Monday, March 18, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Wednesday, March 6, 2013
SB894 Held as Turtle Bay Opens New Negotiations with State
By News Release @ 4:25 PM :: 8054 Views :: Environment, Development, Tourism

New Conservation Effort for Turtle Bay

by Gil Riviere, Keep the North Shore Country

Following a March 4, 2013 letter from Replay Resorts, Senator Hee agreed to hold SB 894 so that the resort developer can begin good faith negotiations with the State regarding conservation of coastal lands.

Willingness by the Developer to expand dialogue is welcome and timely.  

SB 894 would authorize the state to expend funds, swap land and explore other solutions to help preserve Turtle Bay lands.  This bill can be brought back next year, if negotiations fail, or to implement terms of an agreement. 

Here is our statement on the matter. 

  *   *   *   *   *

Keep the North Shore Country is encouraged that the Turtle Bay Resort developer is now open to good faith negotiations with the state regarding conservation efforts for undeveloped resort lands. This willingness to expand dialogue is welcome and timely.

We applaud efforts by Senator Clayton Hee to promote a legislative solution to the controversial expansion project. By recommending a pause in the deliberations of SB894, Senator Hee gives the developer a chance to prove its commitment to finding a reasonable balance between development and conservation. If negotiations fail, then SB894 can proceed again in the next legislative session.

In 2008, Governor Lingle correctly interpreted community sentiment when she convened a high level task force to support existing hotel operations and preserve precious coastal lands for the benefit of future generations. Unfortunately, two offers were not accepted by the resort owners and the controversy remains.

We encourage the Developer to support a conservation planning process that has recently been initiated by The North Shore Community Land Trust. This process seeks to distill an action plan to save precious coastal resources that is acceptable to the banks that control the resort.

A recent survey completed by 317 of our supporters reveals strong preference for coastal preservation. In fact, the intensity of support for coastal preservation and environmental protection was higher than reducing traffic impacts, although all three of these issues were in the 95th percentile.

There may not be one simple solution to the question of what should happen with the 1986 Turtle Bay Resort expansion plan. Keep the North Shore Country, along with other invested stakeholders, remains committed to working out a long term solution, which could include land dedication, acquisition, conservation easements, or reduced density and impacts. We expect the Developer to remain equally committed to finding a long term solution.

# # #

Keep the North Shore Country, along with Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, won a 2010 Hawaii Supreme Court Ruling that required Turtle Bay Resort to complete a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement before proceeding with expansion plans. Information, links to articles and reference material on the issues surrounding the Turtle Bay Resort expansion is available at www.KeepTheNorthShoreCountry.org 

SA: Developer receptive to talks to protect land at Turtle Bay

SA: Turtle Bay preserve worth effort

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT