In The News
Letters to the Editor: Kukui Gardens Opponents can reach a compromise
April 24, 2006
Honolulu Advertiser
We are leaders of the Kukui Gardens Residents Association and Faith Action for Community Equity (FACE). We are writing to thank The Honolulu Advertiser for its support to our struggle to keep the owners of Kukui Gardens and their purchaser from destroying our community.
Although each of Gordon Y.K. Pang’s stories have been insightful, accurate, informative and entertaining, his feature story on Sunday, April 2, “Apartment home of last resort,” was especially noteworthy. His portrait of the day-to-day Hawaiians at risk if the plans of the owners go forward read like a Hemingway short story or a poignant poem.
We are working to preserve this Hawaiian natural treasure, Kukui Gardens, as affordable. No less than Diamond Head and our beautiful beaches, our island’s diversity of ethnicities and incomes is what makes Hawai’i so special. We want to preserve our homes. We believe that we — the owners and the community — are unnecessarily on a collision course of their choosing.
We do not oppose the sale of Kukui Gardens. We do not begrudge these institutions their stated desire to “recapitalize” the Clarence Ching Foundation, providing tens of millions of dollars for the three beneficiaries of the sale, which hold a majority of the owning board: Chaminade University, St. Francis Medical Center and St. Louis School. We want to see Kukui Gardens preserved as affordable for its current and future residents. We do not see a contradiction between their goals and ours.
Simply put, we believe that, if given the time and more cooperative relationship, together we could accomplish a sale of Kukui Gardens that generates significant income for the Catholic beneficiaries and keeps it affordable.
Carol Anzai
President, Kukui Gardens Residents Association
Rev. Alan Mark
President, Faith Action for Community Equity
