CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / MAY 25
The Haleiwa Beach House reopened Tuesday after taking measures to prevent another sewage leak.
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The Haleiwa Beach House restaurant reopened Tuesday after its owner agreed to serve fewer patrons to meet state requirements for wastewater system capacity.
The restaurant, formerly known as Jameson’s by the Sea, is owned by longtime Hawaii developer D.G. “Andy” Anderson, who was recently cited by the Department of Health for expanding the restaurant’s seating capacity to 388 from 114 without enlarging its wastewater system.
State officials said they ordered Haleiwa Beach House to close last week after confirming that sewage was spilling from its wastewater system into a neighboring property near a fishpond frequently visited by children.
Managers said the restaurant reopened at 5 p.m. Tuesday with the seating capacity approved in 2012 — 83 dining seats and 31 bar chairs — but wouldn’t comment further.
Anderson didn’t return calls seeking comment.
The former state lawmaker who tried three times to become Hawaii’s governor opened the former Jameson’s restaurant in March as Haleiwa Beach House despite warnings from the city not to because the renovation work was done without building permits. A Health Department follow-up investigation found the restaurant was polluting nearby Loko Ea stream and fishpond, officials said.
After inspecting the restaurant and the wastewater system again, the department reinstated the food service permit Tuesday.
No fines are being issued at this time, said Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo.
“The department has determined that the restaurant can safely reopen for business and continue operating with reduced seating that meets their current wastewater system capacity,” Stuart Yamada, the department’s Environmental Management Division chief, said in a press release. “The department will continue to follow-up with the restaurant to ensure it complies with the order and maintains public health standards.”