Keep Kawela Bay accessible to public

The clock is ticking on negotiations to preserve Kawela Bay and other coastal areas within the Turtle Bay Resort’s proposed expansion site on Oahu’s North Shore. Conservationists and representatives of the developer and the state all express optimism that a win-win deal can be reached that preserves a substantial stretch of accessible, undeveloped coastline on an island with precious little of that left, while also recognizing the rights of property owners.

It was the threat of eminent domain that helped jump-start these talks last spring, and the specter of a forced land sale remains should the negotiations fall through. Key parties insist that progress is being made, however, and expect to have more promising details to report publicly by the end of November.

These encouraging signs are welcome, indeed, but even more welcome would be an official announcement that the state administration and Turtle Bay developer Replay Resorts have agreed on a fair price that protects Kawela Bay and Kahuku Point from development and ensures that the public has perpetual access to these valued coastal areas. When the talks began in spring, a late fall deadline was set for their resolution.

State Sen. Clayton Hee said he’s aware of positive movement in the ongoing negotiations, and that he expects to submit a bill on the issue in the upcoming legislative session. He hopes it will be a measure authorizing the state to fund a negotiated settlement, but is prepared to reintroduce an eminent domain bill — proposing that the state condemn the land and force its sale — should it come to that.

The city Department of Planning and Permitting accepted a final supplemental environmental impact statement for the project this month, but the proposed Turtle Bay Resort expansion is still a long way from the numerous government approvals it needs to move forward. The preservation of Kawela Bay, Kahuku Point and the adjacent shoreline is critical. While we applaud both sides’ stated intent to participate in good-faith negotiations to achieve this, the public deserves to hear more specific details about how the talks are going — and soon.

The resort developers continually point to how they have scaled back the scope of the proposed resort expansion, seeking to add far fewer hotel rooms and resort homes than zoning allows. This downscaling is laudable — the proposal now calls for two new hotels with a total of 625 units, 590 resort homes, 160 affordable housing units, and other elements and improvements — but it still represents a major expansion of the only full-scale resort on Oahu’s North Shore.

While the developer may feel that it has done the lion’s share of the compromising on this proposed project, the public interest demands that the state prevail in the ongoing effort to preserve Kawela Bay and Kahuku Point, a conservation effort that serves residents and resort visitors alike.

Yes, the negotiations are complex. Yes, the landowner deserves fair compensation for giving up development rights to prime oceanfront property. But ultimately, what’s most important is to preserve these precious North Shore coastal resources for everyone. We urge all parties at the table to not lose sight of this goal, and conserve this pristine natural environment for future generations.