RES26-236 Bellows Air Force Station, Waimanalo

At a glance

Based on human-uploaded captions that may contain errors; the first minutes of the hearing appear to be missing from the captions.

What: Resolution 26-236 urges the return of the Bellows Air Force Station lands in Waimanalo (crown lands set aside by a 1917 executive order) to the people of Hawaii, now recreational use only. Chair Kiaʻāina introduced it.
Where it stands: the Zoning & Planning Committee amended it to a handcarried CD1 and reported it out for adoption on October 22, with no objection; Okimoto noted reservations.
Next: full council vote.

Testifiers (Waimanalo community leaders, the Nation of Hawaii, Hawaiian Home Lands homesteaders, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action and others) were strongly in support. They cited the lack of a chain of title or required reports to the state, the closed runway, current use as a resort and golf range, and flooding blocked at Bellows. They asked for parcel-by-parcel review, a federal cleanup responsibility that does not delay return, and return to the public land trust.
OHA said Public Law 88-233 gives a legal pathway to review surplus military lands and that all leased and fee lands should be re-examined as leases expire.
A Bellows employee asked that workers be consulted and have job protections in any transition.
Tupola and Waters supported it; Tupola pointed to the Makua precedent (co-management first, then non-renewal of the lease) and the CD1's call for consultation and an environmental review. Kiaʻāina criticized the absence of a Department of War representative from the room and called the Bellows golf range tone deaf. A department representative was thanked for attending in another remark; the captions are unclear.

2026-10-22 - Zoning & Planning - Long supportive testimony; amended to a CD1 and reported out for adoption.
2026-10-22 - Page created from a posted agenda.