Land Use Disputes, Down Zoning, Law Suits, Environmental Impact Reports and Statements, Reconnaissance by the National Park Service, Master Plan for Ka Iwi State Park.
For over two decades the Ka Iwi Coastline has been examined and admired like a prized marble, and it has been the subject of conflict and bitter dispute.
Now, two plans are on the table: a golf course and a state park.
The battle lines are drawn.
The Golf Wars
Following Kalanianaole Highway along the coast, from Hawaii kai to Waimanalo, you pass Hanauma Bay, the raw jagged coastline of Halona Blowhole and its turbulent spout of water, to Sandy Beach and its sudden-drop waves slamming down on the sand. Uou go on and just past the old Wawamalu Bridge, as you near the S-turn before the climb up Makapu'ud, on your right is...
__ raw wild land, or
__ a golf course.
Who gets to decide?
Your view of the Ka Iwi Coast is about to change. Where once you saw koa haole and Hawaiian cottonwood, one day you may see manicured greens and a clubhouse.
by Gregory Field
The Ka Iwi Coastline has been the subject of conflict and changing plans for over two decades. The area was designated `Resort' in the 1966 Detailed Land Use Map of the City and County of Honolulu. In 1983, after a decade of controversy, the City Council approved the East Honolulu Development Plan which designated the area as `park' and `preservation.' Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate filed law suits against the City and County of Honolulu arguing that the rezoning barred economically viable use of the land. Part of the City's argument in its defense against the suit was that the land was not without economically viable use since under the existing zoning regulations a golf course could be built. The suit was dismissed by the US District Court in 1987, and that ruling was upheld in 1990 by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1991, the US Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by KSBE.
The same piece of land is part of another series of suits to determine land use entitlements for twelve parcels in Hawaii Kai for 20 years. In accordance with a Federal Court pre-trial settlement order dated January 1996, an Environmental Impact Report will be prepared to serve in lieu of planning, zoning, and Special Management Use Permits. The settlement proposed by the land owners and developers would allow for 826 residential units, 686 apartment units, an additional 200 units in reserve, 6.6 acres of commercial, a 2.4 acre yacht club, and an 11 acre business park. It would allow for a 5 acre Park and Ride facility and 30 acres mauka of Sandy Beach for City park. Owners and developers would not be responsible for services, programs, additional park land or facilities, school sites or facilities, low or moderate income housing, child care facilities, transportation programs, or other community benefits for public use.
The pre-trial settlement order allows for a "two track" procedure. The success of either track results in the termination of the other track: The two tracks are:
* as part of the overall Hawaii Kai settlement, or
* as a separate application for land use approvals for the golf course.
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement released in September is the second track. The DEIS proposes development of an 18 hole championship golf course on 166 acres, with 29 acres adjacent to Sandy Beach reserved for public park. The golf course will include a two story 20,000 square foot clubhouse, a parking area for 250 cars, a 7,500 square foot maintenance facility, and a seven acre driving range.
Endangered
'Ihi'ihilauakea, an endangered water fern, is found in three locations on the site. The Hawaiian cotton plant, or ma'o, is also found on the site. The ma'o is habitat for the Hawaiian beetle, a rare native insect which is listed as a species of concern by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The DEIS claims that these threatened species will be better protected with a golf course, and that ma'o could be incorporated into the landscaping.
Also endangered is the view. According to the DEIS: "Impressions of the site will change from `wild and rugged' to managed and planned." Although a hiking trail along the existing Coast Guard Access Road is included in the proposal, the experience of hiking along a golf course is not to be compared with hiking in an untamed environment. In addition, hikers would be at risk from stray balls.
Ka Iwi Park
In February 1992, The National Park Service (NPS) published their "Reconnaissance Survey Ka Iwi Shoreline Study" to assess the potential of incorporating the area from Hanauma Bay to Makapu'u Point into the National Park System as the "Koko Rift Unit." The study analyzed the area against three criteria: national significance, suitability and feasibility. The Koko Rift Unit was found to be nationally significant based on its unique natural resources, diverse recreational opportunities and, to a lesser extent, its cultural resources. In addition the study determined that the unit would have met the suitability criteria for a national park were it not for the fact that the majority of the area was already being managed at the State and County levels.
In April 1996, the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources published "Ka Iwi Park Master Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement." The park plan included low and medium intensity uses, incorporating preservation, interpretive and passive recreation.