A Haven in the Heights – Maunalani Heights

Maunalani is one of the oldest and most densely developed of the East Oahu hillside neighborhoods, but pockets of vacant land continue to provide opportunities for new home construction.

Much of the buildable property that has become available over the years has been marketed by Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties Realtor John Peterson. A resident of Maunalani Heights for over 20 years, Peterson has sold more than 40 properties in the area.

Currently Peterson is listing a vacant lot on Maunalani Circle, located at the top of the ridge. The one-acre lot is part of a three-unit CPR and the largest of the three. “This CPR development is unique in that all three lots will have a shared common open space between them affording privacy and separation of the houses,” Peterson said. “The lot has panoramic views including the Koolau mountains and Waialae Nui Valley in addition to views across Waialae Nui Ridge to Diamond Head, Waikiki, and the ocean. Of the two lots previously sold, one now has an impressive contemporary home built and the other lot will soon start construction.”

He noted that owners of vacant land see this as an auspicious time to market due to favorable interest rates. Buyers are gravitating to neighborhoods where shopping, entertainment, schools, and beaches are conveniently close and places of business are accessible without long commutes. Maunalani’s proximity to routes into downtown Honolulu originally made the neighborhood desirable when development gained momentum in the 1930s, much of it undertaken by the Matson Navigation Company.

Today buyers who favor the neighborhood also cite its attractions as the eye appeal of its diverse architecture, larger lots than in many of the newer subdivisions, mature trees and plantings, and, of course, the views.

Peterson cites other appealing features of Maunalani Heights, inclusive of upper Wilhelmina Rise, or lower Maunalani, if you will, as the cool micro-climate, a neighborhood park with a tennis court, basketball court, and recreation center, and hiking trails emanating from Maunalani Circle that lead to wilderness areas.

There are distinctions between the two neighborhoods in addition to height on the hill. Wilhelmina was developed as an R-5 zoned neighborhood with above ground wiring;

Maunalani Heights is zoned R-10 with utilities underground. The demarcation is set at the 4500 block of Sierra Drive where it meets Mariposa.

In addition to “where does Wilhelmina end and Maunalani begin,” a common question about the area concerns the naming of streets after Matson Lines ships. Wilhelmina Rise resident Phil Spalding III, a descendant of both the Cooke and Castle families, explains that Castle & Cooke became involved in real estate development in the area during the period that the company owned Matson Lines. “Mariposa, Monterey, Lurline, Matsonia, and Sierra were the names of Matson ships. Wilhelmina was the name of the daughter of company president, Edward Davies Tenney,” Spalding said.

The property is priced at $1,500,000. To arrange a showing, contact John Peterson (R), CRS at 735-7555 or john@residencehawaii.com.