Glossary Terms
Only six percent of the total land area of the Wai‘anae moku is developed. Of that six percent, which represents 2,292 acres (3.6 square miles) of developed land, about 90 percent is residential development, and 10 percent is zoned as commercial, industrial, or resort development.
Development in the Wai‘anae moku (acres).
Source: City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting 2000.Compared to other rural planning regions on O‘ahu (North Shore and Ko‘olau Loa), the Wai‘anae moku has more single-family residential acreage (1,991 acres or 3.1 square miles) than both of them combined. The Wai‘anae moku includes the largest concentration of Hawaiian Homelands (see map) in the State of Hawai‘i. About 432 acres (0.7 square miles) of land in the moku is in residential projects of the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL), in four major homesteads: the Nānākuli Hawaiian Homesteads (260 acres or 0.4 square miles), the Princess Kahanu Estates Hawaiian Homes (52 acres or 0.8 square miles), Wai‘anae Kai Hawaiian Homesteads (22 acres or 0.03 square miles), and Wai‘anae Valley Hawaiian Homesteads (98 acres or 0.15 square miles). The Department of Hawaiian Homelands holds an additional 4,235 acres (6.6 square miles) of land in the moku that is not developed for residential use (Chu 2004).
Living in Wai‘anae during World War II
"...in Wai‘anae, we did our shopping at Hong Tong's, Yamashita's, Yamasaki's, A.K. Chong's and the Tamura stores. We bought our poi from the Alena poi factory, a Chinese-owned factory here in Wai‘anae. I took a large pa kini to the factory and for twenty-five cents they filled the pan with poi. I would take the poi home and make poi palaoa and it was simply ‘ono !"
– Helen Hoopuiainaokakina Kulolia Meyers, Wai‘anae resident
Nānākuli. Based on the 2000 census, the residential population of Nānākuli is about 6,900, living in about 1,400 households, representing nearly five people per household. There are about 100 vacant housing units (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). Major residential developments include the Nānākuli Hawaiian Homesteads, which includes 1,040 residential lots and a population of about 5,099 (Chu 2004). Commercial development in Nānākuli consists of the grocery store, drug store, and several other businesses in Nānākuli Shopping Center, as well as shops and restaurants along Farrington Highway (see map).
Growing up in Nānākuli in 1929
"We would carry water from the [beach] park in gallons for drinking. Water that came from the pipe [at home] was brackish. We washed clothes on a flat pohaku and pounded the clothes with a flat stick. We also boiled the dirty clothes. Then we spread the clothes on the dry weeds to dry. When it rained, we would fill up all the pots and pans and big drums to save water. We used the stove ashes to clean the pots like a cleanser. We mixed our poi with flour. We had aku for raw fish. The head, bones and tail were made into a fish soup. We had meat if Father brought home meat from the [McCandless] ranch. When we didn't have anything in the house to eat, we would go to the Nānākuli beach to pick up limu. Mother would fix the limu, put it in empty jelly jars, and we would go house to house to sell it. Whatever money we got, we would buy what was needed. On weekends we would camp at Kawaihapai near Ka‘ena Point. We would catch fish and raid the mountains for ko‘oko‘olau, ti, taro, Hawaiian oranges, and luau leaves. When we didn't have tea, we would pick the leaves of the ti ki-nehe. It was similar to the ko‘oko‘olau, only it had kukus. Mama would cook palaoa lulu and palaoa palai. For breakfast we would have palaoa papa‘a without butter. We had a kiawe tree that had honey."
– Sarah Kawailima, Nānākuli Homestead resident
A small shopping mall along Farrington Highway.
Source: CZM Hawai‘iMā‘ili. The residential population of Mā‘ili is about 5,600, living in about 1,300 households, for an average of 4.3 people per household. There are about 150 vacant housing units (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). Major residential developments include the Mā‘ili Cove condominiums along the beach. Commercial development in Mā‘ili includes the Mā‘ili Marketplace and a few other markets and small businesses along the highway (see map).
Lualualei. The residential population of Lualualei is about 7,900, living in about 1,900 households, for an average of 4.2 people per household. There are also about 180 vacant housing units (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). Major housing developments include the Princess Kahanu Estates Hawaiian Homes, with a population of 1,174 in 270 residential lots (Chu 2004). Currently, no military personnel reside at the Naval Magazine or Naval Radio Transmitting Facility Lualualei (Terri Kojima, Navy Public Affairs Office, personal communication, 2004). Commercial development in Lualualei consists of varied small businesses along Farrington Highway, as well as farming supply and related businesses within the valley (see map).
Wai‘anae. The residential population of Wai‘anae is about 13,600, making it by far the largest community in the Wai‘anae moku. Wai‘anae's population consists of about 3,500 households, for an average of 3.9 people per household. There are about 500 vacant housing units (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). Major residential developments include the Wai‘anae Valley, with a population of 1,759 living in 396 residential lots (see map); the Wai‘anae Kai Hawaiian Homesteads with a population of 652 living in 150 lots; and the Village Pōka‘ī Bay and Maile Kai condominiums (Chu 2004).
Wai‘anae Mall.
Source: CZM Hawai‘iThe commercial center of Wai‘anae is the Wai‘anae Mall, with about 17 shops, nine services, and four restaurants. The mall often hosts community events, including the annual Westside Youth Festival and the Rotary Club's Christmas Day Parade. It also includes a satellite clinic and offices of the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. Additional commercial and industrial development in Wai‘anae includes several fast-food chain restaurants, privately owned restaurants, shops, and services along Farrington Highway.
The Wai‘anae Sustainable Communities Plan, which presents guidelines for the sustainable development of the moku up to the year 2020, proposes that the Wai‘anae town center be designated as a "Country Town" commercial and service center, in keeping with Wai‘anae Town's historical role as the hub of settlement in the moku. The envisioned development of Wai‘anae Country Town would extend from Wai‘anae Mall to Old Government Road, and from Pōka‘ī Bay Beach Park to Wai‘anae Elementary School, covering about 100 acres (0.15 square miles) in total. It would include development of a Community Gathering Place at Pōka‘ī Beach Park, the revitalization of low-rise commercial properties on both sides of Farrington Highway, and the gradual development of about 40 acres (0.06 square miles) of clustered residential use, mainly as two-story townhomes, duplexes, and clustered single-family homes on modest lots.
Mākaha. The residential population of Mākaha is 5,800, living in about 1,500 households, for an average of 3.9 people per household. There are about 400 vacant housing units (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). Residential developments include the Hawaiian Princess and Mākaha Beach Cabanas condominiums, located near the beach. Commercial development in Mākaha includes several businesses in the Mākaha Marketplace commercial center, shops and restaurants along Farrington Highway, and the Mākaha Resort Golf Club (see map).
Most of Mākua Valley is undeveloped, and access is restricted by the Department of the Army.
Source: CZM Hawai‘iMākaha and Mākua Valleys. The residential population of Mākaha and Mākua Valleys is about 2,400 living in approximately 900 households, for an average of 2.7 people per household. There are also about 500 vacant housing units (U.S. Census Bureau 2000). Major residential developments are Mākaha Valley Towers and Mākaha Valley Plantations, located mauka (inland) of the town of Mākaha, and the Mākaha Shores condominiums, on the coast north of Mākaha. Much of the land area of Mākua Valley is occupied by the U.S. Army's Mākua Military Reservation and Pililā‘au Range Complex (see map).
Most of the existing urban and suburban development in the Wai‘anae District is clustered along Farrington Highway, in a developed strip that varies from about ¼ to 1 mile wide. Two major commercial centers are the Wai‘anae Mall and Nānākuli's Pacific Shopping Mall. Local small businesses and light industry are an important source of jobs for the community.
Mākaha Valley is the only valley in the moku that has substantial urban and resort development, including the Mākaha Resort Golf Club, Mākaha Valley Towers condominiums, Mākaha Valley Plantation townhouses, and Mākaha Estates gated community. The valley is home to two 18-hole golf courses.
The Mākaha Resort Golf Club was formerly the Sheraton Mākaha Resort. In its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, the resort employed as many as 300 people (City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting 2000). Today the Mākaha Resort Golf Club employs about 125 people. The 300-acre resort includes one of O‘ahu's top-rated golf courses and a 173-room hotel with a swimming pool, meeting and banquet facilities, and a restaurant and lounge. The resort changed ownership in 2004, and planned renovations will ultimately result in the sale of timeshare interests (Schaefers 2004).
Chu, J. 2004. Residential Projects: Hawaiian Home Lands in Waianae District, Island of Oahu. State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL).
City and County of Honolulu, Department of Planning and Permitting. 2000. Waianae Sustainable Communities Plan. http://honoluludpp.org/planning/Waianae/Wai1.pdf
Schaefers, A. 2004. New Owner Plans Redo of Makaha Golf Resort. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. February 12, 2004. http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/12/business/story1.html
U.S. Census Bureau. 2000. Census 2000: American FactFinder Web Site. http://factfinder.census.gov
Waianae Coast Culture and Arts Society. 1986. Ka Poe Kahiko O Waianae: Oral Histories of the Waianae Coast of Oahu. Topgallant Publishing Company, Limited. Honolulu, HI.
