Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 1, 1 January 1990 — OHA opposes Kauaʻi golf course bid [ARTICLE]

OHA opposes Kauaʻi golf course bid

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs wants the state Land Board to reject Hemmeter Corporation's application for a third golf course at its Kaua'i Lagoon resort. OHA trustees, at their Dec. 7 board meeting, voted unanimously to oppose Hemmeter's request for a conservation district use applieahon. Ten holes of the proposed 18-hole golf course/golf academy would encroach on a 47 acre state eonservation district. The OHA trustees listed eight reasons why the application should be rejected: 1 — Conservation designation is meant to serve a public purpose; no public purpose would be served in this instance since little provision is made for public use of the course. Academy students would have exclusive use of the course on weekdays. On weekends, it would be available to other resort guests, and only on a space available basis to the general public.

2 — Provision for public access to the shoreline is inadequate. The general public would be granted only token shoreline use. 3 — Golf courses are urban/commercial enterprises and are inappropriate for conservation district use. 4 — Two golf courses are already completed and operable. The argument that there is a need for another golf course is weak, particularly when there is no assured level of public use. 5 — It is unclear whether or not the developer, in his Environmental Assessment (EA), is suggesting that without approval of the golf course puhlie aecess to the area may be jeopardized. 6 — State law requires that the shoreline of the state be protected "from encroachment of manmade improvements, structures and activities." The argument made in the EA that leaving the area in its natural state is inferior to the "improved landscaping" offered by the golf course, appears eontrary to state policy. 7 — At least 50 percent of the land area of the proposed golf course is considered a "pnme" agricultural area. 8 — The Environmental Assessment does not adequately address the consequences of damage to the manne environment due to leaching of nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides into the ground water system.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs voiced the same objections in a letter to Land Board Chairman William Paty last month. The land board is scheduled to conduct a eontested case hearing on Hemmeter's application at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the War Memorial Concert Theater on Kaua'i.