LIHU‘E — Members of the county body that annually recommends properties to be acquired for open space and public access purposes are concerned about “vegetative encroachment and beach privatization.” Those words came from Beryl Blaich of the Public Access, Open
LIHU‘E — Members of the county body that annually recommends properties to be acquired for open space and public access purposes are concerned about “vegetative encroachment and beach privatization.”
Those words came from Beryl Blaich of the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund Commission during its last meeting of 2009.
While the board failed to formally approve a list of five priority parcels for the county to consider acquiring using proceeds from the open-space fund, they did have a lively discussion about private landowners manipulating vegetation to discourage beach access, said Commission Chair Jean Souza.
Under state law, beaches are public property up to the high-water mark — the line the highest wash of the waves of the season reaches at a particular area.
Concerned citizens, including some open space commissioners, contend that certain beach-front landowners have planted naupaka and other hardy flora in an effort to extend their property lines toward the ocean.
Commissioner Puna Dawson, a kumu hula, engages in a practice where her dancers gather along the water on the North Shore during summer and winter solstices to dance at midnight.
She has noticed some plantings of naupaka during the recent winter solstice that weren’t there at their last visit to the area.
A draft of the board’s priorities for land acquisition that, once approved, will be sent to Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. and the Kaua‘i County Council reveals the board’s solid concern about diminishing beach access routes.
In addition to recommending attempts to acquire land to expand the county Black Pot Park on Hanalei Bay and Salt Pond Beach Park in Hanapepe (in part to protect the ancient salt pans there), the commission is poised to recommend county officials use real-property-tax incentives or other means to acquire beach-access routes to Kauapea Beach (Secret Beach) near Kilauea, Ka‘aka‘aniu Beach (Larsen’s Beach) near Moloa‘a, and Papa‘a Bay between Anahola and Moloa‘a. The draft priority list also contains mauka accesses to Waita Reservoir near Koloa and Alexander Dam mauka of Kalaheo.
The board may also recommend to county officials the pursuit of partnerships to acquire the Ha‘ena Point properties including Joseph Brescia’s land where Native Hawaiian iwi kupuna (ancient human remains) are known to be buried; the Coco Palms Resort site; Alekoko Fishpond (Menehune Fishpond) near Nawiliwili; and the Maha‘ulepu coastline near Po‘ipu.
In a public survey, Kauaians liked the acquisition of (in this order) Kauapea Beach access, Maha‘ulepu, Black Pot, Alekoko and the site of the current Nukumoi Surf Company on Ho‘one Road next to Brennecke’s Beach Broiler and across the road from Po‘ipu Beach Park. The area behind the surf shop is home to Kaneiolouma Heiau and has cultural significance.
Over 100 people responded to the survey, recommending acquisition of 42 different places on the island.
The board is considering including in its report an idea to increase the percentage of real-property-tax revenues going into the open-space fund, deliberately not including a size on the increase, as that is a function for county lawmakers and Carvalho, commissioners said.
Kaua‘i voters in 2002 approved a charter amendment designating 0.5 percent of all real-property-tax revenues to annually go into an open-space account for acquisition of lands for public purposes.
The commission is administratively attached to the county Planning Department, and was created by the County Council in 2003.
The on Dec. 22 meeting agenda also contained an item regarding the need to fill three vacancies on the nine-member commission.
Souza said Carvalho is expected to name his nominee soon, and members of the County Council are “active” in their efforts to secure their nominee. Those eight commissioners would then choose a ninth member.
A commission meeting scheduled for earlier in December was canceled due to lack of a quorum, which requires the presence of five of the six current members.
For more information, visit www.kauai.gov.
• Paul C. Curtis, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or pcurtis@kauaipubco.com.
