Council OKs bill to limit kayak rentals at 2 beaches

Seeking to curb increasing commercial activity at two of Kailua’s most popular beach parks, the City Council Wednesday approved a ban on such enterprises at Kailua Beach Park and Kalama Beach on Sundays and most of Saturdays.

The Council voted 9-0 to pass Bill 5 at its meeting at Kapolei Hale.

The measure bans commercial activity at both parks from 1 p.m. on Saturdays until 6:30 a.m. on Mondays. A private citizen could still, for instance, rent a kayak elsewhere and bring it to the beach. But a kayak company could not set up shop at the two parks or take tour clients there.

Commercial activity, as defined by the bill, includes recreational stops by tour companies. Professional filming activities would be excluded, but would be charged a fee. Canoe regattas would not fall under the ban.

In addition, the ordinance prohibits commercial activity every day on city-owned or city-controlled beach rights-of-way and easements from Lanikai to Kapoho Point in Aikahi.

The measure now goes to Mayor Peter Carlisle for consideration.

More than 20 Kailua residents testified Wednesday in favor of the weekend ban, saying commercial activity has gone too far and has driven many residents away, some permanently.

Ann Dewey, president of the Lanikai Association, said tour and ocean activity operators block bikeways and beach access paths, and take up large sections of beach. Additionally, "the traffic gridlock in our area is a safety issue, especially on weekends," Dewey said. "Limiting commercial activities on Sundays will give much-needed relief to the residents of our communities in Kailua and Lanikai."

Cynthia Rubinstein urged Council members to pass the bill and "don’t let Kailua become ‘Kai-kiki.’"

Among the few people testifying against the bill was Gareth Sakakida, managing director of the Hawaii Transportation Association, which represents various ground transportation businesses. He said the bill won’t stop the influx of visitors to the Windward beaches and could worsen traffic because tour and commercial activity vehicles would be replaced by a larger number of rental cars.

"The more fences we put, the more problems we’ll have with business coming over," Sakakida said.

City Parks Director Gary Cabato, meanwhile, said he is working on establishing rules that would allow for up to two commercial contractors to operate at the beach parks. Those contractors would still have to abide by the Sunday commercial activity ban.

Councilman Romy Cachola said shutting down commercial activity at one beach will just push such enterprises elsewhere on the island.

In other Council business Wednesday, Bill 10, prohibiting Oahu businesses from providing nonbiodegradable shopping bags to customers, received the first of three necessary approvals from the Council and will go to the Council’s Public Works and Sustainability Committee for a hearing,