Uncertainty lingers after Hawaii County’s lease for beach park expires

A week after Hawaii County’s lease for Punaluu Black Sand Beach Park ended following a failure to reach an agreement with the park’s private land owner, changes are becoming visible at the site, which had been managed by the county for decades.

Large signs that once greeted visitors have been removed, the public bathroom doors are locked, debris is scattered throughout the parking lot, and the lifeguard stand is shuttered.

While beaches in Hawaii are considered state property up to the high tide line, and there is a legal requirement that public access be allowed, the 6.8-acre park next to Punaluu Beach is on privately owned land.

For over 72 years, the county has leased this lot, where it has maintained public facilities including the restrooms, a parking lot and picnic pavilions.

The county’s lease with the park’s current landowner, Black Sand Beach LLC, was initially set to expire at the end of June, but the two parties agreed to extend it for two months to allow additional time for negotiations.

However, on Aug. 27, the county announced that following attempts to establish new lease terms or outright purchase the land through the county’s Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC) program, an agreement had not been reached, and the lease ended on Aug. 29.

The situation has resulted in concerns about what access to the park will look like going forward and whether or not the facilities in the park will be maintained and open to the public.

On Thursday, visitors to the popular destination were mostly tourists who were largely unaware of the lease situation. But some who had visited before said they noticed a difference at the park from previous trips.

Lonnie and Howard Richardson, visiting from Washington state, said they had to go to a nearby Ace Hardware to use the bathroom when they discovered the ones at the park were not open. They also noticed more debris and trash.

While largely due to Hurricane Lala, a spokesperson for the county said the Department of Parks and Recreation would have done a clean-up of the site after the storm if the lease had not ended.

Logan Langdon, a visitor from Canada, said he was drawn to the beach by the black sand and chance of spotting sea turtles. He said having the facilities at the park also made it a more accessible destination with the added benefit of helping keep the area clean.

“I think having the amenities nearby is pretty important to visitors coming to check out the beach, especially with the park directly beside it,” he said. “That probably helps reduce waste, especially the garbage cans, and limit the impact on the environment.”

Aaron Edstrom and Stefan Perazich — tour guides for Wasabi Tours, a company that leads trips around the island — were at the beach Thursday with a van full of tourists. They said that Punaluu has long been one of the most popular stops for their customers. However, since the county’s lease of the park ended and the facilities closed, they said they have cut the time they spend there with guests in half.

“That’s why we’re only staying 15 minutes today, cause the restroom is out,” Edstrom said. “So, we just stop, show this really quick, and then on to the national park where they have more infrastructure.”

Residents have also expressed concern about what the end of the county’s lease could mean for the facilities and the park, which has long held cultural and historical value and served as a community gathering place for generations.

Hilo resident Rocky Pedro was sitting under one of the park’s picnic pavilions with friends on Thursday. He said he has family ties to the area and grew up spending time at the beach park.

“I was raised on these grounds right here,” he said. “This was a place that we grew up in. My grandma’s house is right up the road. We would come here in the summers. We would spend all day here. Whether it’s surfing, fishing — my grandpa would take us down to the pond at the other end of Punaluu Beach Park, he would show us how to fish. So, my childhood is very rooted here.”

He said the uncertainty about the park’s future adds an additional level of worry.

“We don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I’m sure it will affect this community in a big way if we don’t have access down here,” he said.

Under the rules of the PONC program, the county can only make an offer to purchase land at a value determined through an appraisal process. In the case of Punaluu, that value was $1.46 million, which was declined by Black Sand Beach LLC.