Sometimes, the stars are aligned to create the perfect outcome — one that will endure for generations to come.

That's indeed the case with the Pupukea-Paumalu deal on the North Shore, which now ensures 1,129 acres of stunning scenic coastal bluffs on O'ahu's beautiful North Shore will be preserved in perpetuity.

This was truly a community-based effort — one where persistence, passion and teamwork resulted in a public-private partnership that should serve as a model; a broad coalition that included community groups, environmentalists, the state, the city, the military and a Japan-based private developer.

There's no overstating the hard work of the Trust for Public Land and the North Shore Community Land Trust, which for years negotiated the purchase of the property with Tokyo-based Obayashi Corp. Obayashi initially planned to build a housing development on the site, but a downturn in the economy prompted the company to put the parcel on the market in 2002, creating a prime opportunity to buy back the property for conservation purposes. The company eventually agreed to a $7.95 million purchase price, despite interest from other potential buyers.

With the price set — and support from city and state officials, Hawai'i's congressional delegation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Estuarine Land Conservation Program, the U.S Army's Compatible Use Buffer Program, through the U.S. Army Garrison Hawai'i — the Trust for Public Land facilitated the landmark purchase, which was completed yesterday.

Now, our children and theirs will be able to enjoy this stretch of coastal bluffs, without the pressures of development. And for that, we should all be thankful.

Blake McElheny, president of the North Shore Community Land Trust, who stuck with this for years, makes the perfect point: "Community dreams can be achieved when we bring people together around shared values for the benefit of the public."

Now that's truly an uplifting thought.