennis court or guest house. Other amenities include a circular drive-way and porte-cochère, mult-vehicle parking in the garage and on the side of the house, ideal for storing an RV or boat; a large, versatile basement for a gym or an additional bedroom; and a side entrance to the house that can serve as a mud room. Scott is holding an open house Saturday, June 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year, Woodland has seen nine sales topping $1 million between January and May — the highest number of million-dollar sales in Woodland ever for the same time period, according to Sacramento appraiser and housing market analyst Ryan Lundquist. Some 6.4% of the houses on the market in Woodland have sold above $1 million in 2025. The highest sale so far this year is just above the $2 million mark, and the highest sale ever was $3.15 million. 'Woodland isn't known as a luxury enclave, but there are definitely some higher-end prices that show up,' he said. 'The regional luxury market above $2 million this year has so far outpaced one year ago with the number of sales happening. So there has still been strength at the top as (more affluent) buyers are less sensitive to higher mortgage rates.' In the overall market, home prices have been relatively stable in Woodland over the past 12 months. The city has seen a jump in listings and a decline in sales, leading to a rise in inventory, according to Woodland appraiser Joe Lynch. Inventory stands at 4.3 months in Woodland at present, excluding acreage properties, for sales reported closed in May, he said in an email. April sales data shows inventory was at 2.4 months, he said, with sales volume down 19% this year. Fast sale of Sacramento-area home sums up attraction of mid-century modern style Modern luxury meets vintage charm. See UC Davis founder's Sacramento home for sale
