Talk Story 2

Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at Kahuku High School Cafeteria hosted by Defend Oahu Coalition!

This is the second in a series of Community Forums regarding the future of Turtle Bay, the purpose of which is to update the community about progress made since Governor Lingle announced her initiative to preserve the undeveloped portions of the property at Turtle Bay Resort.

• Despite overwhelming community opposition, the City’s Department of Planning and Permitting is reportedly very close to issuing final subdivision permits to the developer at Turtle Bay which will allow him to move ahead with the outdated plan for five additional hotels and one thousand more resort condominiums.

• The State Supreme Court is set to hear Oral Arguments (December 17th) regarding the Keep the North Shore Country case asking for a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

• The resort property is formally changing owners this month, who are reportedly working on a new business model for the resort.

This is a crucial time to get updated about the current situation in the Country and a critical time to get involved. Efforts aimed at building on plans for preservation as well as sustainable land use enforcement at City and State levels (regarding the expansion plan being proposed at the resort) will also be addressed. Notable speakers invited to attend include: Governor Lingle, Representatives Abercrombie and Hirono, Mayor Hannemann, Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group Chair Bill Paty, Senator Clayton Hee, Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz and Interim Developer for Kuilima Resort Company Stanford Carr.

98 acres of Hawaii's North Shore is headed for a sealed-bid sale

Nearly 100 acres of agricultural land next to the Turtle Bay Resort on O'ahu's North Shore are headed for a sealed-bid sale, four years after a Florida-based investment firm bought the oceanfront property for $2 million with plans to subdivide it for potential residential use.

The property on Marconi Road includes an old home and a commercial building that once housed Hawai'i's first wireless telegraph station, established in 1901 under a contract with a company set up by the Italian inventor of the technology, Guglielmo Marconi.

More at the Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii Supreme Court takes Turtle Bay case

The Hawaii Supreme Court has agreed to take up the issue of whether Kuilima Development should be required to do an updated environmental study for its planned expansion of Turtle Bay Resort.

The court announced Thursday that it will hear oral arguments in the case Nov. 19. The Supreme Court will review a 2-1 decision by the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals that denied a request for an updated review of the project's impact on the environment.

The question is whether the project's 24-year-old environmental impact statement is still valid.

More at the Honolulu Advertiser

Turtle Bay Resort names new manager

Turtle Bay Resort has a new manager.

Bob Boyle, Benchmark Hospitality International vice president and general manager at Turtle Bay, announced Wednesday that Tom Cross has been appointed resort manager.

More at Pacific Business News

State still wants to acquire Turtle Bay

The Lingle administration has made two unsuccessful offers to buy Turtle Bay Resort but remains willing to negotiate with brokers representing the scenic North Shore property.

The state has sought to acquire the resort land and sell off the hotel, golf courses and other businesses while preserving open space from Kahuku Point to Kawela Bay.

More at the Honolulu Advertiser