Don’t let development kill North Shore paradise

Karl Scott

As an Australian who has grown up on the world-renowned Gold Coast, I have seen firsthand what rampant development and pro-developer local authorities can do to devastate a beautiful area, stretch infrastructure to the breaking point and, despite all precautions and attempts at protection, environmentally wreck an area and burden, not benefit, local residents with poorly controlled growth.

I was a resident of Surfers Paradise for 15 years from 1973, and my mother and many friends still live there. Brisbane is only 45 minutes by car north of the Gold Coast, and I still go there frequently for weekends and holidays. At 35 years of age, I am far from a crotchety old fart who yearns for some long-forgotten ideal age that can never be reclaimed. I am a young father of three who has seen the spread of tourism and unit developments eat up the beauty of the Gold Coast from Surfers Paradise to Coolangatta.

The North Shore of Oahu is a truly amazing place, and I say this as someone who was warned that Hawaii would just feel like Surfers Paradise to me. Waikiki does to a certain degree, but the North Shore is truly unique. Despite its world fame, it is a place that is totally unimpressed with itself, still true in its core to the surfers who made it famous. [more]

Turtle Bay accord can spark progress

The long-awaited settlement of a festering labor dispute at the Turtle Bay Resort is a welcome end in itself and an even more hopeful development if it signals a break in the impasse over the North Shore development's expansion plan. [More]

'Era of openness' for Turtle Bay Resort

The company planning to build five hotels at the Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore said resolving a years-old labor dispute with hotel employees last week should help smooth discussions on the expansion plans. [more]

Turtle Bay contract ratified

Honolulu Advertiser

Nearly 400 Turtle Bay Resort employees voted unanimously yesterday to approve a new contract after years of bitter negotiations, gaining a wage increase, better medical benefits and workload standards for housekeepers.

Turtle Bay labor battle may be over

Honolulu Advertiser

The long, bitter labor dispute between Turtle Bay Resort management and the union representing its employees appears to be over, with both sides announcing a tentative agreement yesterday.

Turtle Bay development presented to Kahalu'u Neighborhood Board

Turtle Bay Development Presentation: Keith Kurahashi and Ralph Makiau presented the following Turtle Bay Resort Master Plan:

In 1998 developer Bill Mills and affiliates of Oaktree Capital Management Company bought Kuilima Resort Company the entity that owned Turtle Bay Resort. In 2001 affiliates of Oaktree Capital Management LLC, acquired full control of the Kuilima Resort Company and Turtle Bay Resort.

The following completed improvements were part of the proposed development approved in 1986 by the Zone Change and Special Management Area Permit at the Turtle Bay Resort: a) Construction of the links at Kuilima Golf Course (Palmer Course). b) Punahoolapa Wildlife Preserve. c) Wastewater Treatment Plant. d) Sewer force main along Kuilima Drive (connecting the Estates East and West to the Treatment Plant). e) Phase 1, Opana Well Facility. f) A 12-inch water transmission line along Kamehameha Highway, from Kuilima Drive to Marconi Road completed and accepted by the Board of Water Supply (1991). g) Nine Hole Fazio Course improved to an 18-hole golf course. Planned in the 1985 Environmental Impact Statement, approved in 1986 zone change and Special Management Area Use Permit. h) 2003, a golf course maintenance facility was built for the Palmer Course. i) Development at the project site, in accordance with approved permits, continued from 1986 through 1991 and restarted in 2001 and has continued to date with Kuilima Resort Company working with the State and City to receive approval of traffic improvements at the proposed West Kuilima Drive and Kamehameha Highway intersection. A meeting was recently held with the State Department of Transportation to discuss timing and participation of proposed improvements at the existing intersection mentioned above.

1) A subdivision request is in the process to allow subdivision of three proposed park sites (Kawela Bay Park already subdivided) and creation of three of the five proposed access easements (two already created) and the 100-foot wide public access use easement along the shoreline.

2) The Turtle Bay Resort Development will offer the following community benefits: a) Two public parks and two private parks open to the public. b) Shoreline access through 100-foot easement for public use along the shoreline, including a pathway extending from Kawela Park to Kahuku Park that breaks around the existing Turtle Bay Hotel parking lot and returns to the shoreline on the Kahuku side of the existing hotel development. c) Five easements containing parking for 20 stalls and pedestrian access to the shoreline. d) Resort related jobs for the North Shore Region. e) Affordable Housing. f) Additional improvements at Punahoolapa Marsh. g) Childcare, dedication of 0.5 acre of land.

3) There will be new Hotel Units - 2,500 and Resort Condo Units - 1,000; Two City Parks – Five-acre Park planned at Kawela Bay and a 33-acre park is planned for Kahuku Point;

Kawela Park 1 with 22 parking stalls and comfort station; and Kahuku Point Park will be developed with 30 parking stalls and comfort station; Shoreline Walkway; Public ocean access; Roadway Access; Approved landscape master plan; and Fazio Renovation

4) The Kuilima Resort Company has been working with the City to ensure that all conditions of approval are met in a timely manner. The City has been requiring updates to the approved wastewater, water and drainage master plans to reflect current Development Plans. A traffic impact analysis report update for the proposed Turtle Bay Resort Master Plan has been prepared in response to a City requirement.

5) The development of an employment center in the resort development would allow employee traffic to flow toward the resort rather than into town in the peak travel direction. Approximately 85% of the existing employees come from the Koolauloa/North Shore communities.

Entire proposal and the lengthy discussion that followed at the Kahalu'u Neighborhood Board meeting can be found at the following link:
June 14, 2006 Kahalu'u Neighborhood Board Meeting

Koolauloa Neighborhood Board requests supplemental environmental impact statement

The proposed expansion of Turtle Bay resort is a statewide issue. Various groups feel that a supplementary Environmental Impact Statement is in order since the original one is now 20 years old. Some of these are the Environmental Council, The Office of Environmental Quality Control, The Republican Party of Hawaii, The Democratic Party of Hawaii, the Hawaii State Legislature, The Chair of the City Council, North Shore Neighborhood Board, Kahalu’u Neighborhood Board, Ko’olauloa Hawaiian Civic Club, Keep the County County Inc., Defend Oahu Collation, Punulu’u Community Association, Hau’ula Community Association, Sunset Beach Community Association, and Laie Point Community Association. As a result, the committee proposes the following motion for Board consideration, “The Koolauloa Neighborhood Board urges the City and County of Honolulu to require a submittal of a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement prior to permitting any expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort.”

Board Discussion: Kathryn Heath commented that she supports the motion. Zenobia Iese added that the Hau’ula Community Association is against the expansion and therefore she supports the motion.

The motion passed 7-2-1(Aye: Letts, Elkington, Heath, Iese, Kahana, Macy, Mattoon, Les Steward. Nay: Hurlbut, Soh.

Koolauloa Neighborhood Board members: John Elkington, Kathryn Heath, Donald Hurlbut, Zenobia Iese, Barbara Kahana, Dee Dee Letts, Patrick Macy, Creighton Mattoon, Warren Soh, Les Steward.

Keep the North Shore Country releases bumper sticker campaign

In a more visual effort to voice the growing concern over announced plans by the Turtle Bay Resort for expansion, the Keep the North Shore Country organization has released a new bumper sticker campaign. You can get a FREE sticker by mail. See their website for details.