Jury says Haseko must pay Hawaii homeowners $27M over scrapped marina plans

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Haseko (Hawaii) Inc. was ordered to pay $27 million in special and punitive damages to homeowners in Ewa Beach who sued the Honolulu-based developer over its move to turn a long-planned marina into a recreational lagoon.

The Circuit Court jury on Tuesday awarded special damages of $1,300 per homeowner, which will triple under the state’s consumer protection law for 1,800 homeowners in Haseko’s Hoakalei and Ocean Pointe master-planned communities, and another $20 million in punitive damages, bringing the total to about $27 million, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.

Steven Chung, an attorney for Haseko, which is affiliated with Japan-based Haseko Corp., told the newspaper he planned to ask the court to set aside the judgement and order a new trial, saying juries cannot order punitive damages because of unfair or deceptive acts or practices, which was one of the claims in the class-action lawsuit.

Haseko said in November 2011 it would convert what was to have been a small boat harbor in the Hoakalei subdivision into a 54-acre recreational lagoon, citing a lack of demand for market-priced boat slips. The marina was dredged and built up many years ago, but Haseko never connected it to the Pacific Ocean.

Earlier this year, Haseko submitted a request to the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting to change the zoning of the previously planned marina into the lagoon.

Haseko President Tom Sagawa told the Star-Advertiser in a statement that the company is confident the punitive damages will be set aside and said the developer is “committed to realizing our vision of Hoakalei as a mixed-use waterfront recreational destination all can enjoy.”

Duane Shimogawa
Reporter
Pacific Business News

Hawaii Supreme Court rules in favor of D.R. Horton’s $4.6B Hoopili project

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D.R. Horton gets OK for 11,750-home Hoopili project in West Oahu

D.R. Horton gets OK for 11,750-home Hoopili project in West Oahu

D.R. Horton – Schuler Homes’ long-planned 11,750-home master-planned Hoopili project in Ewa in West Oahu is moving ahead after the Hawaii State Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Texas developer, saying that the state Land Use Commission properly reclassified the 1,525 acres for the project from agricultural to urban, according to a ruling Tuesday.

The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled against the appeal made by Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter and former state Sen. Clayton Hee, who argued the LUC’s reclassification of land for Hoopili violated part of the state constitution that dealt with conserving these types of lands for agricultural uses.

Sierra Club and Hee also argued that the LUC should not reclassify lands that the City and County of Honolulu could potentially designate as important agricultural lands in the future.

But in the end, the state Supreme Court said that “substantial evidence supported the LUC’s additional findings that the reclassification would not substantially impair agricultural production.”
Judge Richard Pollack, associate justice of the state Supreme Court, disagreed with the ruling. Click here to read his 26-page dissenting opinion on the case.

In October, the LUC ruled against reconsidering its 2012 decision to change the use of the land after an appeal had been filed by Friends of Makakilo.

Traffic and the diversion of potential agricultural lands have been the two main concerns that opponents have with the project.

In addition to single- and multi-family homes, Hoopili would also include commercial and light industrial space, community facilities, schools, parks and open space, facilities, commercial farming and utilities.

D.R. Horton also has gifted the Hawaiian Humane Society and the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center for new West Oahu campuses. There’s also a planned 38-acre retail center by The MacNaughton Group and Kobayashi Group.

D.R. Horton, through its top executive in Hawaii, said that it could start construction on the $4.6 billion project in 2016.

Gentry Homes developing residential project near Kapolei Golf Course

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Gentry Homes Ltd., one of the largest home builders in Hawaii, plans to build a residential development with between 50 and 100 homes near the Kapolei Golf Course in West Oahu, one of the company’s top executives confirmed to PBN on Tuesday.

Gentry Homes, through its subsidiary, Gentry KGC LLC, recently purchased 17 acres of land on the Honolulu side of the golf course from HGP LLC, a subsidiary of Pacific Links Hawaii, which formerly owned the course as well, for $7.5 million.

Quentin Machida, vice president and chief financial officer of Gentry Homes, told PBN that the parcel is zoned for single-family homes, and that the developer plans to build that type of product on the land.

“There are some affordable requirements we are going to contend [with],” he said. “Most of these homes will be on the golf course.”

Machida noted that it is in the planning stages right now for the development, and that it will probably take a couple of years before we actually provide homes.

“We still have to go through a bunch of approvals,” he said. “We’re in the early stages of the process.”

Gentry Homes’ newest home developments include Parkside, which borders the Coral Creek golf course in Ewa, Sandalwood, which is located between Fort Weaver Road and Kapolei Parkway, also in Ewa and Mahinui in Kaneohe in Windward Oahu.

Honolulu-based Gentry Homes, which was established in 1968, tallied 160 housing starts in 2012, including single-family homes, multifamily projects and condominiums, according to PBN research.

The company ranked second behind only Honolulu-based Stanford Carr Development that year.

Gentry Homes declined to participate in the 2014 Home Builders list, which utilizes 2013 data.

Duane Shimogawa Reporter – Pacific Business News

Currently Available Homes in Gentry Communities

Castle & Cooke’s new Ho’onani neighborhood

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If you’re looking to buy a brand new home in historic Ewa Villages, now is the perfect time. Castle & Cooke’s new Ho’onani neighborhood offers brand new, single family homes starting from just $580,000 fee simple. Plus, if you act quickly, you can take advantage of the following special incentives available for a limited time.

EwaHo’onani Special Incentives
– $5,000 Pre-construction Design Center Credit*
– 2% Closing Cost Credit**

Overlooking the Ewa Villages Golf Course, the homes of Ho’onani are minutes from the Laulani Village Shopping Center, Ewa’s newest big-box retail hotspot, as well as the state-of-the-art lifestyle facilities at the Kroc Center, which feature a water park; a center for health, wellness and athletics; an art studio; and a five-hundred-seat performance center.

Yet Ho’onani is a world apart. Drive home past the colorful cottages and friendly smiles of the old plantation days, under a canopy of trees that have shaded generations.

Choose from seven floor plans. Find the one that’s right for your family, and come home to the best of both worlds, old and new.

Like the hala tree, this classic three-bedroom, two-bath home has its roots firmly anchored in Hawai'i. Built on a single level, the Hala model boasts long interior view planes that evoke a feeling of days gone by-while incorporating contemporary layout features such as separate family and living areas, and a master bedroom with walk-in closet.

Like the hala tree, this classic three-bedroom, two-bath home has its roots firmly anchored in Hawai’i. Built on a single level, the Hala model boasts long interior view planes that evoke a feeling of days gone by-while incorporating contemporary layout features such as separate family and living areas, and a master bedroom with walk-in closet. Three Bedroom, Two Bath
Single Floor – 1,481 sq. ft.
Covered Lanai – 93 sq. ft.
Garage – 404 sq. ft.
Covered Entry – 28 sq. ft.
Total – 2,006 sq. ft.
Total Living Area – 1,481 sq. ft.

Ho’onani – Features & Options

Included Features — Exterior

Central Air-Conditioning System
HardiePanel® and HardiePlank® Siding
Asphalt Roofing Shingles (30-Year Manufacturer’s Warranty)
Tankless Gas Water Heating System
Covered Entryway
Covered Lanai
Double glazed vinyl sliding glass doors and windows with mesh screens
Low E Windows
R-30 Insulation at Roof
R-13 Insulation at exterior walls and wall between garage and house
Garage Door with Glazing, (2) infrared remote controls
Vinyl Fence and Gate
USPS Approved Cluster Box Units for mail delivery

Included Features — Interior

Kohler plumbing fixtures
Free standing gas range with self-cleaning oven
Ductless range hood
1/2-horsepower garbage disposal
Built-in automatic dishwasher
Corian® kitchen counter tops
Cultured Marble Bathroom Countertops with Integrated Bowl
Master bedroom walk-in closet for most models
Mirrored wardrobe doors
Wire shelving in wardrobe closets
Wall-to-wall carpet except at kitchen, baths, and front entry

Options — Interior

Refrigerators
Over-the-range microwave oven/hood combination
Washer and/or Dryer
Kitchen cabinet and counter top upgrades
Pull-out faucet at kitchen and kitchen sink upgrades
Bathroom countertop upgrades
Front door upgrades
Garage door upgrades
Extensive flooring choices
Security system upgrades

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    This artistic rendering may assist the public in visualizing the homes; however, may not accurately depict homes when built. The developer, its agents, associate companies and suppliers reserve the right to modify plans, specifications and features without prior notice.