Within a year, maybe two, what was once a community of small farmers will become home to 102 Hawaiian families, marking the first time in about a decade that a project this big has been made available to families in Waimanalo by the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

But, while people are generally happy that residents are getting a parcel in Waimanalo and share in the joy of Hawaiians moving into their own homes, some question the use of agriculture land for housing and whether the infrastructure in Waimanalo can support the new development.

"I don't have any problem with more Hawaiian homes lands," said Al Lewis, of the Friends of Waimanalo.

But, he said, "I'm surprised those areas that are basically zoned as agriculture would be turned into Hawaiian home property."

The loss of the farmland was disturbing to Debbie Kalima, who lives on homestead land in Waimanalo.

"I'm thinking (we need) more farmers out there," she said. "We need more food than we need anything else."

The need for housing is indisputable, but it shouldn't be at the expense of agriculture land, said Joe Ryan, a member of the Waimanalo Neighborhood Board.

"Agriculture land is a natural resource, and when it's gone, it's gone," Ryan said. "And now there's a move afoot to convert 50 acres of the old (Meadow Gold) dairy to housing. So this is nearly 70 acres in the next few years."

ISSUES AT HAND

Ryan is also concerned about the infrastructure, but the city is upgrading the Waimanalo wastewater treatment plant and the Board of Water Supply is installing new lines, he said. Still, issues such as roads and schools haven't been addressed, Ryan said.

"They don't seem to be planning for the future except for the sewage upgrade," he said. "The community is going to change, and it needs to change for the better and not a change to create conflict of the existing uses of the valley."

But the DHHL said the property was not being farmed when the agency acquired it.

DHHL spokesman Lloyd Yonenaka said the land had become a dumping ground for trash and automobiles, and neighbors had complained about drug use and dealing there.

"The people that live right around that property are very happy we cleaned it up," he said. "We cleaned it up, getting the drug users out of there, all of the cars and all of the trash."

The development will also address a drainage issue that has plagued the community for a long time, Yonenaka said.

The awarding of the leases for this project was unique in that it selected individuals from an old, virtually inactive list used only for people who had requested specifically to live in Waimanalo, he said. That list stopped accepting new names 10 to 15 years ago and 95 percent of the people that showed up to receive their leases were elderly, Yonenaka said.

The kupuna, retired and probably unable to qualify for a loan, will no doubt be turning those leases over to their children, he said.

"What they're doing is helping their kids," he said.

HISTORY OF PROJECTS

The last major DHHL project in Waimanalo was an 85-unit senior rental complex about five years ago. Before that, the agency created the 53-unit Na Pua Ko'olau across the street from Waimanalo Beach Park. That project was dedicated in 1998.

Hawaiian Home Lands is responsible for managing and leasing some 200,000 acres of land set aside by Congress in 1920 to those with 50 percent or more Hawaiian blood. The department has awarded about 2,300 leases throughout the state since Gov. Linda Lingle took office in 2003.

But the number of people on the waiting list has grown to more than 19,000 as residents see awards granted and homes built, Yonenaka said.

For this latest Waimanalo project, approximately 19.5 acres on two lots on Kumuhau and Kaka'ina streets, will be subdivided into 120 single-family residential lots no smaller than 5,000 square feet. About 18 of those lots have been removed from availability because they are in a flood plain.

Yonenaka said an "undivided interest" in the Waimanalo parcels — essentially a promise of a home site — was awarded to the families in July.

A DIFFERENT LEASE

This is an unconventional type of lease that the DHHL said allows recipients to accept the lease without any financial qualifications and can be particularly helpful for beneficiaries who have had problems qualifying for a loan. But some have criticized such leases, saying they don't necessarily translate into homes.

The properties have gone through an environmental assessment, and the city is reviewing the subdivision plan for the Kumuhau parcel. Home construction should begin next year, Yonenaka said.

Yonenaka said the big challenge for the department is to get people qualified to purchase homes once they have a lease.

Residents with leases are offered financial programs that help them with budgeting, debt reduction and financial planning so by the time the parcels are ready to build, they can qualify for a mortgage, he said.

"I think that's where the heart of our program lies," Yonenaka said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.