The state has been in discussions with the owner of the Hanalei River Boatyard and could negotiate a land swap to put the controversial facility into county hands, an official said this week. “If the county is interested, we would
The state has been in discussions with the owner of the Hanalei River Boatyard and could negotiate a land swap to put the controversial facility into county hands, an official said this week.
“If the county is interested, we would be willing to look into assisting,” said Peter Young, chair of the Board of Land and Natural Resources. “It’s be a lot of money to buy it. Maybe we would look to do a land exchange.”
The state would negotiate the deal and then transfer the title to the county, adding the 10-acre parcel to the adjacent Black Pot Beach Park, Young said.
His statements come two months after the Kaua‘i mayor stepped into a dispute over the right of tour boat companies to operate out of the boatyard.
Baptiste ordered the boatyard closed, saying the owner did not have a permit to launch vessels from his riverbank.
The mayor’s office had heard nothing of the state’s intentions Friday, according to a written statement.
“I’m unaware of any discussions on a land swap in the area,” Mayor Bryan Baptiste said in the statement.
“No one has approached me on this matter.”
Michael Sheehan, owner of the boatyard, confirmed that he had been in discussions with the state.
“These have been ongoing for years,” he said. “Every couple of years the government heads change. The re-education is a frustrating and serious thing.”
Sheehan said that the state and county encouraged him to build the boatyard about 20 years ago to accommodate the rise in tour boat traffic on the river, then left him holding the bag when the area became overrun and former Gov. Ben Cayetano ordered tour companies out of Hanalei Bay.
The swap would allow him to step away from an unprofitable business that he said costs him about $50,000 in property taxes each year.
“I have a reasonable expectation of being compensated in some way,” he said. “We’re working on having everyone happy and on the same page.”
Earlier this year Sheehan planned to reopen the boatyard, and the announcement drew protesters and eventually law enforcement officials to his property.
When Baptiste ordered the boatyard closed, Sheehan complied, later telling the County Council: “I’m caught in the middle. We are going to have to do some work on this thing.”
Young said the state wants to put community tension surrounding the boatyard to rest: “I know it’s controversial, and I’d rather limit controversy.”
• Charlotte Woolard, business writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or cwoolard@kauaipubco.com.
