SR95

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus, was initially designed and developed to meet the needs of commuters, older students, working students, and those interested in professional education; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus, has been authorized to develop two additional degree programs that will require not only larger, but also more complex facilities such as laboratories and clinical practice areas; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus, continues to make advancements in ensuring academic quality and increasing access to its academic programs for students residing in the areas of Leeward and Central Oahu; and

WHEREAS, to continue this trend, plans for a new campus, requiring additional funding, have been initiated to address workforce needs, increasing student enrollment, and growing academic needs; and

WHEREAS, during the summer of 2007, the University of Hawaii is expected to break ground on a new West Oahu campus on five hundred acres of land in Kapolei at an estimated cost of $150,000,000; and

WHEREAS, in 2006, the Governor sought $33,500,000 to pay for infrastructure for the first phase of construction of the West Oahu campus; and

WHEREAS, the Governor also requested that the Legislature approve an increased ceiling on the project of up to $175,000,000; and

WHEREAS, the current project requires the purchase of fee-simple land by the developer for the development of private residences in the area of the new campus, with the University of Hawaii subsequently leasing a portion of its five hundred acres in Kapolei for commercial retail development and using the funds generated to construct the West Oahu campus; and

WHEREAS, according to the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus, building costs have escalated to the point that the university is unable to construct the campus solely with private moneys and must seek assistance from the State; and

WHEREAS, the existing permanent University of Hawaii campuses are currently in much disrepair, requiring funding for repair, maintenance, and expansion of current facilities; and

WHEREAS, the current backlog of repair and maintenance projects is estimated at $165,000,000, which includes re-roofing, mechanical, and electrical systems, renovations, repainting, and other improvements and project costs to upgrade facilities at all university campuses; and

WHEREAS, state funding of the extraordinarily high cost of construction for a new University of Hawaii campus jeopardizes the funding of other necessary programs and projects; and

WHEREAS, the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus, has currently been operating in temporary facilities on the Leeward Community College campus, which is situated on forty-nine acres of land between Pearl City and Waipahu; and

WHEREAS, the expansion of the permanent facilities at Leeward Community College could provide a more cost-effective option for expanding the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus; and

WHEREAS, the West Oahu campus could incorporate the functions and curriculum of Leeward Community College to address the continuing need for community college services in Leeward and Central Oahu residents; and

WHEREAS, in March 2002, the University of Hawaii prepared an Alternative Sites Evaluation report, which cursorily addressed the possibility of Leeward Community College serving as an alternative site for the West Oahu campus; and

WHEREAS, the report indicated that Leeward Community College presented an attractive alternative site due to its location, to accommodate students from Central Oahu, and its existing use and facilities; and

WHEREAS, the report acknowledged the fact that Leeward Community College and the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, already function as a four-year institution and the site would offer the shortest time frame within which a permanent campus could be constructed; and

WHEREAS, the Leeward Community College site also contains existing available land, existing buildings and facilities, and an approved Plan Review Use permit; and

WHEREAS, necessary access improvements for the Leeward Community College site may be the obligation of the Department of Transportation and may not adversely affect the University of Hawaii coffers; and

WHEREAS, vacant land surrounding the Leeward Community College site includes agriculturally zoned federal lands that may be appropriate for acquisition and development; and

WHEREAS, the 2002 Alternative Sites Evaluation, although informative, did not fully analyze the propriety of Leeward Community College as a viable site for the West Oahu campus; and

WHEREAS, under the current covenants with Campbell Estate, the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, is not required to break ground on the new campus until December 31, 2011; therefore, time is still available to conduct a comprehensive alternative site analysis of the Leeward Community College property; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, that the University of Hawaii is requested to conduct a study on the feasibility of constructing its West Oahu campus on the Leeward Community College site, which would include incorporating Leeward Community College into the West Oahu curriculum, and, if necessary, to acquire land for that purpose; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the University of Hawaii is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any appropriate legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2008, which includes but is not limited to the following:

(1) The feasibility of constructing the West Oahu campus on the Leeward Community College campus, including the possible acquisition of adjacent federal lands for the expansion;

(2) The costs, including land acquisition costs, if necessary, associated with the expansion of Leeward Community College to construct permanent facilities for the University of Hawaii, West Oahu;

(3) The feasibility of selling, leasing, or entering into a joint venture/public-private partnership for the land in Kapolei currently reserved for use as the site for the University of Hawaii, West Oahu campus, and using the revenues or development rights derived therefrom to offset the costs associated with expanding the Leeward Community College campus to accommodate its use as the site for the University of Hawaii, West Oahu;

(4) Any advantages or disadvantages associated with the utilization of shared property or facilities and any other benefits or losses that could be incurred through the execution of the expansion project;

(5) Proposed plans for incorporating Leeward Community College into the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, curriculum to ensure the continued provision of community college services to area residents;

(6) The projected time for completion of the expansion project; and

(7) The projected time and cost savings over the construction of a new campus in Kapolei; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Chairperson of the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, the President of the University of Hawaii, the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii, West Oahu, and the Chancellor of Leeward Community College.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

UH; West Oahu Campus; Feasibility Study; LCC

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	95
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII