Building the proposed 20-acre Coconut Beach Resort and 12-acre Coconut Plantation Village in Waipouli remains on hold, a court order states. In her June 29 decision, Fifth Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Watanabe renewed a moratorium on construction at the Eastside
Building the proposed 20-acre Coconut Beach Resort and 12-acre Coconut Plantation Village in Waipouli remains on hold, a court order states.
In her June 29 decision, Fifth Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Watanabe renewed a moratorium on construction at the Eastside property, but denied a Hawai‘i non-profit group’s motion for the County of Kaua‘i to revoke the developers’ building permits and have them reapply after completing an environmental assessment.
“This court finds that no preliminary injunction is warranted at this time,” the court order states. “…The existing moratorium on any construction on the developers’ property is to continue in full force and effect until such time as there is a determination as to the final form of the permits.”
Coconut Beach Development Manager Larry Smith said Friday that talks with county officials are ongoing and he hopes to discuss an “amicable resolution” with 1,000 Friends of Kaua‘i to resolve the matter without further litigation.
“We’re discussing the scope of the entitlements given to us to better define our obligations,” he said. “We’re not trying to change Kaua‘i … just allow more people to visit the beautiful area that it is.”
The developers are intervenors in 1,000 Friends of Kaua‘i and Kapa‘a resident Puanani Rogers’ ongoing lawsuit against the county.
The developer noted that the land purchased for the multimillion dollar project has been zoned for resort use for 20 years, and “no major variances” were requested.
“Kaua‘i government has determined that this is what should occur here,” he said, referring to building the resorts.
The proposed resort plans call for up to 535 multi-family units, 12 hotel rooms and nearly 1,000 parking stalls to be built with certain stipulations. For instance, the developers must pay to extend Pouli Road to alleviate traffic congestion on Kuhio Highway, renovate the wastewater treatment facility to accommodate increased use, install a traffic signal system and put in turn lanes.
The attorney representing 1,000 Friends of Kaua‘i, Dan Hempey, said this court order is only the beginning.
“We’re very pleased that the moratorium remains in effect,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “We’re urging concerned citizens to let their elected officials know how they feel about the use that’s been approved for this environmentally sensitive area.”
For information on 1,000 Friends of Kaua‘i, call 828-1438.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com.
