The SEIS Lands are situated within the Ko‘olau Loa District of the City and County of Honolulu. However, its proximity to the North Shore district that begins only a quarter mile to the west makes it appropriate to consider the SEIS Lands as part of the Ko‘olau Loa/North Shore region. The combined region represents about 30 percent of O‘ahu’s total land area.
The six census tracts included in the combined area had a total population of 34,452 in 2010, an average annual increase of approximately 1.2 percent since 1980. The size of the combined region’s population would suggest that population density is quite low, given the region’s physical size. But population density is rather high due to its distribution. In the Ko‘olau Loa District, the population is generally limited to a narrow strip along the coastline. Most of the interior areas of Ko‘olau Loa are uninhabitable due to the steep terrain of the Ko‘olau mountains. Similarly, population in the North Shore District is distributed along a narrow coastal strip and in the twin towns of Waialua and Hale‘iwa. The vast lands surrounding the population centers are either steep terrain or agricultural land, be it productive or fallow.
The Turtle Bay Resort presently employs approximately 600 people and the resort’s tenants employ approximately 100 more. About 80 percent of the estimated 700 employees live in the Ko‘olau Loa/North Shore region. Approximately 150-200 people live in Kuilima Estates.
A detailed socio-economic analysis of the combined region will be prepared for and presented in the Draft supplemental environmental impact study (SEIS). We anticipate this will show that the Resort Master Plan will have a significant beneficial impact upon the socio-economic character of the region. More jobs and job opportunities will be created for residents of the region by expanding the resorts’ employment base and strengthening the relationship between the Agricultural Lands and the SEIS Lands. The provision of new housing opportunities will also benefit the greater community. The Draft SEIS will present in greater detail the socio-economic impacts associated with the Resort Master Plan.