Our beaches are perhaps Hawaii’s greatest asset, magnets for visitors and priceless outdoor resources for all our residents. We can’t afford to mess them up.
We don’t want them overrun by commercial operations, and right now the model for avoiding that, at least on city beaches outside resort zones, seems to be a total ban, such as what’s in place in Kailua and Lanikai.
Two City Council bills propose expanding this ban to city beach parks in Waimanalo from Makapuu to Bellows (Bill 38), and on the North Shore from Sunset Point to Haleiwa’s Kaiaka Point (Bill 34). Few of these beaches are commercialized much yet, but such businesses as wedding planners and surf schools do make use of some.
Is a total ban the best way to guard against unforeseen loopholes or unscrupulous operators eventually mucking things up? Or can we accept that certain limited enterprises can enhance the beach experience for residents and tourists alike, then figure out a smart way to allow and control them?
Councilmember Heidi Tsuneyoshi, who introduced Bill 34, said her objective is to maintain control over the situation, in part by clearing up issues of permitting and enforcement. She’s even willing to limit the length of any ban, so long as the beach parks remain true to their intended purpose — “for the general public.”
The bills individually passed first reading at the Council, and much discussion is likely before a final vote comes due. As with so many things, balance is key, but striking that balance is no quick trick.
Both bills would allow professional filming on the beaches in question, with proper permits, but that’s about it. All other commercial activities would be banned, including recreational stops by tour buses. Public testimony submitted in regard to both bills lays out the divide between factions.
“Our beaches are a public trust and access is protected for everyone. They should not be co-opted by commercial companies and residents be made to feel like interlopers,” Kathleen Pahinui of the North Shore Neighborhood Board wrote in support of Bill 34.
Others wrote of North Shore infrastructure being overwhelmed by commercial use, of Waimanalo beaches suffering from a constant stream of weddings. “You can’t put a price on paradise, it needs to be left alone,” one resident wrote.
Far more people wrote in opposition, however, with a common point being that the businesses most likely to be hurt are small ones based in the community, and they deserve a chance to benefit from visitor spending on Oahu.
Representatives of surf groups added that by taking novices into the water they are help to keep them safe, while promoting one of Hawaii’s cultural touchpoints.
One resident wrote that weddings in Waimanalo are actually limited, the parties respectful. “They respect the aina and leave no trace they were there. Waimanalo is the most beautiful place on Earth, and to get married here is a blessing.”
The problem with an all-out ban is it treats all commercial purposes the same, no matter their actual impact on the beach and beachgoers. Such a ban is critical on beaches too small for commercial use, or where turtles or other flora or fauna would be at risk. At others, though, the better option might be clear permitting standards that allow low-impact uses on certain sections of the sand, limited in size and number per day, with enforcement a key component.
Cool heads and cooperation will be necessary to make these rules. The threat of a total ban is a pretty big stick that should make the private players willing to work with the public ones to figure out a way that we can all share.
