A&B, Kukuiula need to honor commitment
A response to the Planning Commission Subdivision Committee hearing held on Tuesday, Feb. 13: The subject is the completion of Lopaka Paipa Road connector, from Poipu Road to Ala Kalanikaumaka (western bypass) as agreed to in writing by the developer, for approval of its Koloa Estates Subdivision.
Years after agreeing to conditions for the right to build out its massive Kukuiula project, the developer and some of its residents are want to renege on commitments made to ease the Koloa community’s burden of those developments.
This is embarrassing, illegal and just wrong.
Kukuiula’s zoning was conditioned on meaningful commitments to address issues concerning infrastructure and open recreational spaces concerns that it created. These commitments were not and are not academic points, but contractual commitments to the community and the county as a whole.
The South Shore community rightly pushes for developers and new residents to keep their promises and abide by their covenants. The Kukuiula players are quite frankly in breach and their position lacks good faith, as it pushes costs and burdens of a luxury development onto middle and working class families.
It is silly and an embarrassment for Kukuiula to take the position of stonewalling park, open space, proper beach access, and a full and proper new connection road to Ala Kalanikaumaka, the western bypass road.
Such commitments were a threshold to the development being allowed in the first place and residents of Koloa Estates should be ashamed they have forced the greater Kauai community to stand up to this reckless indifference to clear commitments.
If Alexander & Baldwin and Kukuiula Development does not feel any duty to honor its contractual undertakings, then they should not be given any courtesy in Hawaii and specifically on Kauai anymore and should re-earn trust and goodwill through clear concrete actions.
This community gave up a great deal when it granted the right to build this project. Wealthy residents bought into it fully aware of these commitments.
Shame on all of you. You have shown you cannot be trusted.
He pua o Koloa — He pua o Kauai.
Ted Kawahinehelelani Blake, Koloa
The only thing that would help Kukui’ula is a 100 foot tsunami, but nobody wants anything horrible like that to happen, do they? That place is turning into such a sickening eyesore, unless you happen to think Orange County is a nice place. Now, are we all going to sit back and watch as A&B, in cahoots with Councilmembers Brun, Kagawa, Kaneshiro, and Kawakami sell out the Westside and transform Hanapepe into another traffic-choked mess like the Eastside? Sure hope not!
So typical of developers. They won’t do the right thing until pushed to the limit. They will only do what will benefit their pocket, and nothing more.
I got to watch the meeting on TV the other night. Mr. Developer made too many promises to get his project rolling. I hope everything works out for the Koloa people.
Come on, new town on Westside so we can make the whole island crowded. Anyone who complains about bought politicians should realize that corporate contributions are totally legal. Not to mention. Well placed bags of 10000 dollar stacks in one brown bag. Get on council and get paiiiid!! Why, what u think they do?