WAIPOULI — When Deborah Nantais found out that Longs Drugs’ parent company CVS/pharmacy was planning to build a new store within the cloistered coconut grove adjacent to her Plantation Hale condo, she knew she had to speak her mind. And,
WAIPOULI — When Deborah Nantais found out that Longs Drugs’ parent company CVS/pharmacy was planning to build a new store within the cloistered coconut grove adjacent to her Plantation Hale condo, she knew she had to speak her mind.
And, on Sunday, that’s exactly what she and about 50 Coconut Coast residents did during a Wailua-Kapaa Neighborhood Board meeting at Kapaa Public Library, where concerns were largely focused on the trees, traffic and drainage.
“Along the Kapaa corridor and Kuhio Highway … there are many places that Longs could go in and do a standalone pharmacy,” Nantais said at the meeting. “I understand this building will attract so much more attention to tourists and locals, but there’s no question the traffic is going to be chaotic and this alone is unfair to neighboring communities and that’s us. We need to keep the Coconut Coast the Coconut Coast.”
Project consultant Avery Youn said CVS/pharmacy officials want to shutter the Longs Drugs store in the Kauai Village shopping center and relocate to the proposed project site, because their lease is scheduled to end in November 2014.
Plans for the proposed $7 million Longs Drugs store location call for the development of a 23,008-square-foot store and drive-up pharmacy with 97 parking stalls within the Coconut Plantation Resort area just south of the Kuhio Highway and Aleka Loop intersection.
The entire 3.57-acre property also includes 103 coconut trees ranging in height from 80- to 100-feet tall — 82 of which seem to be a part of the original grove of trees planted in 1911. The proposed building and parking lot, according to an arborist report, will displace 54 of the current trees on the site — some of which can be relocated to 42 identified relocation sites.
Plans, however, also call for the planting of 12 new trees “to match the number of trees that existed prior to redevelopment” and replacement of at least 25 trees along Kuhio Highway and Aleka Loop.
But some neighboring residents and business owners say they are not convinced.
“People are delighted to see the Royal Coconut Coast and I think it’s just shameful, to be honest, because there so many other options that will not run this historic row,” said Carol Beardmore, who has lived in Wailua Homesteads for 28 years. “I think the Royal Coconut Coast is a part of our history and our heritage. It’s very often the reason why people come here — they don’t see any urban sprawl that what we’ve already got here.”
Keith Olsen, who has lived in Plantation Hale for about 11 years, said he is also worried about water drainage problems that have plagued the area over the years during heavy rainfall events.
The three detention ponds planned for the property, Youn said, are only intended to address the water runoff from the Longs Drugs store site but is not intended to be a drainage solution for the entire area.
“I wish you guys could come in and act like good neighbors,” Olsen said to Youn. “It sounds like you guys are only coming in here and talking about what you have to do. You could come in and make this a better place for everybody instead of just telling me, ‘It’s not my problem.’”
Youn said he understands and concurs with some of the concerns voiced by residents and explained that plans, at this point, can be changed to address some of them.
“If this thing is going to be approved, it has to be approved the right way,” Youn said to community members at the meeting. “That’s the only way I can assure that some of your concerns can be incorporated into this project. I really think something will be approved, and if it’s approved, I want to make sure it’s approved with your input.”
• Darin Moriki, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 or dmoriki@thegardenisland.com.
