Happy Earth Day!

Mahalo to all who came out to help make Saturday's beach cleanup the largest-ever on Oahu! Thanks as well to our friends at Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and Sea Life Park for hosting the great event.

Here is some exciting news in the fight to Keep the Country COUNTRY!

Defend Oahu Coalition is proud to announce that we are ranked amongst the top seven environmental groups in Hawai'i by the Honolulu Weekly! The accolade, published in the Weekly's 2013 Sustainability Guide, lists DOC alongside some of the most prestigious environmental organizations in our state and country. Mahalo for your support. This honor would not be possible without you.

In other news…

Last week at the State Legislature, the House Committee on Water and Land unanimously voted to pass SCR 164! The resolution requests that the Governor establish a working group to develop an action plan to explore conservation alternatives for the undeveloped portions of the Turtle Bay Hotel property. It will now go to the Finance Committee where we are optimistic it will pass and go to a floor vote.

Stay tuned…

Our friends at the North Shore Community Land Trust and Trust for Public Lands published an excellent article in Thursday's Star Advertiser, describing community efforts to help conserve undeveloped portions of the property as well as the importance of State involvement and developer cooperation.

Aloha Defender!

Comments on the Oahu General Plan are due TOMORROW (April 15th)!

It's not too late to make your voice heard and insist that our public officials listen to the sentiment of people who live and work on Oahu, and not to self-serving developers and offshore banks. Demand a General Plan that meets true sustainability standards for the protection of our island's fragile environment.

Click here to submit comments.

__________________________

Aloha Defender!

The Oahu General Plan has become nothing more than a misguided special-interest blueprint for urbanization of our rural communities. In its current form, the draft plan advocates sprawling sub-divisions, strip malls, and "community" hotels which would result in more traffic, continued displacement of local residents, a higher cost of living and diminished access to public services. Of particular concern is the elimination of any meaningful guidance regarding population control. On the contrary, the current draft seems to encourage massive population growth. This flies in the face of very real concerns regarding carrying capacity and genuine sustainability.

It's not too late to make your voice heard.
Comments on the Oahu General Plan are due before April 15th.

Click here to submit comments on the plan.

in other news…

Last week was a busy week in the fight to Keep the Country COUNTRY! Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) from the week that was…

As reported earlier, Senator Hee’s resolutions (SR 121 and SCR 164), requesting the Governor establish a working group to conserve the undeveloped Turtle Bay Resort lands, passed unanimously out of committee!

(read DOC press release)

however…

In the decision-making hearing on the Draft Ko`olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP), the Honolulu Planning Commission voted to accept the developer’s draft of the plan.  This is the “shibai” draft of the plan that promotes sprawling development at Turtle Bay Resort as well as the disaster known as “Envasion Laie”.

(read DOC press release)

Aloha Defender!

Senator Hee’s resolutions SR 121 and SCR 164, requesting the Governor establish a working group to conserve the undeveloped
 Turtle Bay Resort lands, passed unanimously out of committee!

(read DOC press release)

Thanks to your continued support and involvement, five miles of wild coastline just got one step closer to being conserved forever.

In other news…

The Honolulu Planning Commission will hold a decision-making hearing on the Draft Ko’olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP)
TOMORROW!
(April 3rd) @ 1:30 pm at the Mission Memorial Auditorium.

_________

This is an important week in the fight to Keep the Country COUNTRY and we need your help!

Please try to attend these upcoming events:

There are exciting late-session moves at the Legislature to save both the Ho'opili and Koa Ridge farmlands.  There is a real chance that both could be adopted.  Both resolutions will be heard this Monday, April 1st.
  Click here to find out more and send testimony in support.

Senator Hee’s resolutions SR 121 and SCR 164, requesting the Governor establish a working group to conserve the undeveloped
 Turtle Bay Resort lands, are scheduled for hearing for this
Tuesday, April 2nd @ 1:15 pm in Room 225 at the Capitol. 
PLEASE COME AND SHOW SUPPORT FOR THESE RESOLUTIONS!

You can click here to send in testimony:

The Honolulu Planning Commission will hold a decision-making hearing on the Draft Ko’olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP) on Wednesday, April 3rd @1:30 pm at the Mission Memorial Auditorium.  We hope to see you there!

___________

Aloha Defender!

lease take a moment and send your support for two resolutions
(SR 121 and SCR 164)
introduced last week by Senator Clayton Hee, asking the Governor to establish a working group to develop a conservation action plan to explore and identify conservation alternatives for the undeveloped portions of the Turtle Bay Hotel and Resort property and surrounding lands with conservation or historic value.

It only takes a minute and makes a huge difference.

 

Please join us at these upcoming events:

The next (decision-making) hearing of the Planning Commission for the Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP) is TODAY!

Wednesday, March 20th @ 1:30pm
Mission Memorial Auditorium 550 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI, 96813
Click here to read an op-ed from Sunday's paper about the KSCP.

Saturday March 30th – Help Defend Oahu as we partner with Aikea for a Day of Action on the North Shore. We will gather at 9am at the Kahuku District Park.

Aloha Defender!

Here are some important updates from the fight to Keep the Country COUNTRY!

Last Monday's hearing at the Oahu Island Burial Council resulted in the confirmation of both nominees who represent development interests on the North Shore and Ko'olauloa.

As you might have heard, SB 894 has been put on hold for this legislative session. Click here to read Defend Oahu Coalition's press release.

Wednesday's Planning Commission hearing for the Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan was continued until March 20th. The Planning Commission will continue to accept testimony until that date. If you haven't already, please click here to submit testimony.
The next (decision-making) hearing of the Planning Commission will be:

Wednesday, March 20th @ 1:30pm
Mission Memorial Auditorium 550 S. King St.
Honolulu, HI, 96813

Your voice is being heard. The developers at Turtle Bay and HRI know that we are watching. And we won't back down.

 

 

__________________

 

Your help is needed right now.

Please take a moment to click BOTH of these links to help Keep the Country COUNTRY!

Click here to submit testimony for today's (Monday, March 4) hearing of the Senate's Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs Committee regarding nominees for Oahu Island Burial Council. Developers at Turtle Bay Resort and Hawaii Reserves, Inc. (the for-profit development arm of the Mormon Church) are attempting to install two of their employees on the Council. Each nominee has a clear conflict of interest on matters pertaining to development schemes that they are currently promoting.

AND...

The deadline for testimony for the Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP) is tomorrow. If you haven't already, please send in your testimony and forward this to your friends and neighbors.

Also, please don't forget to...

attend this important meeting:
KSCP PLANNING
COMMISSION HEARING
Windward Community College, Hale Akoakoa,
Rooms 101 and 103,
45-720 Keaahala Road, Kaneohe
DATE: Wednesday, March 6, 2013
TIME: 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

____________

Mahalo.

Thanks for attending Defend Oahu Coalition’s “Conservation Forum in the Country” Wednesday night.  Mahalo to moderator Dee Dee Letts, Rev. Bob Nakata, all the speakers and especially to our supporters who made the forum a resounding success.  Your presence and mana’o were truly inspiring.

As you may know, Wednesday was a banner day in the struggle to Keep the Country COUNTRY!, which saw passage of SB 894 (the bill allowing the State of Hawaii to help preserve the undeveloped lands surrounding Turtle Bay Resort).  This came on the heels of a North Shore Neighborhood Board Resolution Tuesday night, asking DPP to reject the Resort developer’s inadequate Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS).

We are all making a difference, but the fight goes on...

As promised, here are some important ways you can help to keep up this great momentum:

Send testimony for the Ko’olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (click here).  The KSCP comes before the Planning Commission next Wednesday, March 6th.

Click here to send a letter thanking Senator Hee for introducing and working to ensure passage of SB894.

For those interested, here are links to an archive page as well as a page for documentation pertaining to Turtle Bay Resort’s DSEIS (including community response to the draft).

Stay Strong.  Stay Active.  Stay Positive.

______________________

 

Do you ever wonder...

what happened to the plan to preserve the undeveloped lands at Turtle Bay for future generations? 

Curious about...

what the Turtle Bay developer has been up to since releasing their court-ordered Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement?

Did you know...

that the threat of massive expansion at Turtle Bay is still alive?

Get an update on the fight to Keep the Country COUNTRY and find out how you can help.

Attend the Defend Oahu Coalition
“CONSERVATION FORUM
IN THE COUNTRY”
Next Wednesday, February 27th
6:30pm - Sunset Beach Elementary

_________

Aloha Supporters!

We have two very important updates that need your immediate attention.

Part One

Congratulations! The large response to our call to action helped convince lawmakers to schedule a public hearing for SB 894, relating to Turtle Bay! We are very thankful to Senator Clayton Hee for introducing this important bill and to Senator Malama Solomon for scheduling a hearing in the Senate Water and Land Committee on Tuesday, February 5th, in Room 225 at the State Capitol. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 1:50 p.m., but could be delayed if earlier agenda run long.

Please take One Minute - right now – and send an email in support of SB894 (click here). We need to keep all options open for a solution to the Turtle Bay Resort expansion and this is an important tool that could make the difference.

If you can, please show up on Tuesday to submit your testimony in person. If you cannot,

Part Two

Here are two bills that could help prevent catastrophic traffic impacts on all state highways, and help Keep the Country COUNTRY.

Rep. Rida Cabanilla (Waipahu) and Senator Maile Shimabukuro (Wai`anae) have introduced companion bills HB 1357 and SB 1343, which requires the Director of the State Department of Transportation to certify there will be adequate highway capacity during peak hours before new housing projects are begun. Minimum acceptable peak hour traffic flow is nationally recognized to be Level of Service D. Levels of Service (LOS) range from LOS A, characterized as free flowing, to LOS F, which means "standstill" and "gridlock."

Poor planning anywhere on the island affects the quality of life for residents everywhere on the island. These bills will assure that state highway impacts are properly addressed when counties consider new subdivisions and housing developments, whether those projects are in Ewa or Malaekahana.

Send a letter to House Committee Chairs, asking them to schedule a public hearing. HB 1357 must be scheduled on Monday and heard by Wednesday or it will not survive this session!

Defending Oahu means we're all in this together; east side, west side, north shore and town. Please submit your testimony for SB 894 and your request for a hearing on HB 1357 by Sunday evening.

Mahalo for your continued support and efforts.

.

_______________

Aloha Defender

Great news! Last week Senator Clayton Hee reintroduced the bill that would appropriate funds to enable the State of Hawaii to continue efforts to acquire the maximum undeveloped areas surrounding the existing hotel at Turtle Bay. Senate Bill 894 (which sets aside $50 million for fiscal year 2013-2014) would accomplish this task by enabling the State to purchase the property outright, by exercising the State's power of eminent domain, or by entering into a cooperative agreement with public or private entities to acquire the property.

We asked the Turtle Bay developer to seriously consider a conservation alternative in their Draft Supplemental Impact Statement (DSEIS). What we got was the "Proposed Action": a 300% increase in development aimed at flipping the property for the short-term profit of outside investors, creating irreversible impacts here at home.

We asked the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) to reject the Resort's DSEIS because it is woefully inadequate. We still await word from DPP…

We asked the State to continue their involvement with Turtle Bay for the quality of recreational and rural life for all Hawaii residents. Senator Hee heard our voices and deserves our thanks.

Please take a moment to thank Senator Hee for his hard work
(click here).

____________

.

Aloha DOC Supporter!

At a press conference inside of Honolulu Hale this morning, Defend Oahu Coalition announced that they have formally withdrawn from discussions with the developer at Turtle Bay Resort.

For over two years, DOC has worked to build a relationship with resort representatives as they undertook a court-ordered Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. Our coalition, as well as other community groups met publicly and privately with the developer, invited resort representatives to community Talk Stories, attended resort open-house functions and advocated preservation plans such as that of former Governor Lingle's Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group, which calls for limited growth inside the existing footprint of the property. Throughout the SEIS process, we sought compromise and worked to find solutions that are agreeable to everyone in the community. But for the developer at Turtle Bay and the banks that own the resort, this is obviously not enough.

DOC feels the resort's Draft SEIS is inadequate in scope and advocates a "proposed action" that is woefully unsustainable. In the SEIS process, the release of the draft is the only opportunity for the community to provide comment in a way that has a meaningful impact on the final product. This draft is so poor that it is impossible to compare the alternatives of the different development scenarios being proposed. Resort officials point to their meetings with the community and make representations that their proposals are a reflection of those meetings. They are not. The plans reflected in this Draft SEIS make it clear that the developer has chosen to ignore this community, and instead push for the same type of sprawling mega-resort that served to galvanize residents against their development plans in the first place.

For this reason, we will now move to fill the role that has been abandoned by this developer; that of education and outreach for residents seeking sensible alternatives to massive development at Turtle Bay. It is important for the public to know not just what resort developers are aggressively pursuing, but the motivations behind their decision-making and the entities that drive these plans.

In the United States you have a right to invest and you have a right to fail. Credit Suisse and the consortium of multinational banks that own this resort gambled on a massive and outdated development scheme at Turtle Bay and they failed. When they bought this property in foreclosure from the previous owners they thought they had a good deal, but are now asking residents of the North Shore and Ko'olauloa to foot the bill for their failure.

Together, we won't let that happen.

Put your opposition to proposed expansion at Turtle Bay Resort on the record. The comment period for the draft SEIS ends on January 18th.

.

__________

Happy New Year Defender!

After releasing their Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) on Black Friday and focusing their comment period on a holiday season that is already so busy for all of us, the owners of Turtle Bay Resort are now counting on you to keep quiet and go along with their "preferred development plan" that would drastically change the face of the North Shore and Ko'olauloa forever. This plan would increase current density by 300% and result in a sprawling mega-resort stretching from Kawela Bay to Kahuku Point. The results would be disastrous. With only days left to comment, it's up to you to get on record opposing this plan. We encourage you to comment by Jan. 7th. Click here to sign our online petition to Save Turtle Bay. Here are some other ways you can help:

• An excellent online petition has been created in the form of a comment letter for the DSEIS, requesting that resort owners not expand development outside the current footprint in order to help "save endangered species…" and it can be found here:
  
  
• Come talk story this afternoon at the Haleiwa Farmer's Market from 3pm to 7pm at Waimea Bay. We'll be there with DOC gear and our new petition to help Save Turtle Bay!
  

No matter how you help, start off the New Year engaged and involved, by investing in the future of our keiki.
Together we will win this fight.

.

Turtle Bay Resort development team is having an Open House
TONIGHT,
Wednesday the 12th

of December.

The Open House will begin at 4pm and end at 7pm.

There will be opportunity for attendees to pose questions and make comments to Turtle Bay's consultants regarding the proposed development.

Defend O'ahu Coalition is encouraging all supporters to
attend this function and learn of the impacts this project will have on the North Shore.

Please take the time to attend, learn, and receive further information
about how you can submit comments to the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement.

go to www.turtlebayseis.com to preview
the governing document that will have a huge impact on our rural community.

Campaign to Preserve Turtle Bay

The vision of the Campaign to Preserve Turtle Bay is that the State of Hawaii, in collaboration with private, public and nonprofit partners, will implement an innovative approach to protecting the makai and mauka lands- from Kahuku Point to Kawela Bay. Together with all of the partners, we are encouraged that we will find a solution that acheives the governor's and community's vision-protecting five miles of Hawaii's wild coastline and sustaining our local economy for the benefit of the public and visitors from around the world.

Governor's Turtle Bay Working Group and the Alliance in support of preserving Turtle Bay

.

CLICK TO OPEN

.

Please join us and support the
Turtle Bay Worker Rally
this Thursday, September 13, 2012
4:00-6:00 p.m.



Beach Clean Up! This Saturday!

Learn more click here!

66th Annual
Kailua Independence Day Parade
Wednesday, July 4th 10:00am

This years parade features over 40 floats,
200 marchers and 4 bands!!

Meet at Shannon Clancys house at 75 Kainanai Way at 8:00 am to decorate our vehicles and get your tshirts… if you have a Keep the Country COUNTRY shirt, please wear it…

At approx. 9:00 am we will move to our staging area on N. Kainalu Dr.

We are unit #61

Warning: Kainalu Dr. is closed to vehicular traffic
at 9:00 a.m.

Parade runs from 10am to approx. 12 noon,
from Omao St. to Kailua Intermediate School.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring water and
sunscreen and hats.

.

Call to Action

City Seeks to Close and Sell Popular Well-Used
Beach Park in Haleiwa

The City Council Budget Committee will hear Resolution 12-143 on Monday, June 25, 2012 at 1 pm at City Hall in the Committee Meeting Room. This Resolution attempts to secure City Council approval of the City's plan to conduct a Park closure and sale of the 3.4 acre Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka.

To our knowledge this is the first time an actively used City Park would be closed and sold to a private interest.
If possible please consider sending testimony opposing Resolution 12-143 and this drastic action. You may also consider attending the hearing on Monday, June 25 at 1 pm to express your support for the concept that "Public Park Lands Not For Sale."

Even a short email letting the Council know that public parks should be kept in public hands would be very helpful.

If this Park is closed and sold (no matter what conditions the Council says it will place on the prospective purchasers), whose Park will be next?

WRITTEN TESTIMONY

Written testimony may be emailed to:

emartin@honolulu.gov, akobayashi@honolulu.gov, ianderson@honolulu.gov, ccldistrict4@honolulu.gov, tgabbard@honolulu.gov,
rcachola@honolulu.gov, bharimoto@honolulu.gov,
ngarcia@honolulu.gov,
dching2@honolulu.gov,
jtachibana@honolulu.gov,
gkim@honolulu.gov, or all of them

SAMPLE EMAIL

Aloha. Please consider opposing Resolution 12-143. Public parks should not be for sale. Recently approved community plans designate Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka and the North Shore as important recreational resources for the people of Oahu. Please give the community a chance to continue to partner with the City on the stewardship of this 3.4 acre coastal park before taking the drastic action of closing it and selling it.

.

SPEAKER REGISTRATION
Persons wishing to testify are encouraged to register by 1:00 p.m. as follows:

a. By calling 768-3819 to provide your name.
b. On-Line at
http://www.honolulu.gov/council/
attnspkbud.htm

Testimony is limited to one-minute for each person.

The Resolution is available here:
http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare
/dsweb/Get/Document-127688/6-sztpr0.pdf

Other information:

Save Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka YouTube Video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oTvO7RgiiI

1.
A large part of the 3.4 acre Park was condemned from Kamehameha Schools for the public purpose of a Park.

Many people are uncomfortable with the notion of the government using its power to take land from one party for a public purpose and then using its power to transfer it to another private party for private purposes.

2.
The 2011 North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan that the Council and the Mayor approved just one year ago documents that there is a "shortage of community-based parks" in the North Shore area and that these specific 3.4 acres should be improved as "Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka" to meet these needs.

3.
The Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu personally signed a thank you letter in March 2012 to the Hui o Hee Nalu for their maintenance and care of Haleiwa Beach Park Mauka under an official City and County of Honolulu Adopt-a-Park agreement.

4.
Even after being asked to bid to obtain their former property back, Kamehameha Schools has amicably offered an alternative for the City where the City retains the Park and receives a monthly fee from Kamehameha Schools for educational usage and safe access to Loko Ea Fishpond.

5.
The Park is widely used by Kamehameha Schools students and families for access to Loko Ea Fishpond and the Park also serves as an important parking and relaxation area for canoe paddlers, standup paddlers, and other beach users.

__________

BEACH CLEAN UP

Wear your green shirts and
Join us this Saturday

___________

ALOHA DEFENDER

Drew Stotesbury of Replay Resorts,Turtle Bay Resort's current owners representative, recently sent a letter out to multiple community groups expressing his dismay that Defend O'ahu Coalition has joined in an action event scheduled for 3:30 pm tomorrow, June 6th at Honolulu Hale.

The following files are our response which includes a press release. Also included is an appendix for issue clarification..

Come join us June 6th at Honolulu Hale.
Organizers will provide transportation to this event.
To catch a ride with us....call Daniel Kerwin by Sunday at #398-3292 for scheduling.

click for more info

_____________

There are two important events coming up this week and several ways you can help Keep the Country Country!

First, as you might already know, the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement process has begun for the new master plan at Turtle Bay. The developer will be hosting an open house at the resort this Thursday, September 15th starting @ 5:30pm.
Join us beforehand for a sign-waving as we remind speculators, resort guests and elected leaders that this proposal is still unacceptable. We will gather in front of the main gate @ 4:00pm . prior to attending the open house. Wear your green shirt and spread the word!

Next, the Honolulu City Council meets on Friday (September 16th) @10 am to vote on the Special Management Area Permit for the massive hotel being proposed as part of the unsustainable Envision Laie project. Defend Oahu Coalition is strongly opposed to a four story, 222 room Marriott Hotel (replacing the former 49 room Laie Inn) and adjoining commercial/restaurant complex along scenic Kamehameha Highway in rural Laie, Oahu. If allowed, this development would forever alter the character of the surrounding area. Additional serious concerns involve flooding, traffic, sewage, wildlife, beach access and infrastructure in general. If you are unable to attend this meeting at Honolulu Hale please click here to send testimony in opposition to the granting of an SMA permit:

or submit your comments to:

	vchung@honolulu.gov
	jtachibana@honolulu.gov
	ktakahashi@honolulu.gov

Subject: City Council Testimony - Resolution 11-84 - SMA Laie Inn Redevelopment 

Stay informed, stay positive and
STAY INVOLVED!

Representatives for the owners of Turtle Bay Resort have rolled out their new "master plan" for the 880-acre property—one which still calls for massive, sprawling hotel and condominium expansion and shoreline development spread from Kawela Bay to Kahuku Point. On the surface, this plan appears to be a significantly downsized version of the original 5-hotel Oaktree plan. In reality however, it's just "Oaktree-light": a mega-resort encompassing the entire coastline. This plan is still not sustainable for North Shore and Ko'olauloa communities and fails to address serious concerns residents have about iwi kupuna, traffic, endangered species, and crumbling infrastructure. To trade our future for a plan that enables mainland banks to realize maximum profits on a bad investment is
UNACCEPTABLE.

Most recent monk seal pup born on the Turtle Bay coast just four weeks ago.

Nineteen burials have already been discovered and disturbed in areas of proposed development.

Typical North Shore traffic.

Today, (August 23rd) begins the 30-day comment period for the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (required by the Hawaii State Supreme Court ruling against the City and Turtle Bay developer last year). You can make your voice heard and ask important questions of the developer regarding the impacts such a plan would have on our island home. Submit questions via mail to:

Department of Planning and Permitting 650 South King St. Honolulu, HI 96813

or

Lee Sichter LLC 45024 Malulani St. #1 Kaneohe, HI 96744

Submit questions via email.

In the meantime, write letters to the editor and call your City Councilmember, your Representative and our Governor.
STAY INVOLVED

Together, we will save Oahu's beloved backyard and Keep the Country COUNTRY!!

KNSA report from TS3

History of Turtle Bay

A piece of Oahu's last untouched coast line from Kawela Bay to Kahuku Point has been the victim of endless speculation and constant threat of massive development. This film follows the resort from its inception to present day and the turmoil that this beautiful landscape has endured.

TALK STORY 3

Mahalo to all that attended

Ko'olauloa North Shore Alliance hosted an evening with the Governor Neil Abercrombie, Turtle Bay representatives and community leaders to inform the community and discuss the future of Turtle Bay resort and its upcoming Supplemental EIS.

KNSA Report from the Turtle Bay "Plussing" Workshop
March 27, 2011

Please read this Letter to Ko’olauloa North Shore Alliance Supporters-

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE IS A VIDEO EDITED BY "ENVISION LAIE," THE MASSIVE EXPANSION PLAN BEING PUSHED BY DEVELOPER HAWAII RESERVES INCORPORATED (THE FOR-PROFIT ARM OF THE MORMON CHURCH)... WATCH THE WHOLE MEETING AND SEE BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY AT OLELO – WATCH NOW>

Keeping the Country Country
A North Shore couple’s never-ending battle with the City
BY CURT SANBURN | MAR 2, 2011
HONOLULU WEEKLY

In late June 2007, longtime Windward Oahu community leaders Creighton and Cathy Mattoon of Punalu’u received invitations from the city and county of Honolulu to join a committee that would execute a legally mandated five-year review of the Koolau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan.

The KSCP was formulated in 1999 as part of former Mayor Jeremy Harris’ effort to devolve some of O’ahu’s governance back to the island’s traditional districts. The invitation letters were signed by Henry Eng, director of the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) under then-Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

Little did the Mattoons know that they were being set up, so they ..... READ MORE

Important Meeting!

Tuesday, December 7th -­‐ 6:30PM

Kahuku High School Cafeteria

As you may know, the draft Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan has been released by the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP). While much controversy still swirls around the massive "Envision Laie" plan in Malaekahana, DPP also ignored the public's demands regarding the proposed resort expansion at Turtle Bay. Over 5,000 residents signed a petition to amend the Sustainable Communties Plan by removing the decades-­‐old expansion plan at Turtle Bay Resort. Instead of responding to the needs of the community, DPP met with the developer at Turtle Bay Resort behind closed doors and then recommended moving forward with the plan for 5 additional hotels and 1,000 condominiums.

Come to the final Community Meeting next Tues. Night (Dec. 7th) @ 6:30PM at Kahuku High School Cafeteria

DPP has already lost their case before the Hawai'i Supreme Court, now tell them to change the draft community plan for Ko'olauloa to one that is truly sustainable.

Mail your comments to:
info@hhf.com or click here!

You can also mail your comments to:

Helber, Hastert and Fee, Planners
733 Bishop St, Suite 2590
Honolulu, HI 96813

_______________________

click to enlarge

_______________________

.

The North Shore Neighborhood Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday night September 28th at 7:00 p.m. at the Ali'i Beach Surf Center.
On the agenda is the proposal for a development on public beach park land in Haleiwa. If you'd like first hand information on this proposal, please attend this meeting.
Defend Oahu's position is that no public park lands should be sold for private enterprise.

Press Release
(click to read more)

Press Release
(click to enlarge)

___________________________

.

Defend Oahu Coalition would like to express our sincere appreciation for all who came to the Land Use Commission hearing yesterday in the strongest showing of support we have seen yet for Keeping the Country COUNTRY. As you may have already heard, despite a room full of green shirts, passionate testimony throughout the day, the overwhelming evidence of failure by numerous developers at Turtle Bay Resort to keep their promises, and a clear mandate to rule under State Land Use Law, the LUC failed to reach a decision. After nearly two years and six separate hearings, the commissioners once again decided to call it quits and kick the can down the road.

You can watch portions of the day's events by clicking here>

ALL WE HAVE BEEN ASKING THE LAND USE COMMISSION TO DO FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS IS ISSUE AN ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE TO THE DEVELOPER AT TURTLE BAY RESORT. The 236 acres of property in question should be returned to its original agriculture classification due to nearly 25 years of inaction by the developer. Please help our cause by writing a letter to the editor, voicing your frustration with the LUC for not acting in a timely manner on a case that is an egregious example of land use abuse by developers. You can also continue to inform friends and neighbors of our plight and ask them to sign this Call to Action.

Developer Stanford Carr and the mainland banks who control Turtle Bay Resort want this case to go away. It is clear that the Land Use Commission wants this case go away. But it won't go away.

AND NEITHER WILL WE.

_______________________

.

Press Release (click to view)

________________

Aloha Defender!

After waiting an entire year for another hearing before the State Land Use Commission, our time has finally come!!!

Join us on the morning of Thursday, February 4th as we continue our fight to Keep the Country COUNTRY!!! Defend Oahu Coalition has been before the LUC five times in the last two years asking that the commissioners issue an order to show cause to the developer at Turtle Bay Resort. Our motion questions why a portion of the resort property should not revert back to an agricultural classification due to over 25 years of unfulfilled promises by numerous developers. It is a vital issue, yet still has not been properly addressed. The untimely and unsustainable development proposal (5 more hotels and 1,000 additional resort condominiums) that threatens the North Shore could hinge on this important meeting.

Now we need your help.

We must show the LUC what massive opposition exists to the proposed expansion at Turtle Bay.that means a house packed with wall-­‐to-­‐wall green T-­‐shirts when the hearing is called to order.

Be there:
Thursday, February 4th 2010
9:00 a.m.
Conference Room 406, Fourth Floor,
Leiopapa A Kamehameha Bldg.,
235 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Details to follow.
until then sign our
CALL TO ACTION
and spread the word!!!!

_________________________

.

Conserving North Shore's
Pristine Beauty

Any day now, the Hawai`i Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling on whether a supplemental environmental impact statement is required for an expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort that was originally approved in 1985. The resort owns five miles of some of the most inaccessible coastline on O`ahu, including part of famous Kawela Bay. HPR's Noe Tanigawa takes you there in this report.

Turtle Bay Resort, now in foreclosure, confirms Oaktree Properties still owns the resort. Oaktree's representative did not return HPR's request for comment by airtime. Listen Here-­‐>

Press Release 12/15/09

Local community groups opposed to the massive expansion planned at Turtle Bay Resort received further encouragement last night at the North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan Meeting #3 in Haleiwa. The meeting featured a presentation about the culmination of a two-­‐year process in which the Public Advisory Committee for the North Shore completed a final-­‐draft version of the revised plan. The plan to be submitted to the City's Department of Planning and Permitting now deems resort zoning "inappropriate" for the North Shore of Oahu. The plan also features an additional statement supporting the Ko'olauloa (where the resort resides) community's position opposing expansion at Turtle Bay Resort, particularly as it relates to impacts on North Shore infrastructure.

Meeting host Scott Ezer, of planning firm Helber, Hastert and Fee (the firm tasked with facilitating and preparing the plan for the City and County of Honolulu) acknowledged that opposition to the proposed expansion was unanimous amongst the 23 community members on the influential advisory committee and stressed that although the resort is not located within the North Shore Plan's rural boundaries that "what happens at Turtle Bay doesn't stay at Turtle Bay." Residents of both Ko'olauloa and the North Shore have long held that impacts on infrastructure and traffic caused by the outdated expansion plan would have a devastating effect on the quality of life in both communities and Oahu in general.

The news comes on the heels of the announcement that Defend Oahu Coalition's Amicus Brief, filed in support of sister organization Keep the North Shore Country's lawsuit, was accepted for consideration by the Hawai'i State Supreme Court. The brief, announced at last week's "Talk Story 2: the second in a series of community forums regarding the future of Turtle Bay", stresses support for the existing hotel at Turtle Bay Resort but contends that an additional 3,500 resort and condominium units is "an idea whose time has come and gone". The group argues that "benefits promised to the community as a condition of the approval of the expansion project have never materialized" and that "…this case represents the epitome of unplanned and ill-­‐ conceived development and should be stopped until the appropriate studies have been performed and considered."

Keep the North Shore Country and the Hawai'i Sierra Club filed suit against the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting asking that a supplemental environmental impact statement be required of the developer at Turtle Bay due to changes in conditions on the property and in surrounding communities since the original EIS was done almost twenty-­‐five years ago. Oral arguments in the case will be heard at the State Supreme Court at Aliiolani Hale on Thursday, December 17th starting at 9 a.m.

North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan Public Review Draft:
http://honoluludpp.org/Planning/NorthShore/NS-­‐ 5yr/NorthShore.pdf

Defend Oahu Coalition's Amicus Brief:
File 1 -­‐ File 2 -­‐ File 3

______________________________________________________

Supreme Court to Hear Case!

Oral Arguments Scheduled for November 19th

Keep the North Shore Country and Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter, are pleased that the Hawaii Supreme Court has agreed to hear their case on the need for a Supplemental EIS for the Turtle Bay Resort Expansion Plan.

Kuilima Resort Company, now headed by local developer Stanford Carr, is seeking Final Subdivision Approval for five new hotels and 1000 luxury condos at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's rural North Shore. The resort, which has about 500 hotel and condo units, would be.
(Read more here)

___________________________

Hawaii Supreme Court takes Turtle Bay case
Other resorts may be affected by decision on environmental study

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Hawaii Supreme Court has agreed to take up the issue of whether Kuilima Development should be required to do an updated environmental study for its planned expansion of Turtle Bay Resort.

The court announced Thursday that it will hear oral arguments in the case Nov. 19. The Supreme Court will review a 2-­‐1 decision by the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals that denied a request for an updated review of the project's impact on the environment.

The question is whether the project's 24-­‐year-­‐old environmental impact statement is still valid.

In 1986, a 236-­‐acre parcel was rezoned from agricultural to urban use and a plan was proposed to build five new hotels with 3,500 rooms and condominium units and four public parks on a total of 880 acres at Turtle Bay.

Meanwhile, Gov. Linda Lingle announced plans to acquire undeveloped portions of the property as a way to limit development and maintain open space.

The Sierra Club and the Keep the North Shore Country group have been working for more than four years to require the developer to submit a supplemental environmental study. They claim that much has changed along the North Shore since the original study was done.

Traffic is worse, endangered species nest on the beach and the community's needs have changed, the groups said.

"The volume of traffic has grown through the roof," said Gil Riviere, president of Keep the North Shore Country. "We want responsible planning for the North Shore."

Stanford Carr, interim management officer for a consortium of banks that took control of the property in 2007 in a foreclosure proceeding, said he looks forward to the hearing.

"We look forward to our day before the Supreme Court," Carr said. "The whole nexus of the lawsuit has bigger ramifications for our state and economy. We would like to put this behind us so we can satisfy our conditions for redevelopment.

"It's a dark cloud over our head. "

If the court requires the developer to provide a supplemental environmental study, the ruling could affect other communities where approvals were granted decades ago and the building still continues, Carr said.

He cited work at Ko Olina and Kaanapali Resort on Maui as examples of projects that have taken decades to build out. Financial backers count on development agreements with the county for entitlements that form a kind of collateral.

Not every environmental impact statement needs to be revised, just ones in which conditions have changed, said Robert Harris, Sierra Club Hawaii director.

"The Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that unless there was a change in the project, a design change, then there was no need to change the environmental study," Harris said. "We're arguing that a supplemental (EIS) needs to be done when there are changes to the community or the environment, not just a design change."

___________

Much has happened in recent weeks and the Fight to Save Turtle Bay Is Still Not Over. Land Use Commission continues to delay holding a meeting on our motion to show cause, and the Governor's Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group has not had a meeting of consequence since LAST SEPTEMBER.
Meanwhile, Stanford Carr and the gang down at Kuilima Resort Company are pushing forward and making progress with the resort expansion plan, currently under a fourth extension of the 2006 Tentative Subdivision Approval. The plan remains to build 5 new hotels and 1,000 additional condominiums at Turtle, Kawela and Kuilima Bays.
All is not bad news however. KNSC plans to appeal their case to the Hawai'i Supreme Court, the state Land Use Commission has recently issued some positive rulings in a similar land use case on the Big Island, and a meeting to update the community is in the works.


We still need your help. You can do this by writing a letter to the editor about the need for City and State officials to wake up and take action before it is too late. It's been well over a year since the Governor held her talk-­‐story session and this community is well within its right to ask for an update from the government and resort developer. The fact that this project remains hugely unpopular with residents and visitors (as evidenced by the distribution of over 16,000 Keep the Country COUNTRY! bumper stickers and the over 1,400 supporters who have Clicked to SAVE TURTLE BAY) isn't the only reason to stop it.Traffic, lack of infrastructure, an increasingly fragile ecosystem surrounding the resort, as well as the negative impact construction of this magnitude could have on a rural area are just a few other reasons which our elected leaders must recognize in order to cease the expansion. Let's stop putting all of Hawaii's economic eggs in the tourism hand-­‐basket. Economic diversification and sustainable development are essential for Hawaii's survival.

Mahalo for all your continued
help and support !

_______________________

An old resurrected large-­‐scale development proposal on the Windward side of Oahu has prompted Defend Oahu Coalition to pass a motion supporting Laie residents in their fight to Keep the Country COUNTRY.
During the last meeting of the Ko'olau Loa Neighborhood Board, several newly elected board members (who are pro-­‐big development) passed a motion to hold another meeting regarding Hawaii Reserves Inc. (HRI) "Envision Laie" proposal. The meeting is scheduled for
Thursday, July 30th at 7 PM
at Laie Elementary School.
This meeting seeks to circumvent the Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP), and make the city accept a design for a sprawling suburb in the area known as Malaekahana/Gunstock Ranch. We must show up in force to show HRI that this huge development proposal is not what the community-­‐at-­‐large wants or needs. The plan does not adhere to the KSCP vision which "seeks to preserve the region's rural character and its natural, cultural, scenic and agricultural resources." The KSCP vision goes on to state that "the region will remain country, characterized by small towns and villages with distinct identities that exist in harmony with the natural settings of mountain ridges and winding coastline". You can read the entire plan here : click here

This appeal goes out especially
to our supporters in Ko'olauloa.

IF YOU LIVE IN KO'OLAULOA,
THIS IS A MUST-­‐ATTEND MEETING.

Here is a petition from a community group comprised of Laie residents. This petition seeks to preserve Malaekahana and Gunstock Ranch Agricultural land and calls for strict adherence to the Ko'olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan. Please print and distribute to friends and neighbors and bring yours along to the meeting. We hope to help gather 750 signatures by meeting-­‐time (we already have over 200). While Defend Oahu remains focused on the issues surrounding Turtle Bay Resort, this proposed 1200-­‐home suburb in Laie and Kahuku is one that pertains to our mission statement because (like the proposal at Turtle Bay) it threatens communities along Ko'olauloa and the North Shore with the dangerous effects of large scale development.

___________________________________

Defend Oahu Coalition grants scholarships to two local graduates pursuing higher education in sustainability through public service and agricultural studies:

Recent graduate of Kahuku High School Julian Reedy and Waialua High School graduate Joshua Kapika were each given a $500 scholarship for use in pursuit of degrees that will serve to strengthen their communities and preserve open space on Oahu for future generations. During a May ceremony at Kahuku High School, Defend Oahu Coalition Co-­‐Chair Tim Vandeveer presented Reedy with the check on behalf of DOC, stressing the importance of volunteerism and community involvement in land use decisions. Reedy plans to study agriculture and sustainability at the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Waialua graduate Joshua Kapika accepted his award before a June board meeting of the Defend Oahu Coalition. Upon accepting his award, Joshua expressed his gratitude for the honor through a moving Hawaiian chant (Mahalo Oli). Kapika plans to study political science and Hawaiian studies at Chaminade University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Defend Oahu Coalition wishes both grads lots of luck in the coming semester.ALOHA!

_________________________

Thanks to everyone who signed our
Call To Action over the past few months.
Your efforts were acknowledged
at the latest meeting of the
State Land Use Commission (LUC).

On February 2nd, despite receiving over 1,100
of your Calls to Action and overwhelming
public testimony asking for the issuance of
a motion to show cause,

LUC deferred taking action once again.

This was the 6th time in the past year that Defend Oahu Coalition and their attorneys have been before the LUC asking the commission to issue an order to Kuilima Development Company to show cause as to why 236 acres of land that was reclassified to Urban zoning in 1986, should not revert back to its original Agriculture zoning based on 23 years of inaction by the developer.

Read the latest Honolulu Advertiser article about the meeting: (HERE-­‐>)

Please voice your anger and frustration with the LUC in a letter to the editor:

· Advertiser

· Star Bulletin

· Weekly

· North Shore News

Encourage family, friends and neighbors to sign our Call to Action. Stanford Carr and the Land Use Commission need to know that we are not giving up or going away:

Let the LUC know that.

• The 236 acres of property in question should be returned to its original agriculture classification due to decades of inaction by the developer.

• Turtle Bay developers originally presented their timeline in 1986 and promised the state and this community to be finished with the project by 1996. Now, with no new hotels, no additional condominiums, no parks, and no affordable housing we must put an end to the infinite speculation that has occurred under four different resort owners.

• This property has fallen into the limbo of receivership, its ownership is unclear, and there is no money in the current investment market to start or (much less) complete a project of this magnitude. To allow the developer to perpetuate this behavior is to encourage land speculation. Residents no longer want or need this outdated expansion.

• This commission was created to prevent land speculation in Hawai'i. Please carry out your obligation under state law and act in the interest of WE THE PEOPLE.

• This process must move on to the next step. Residents of Ko'olau Loa and the North Shore deserve the chance to give testimony on a project that could severely impact their quality of life.

If you haven't already,
please send testimony to:
luc@dbedt.hawaii.gov
and sign our
CALL TO ACTION to

Mahalo for all your continued support!! Stay strong and positive.

Ko'olau Loa Sustainable Communities Plan Meeting # 2 -­‐ Update

The vision of the Ko'olau Loa SCP seeks to preserve the region's rural character and its natural, scenic and agricultural resources.

This plan is 5 years overdue, this meeting is 3 years in the making and could be the last opportunity for public input before the draft is submitted to the City Council.Let City and County officials know that we want to Keep the Country,COUNTRY by removing the proposed expansion at Turtle Bay from the Sustainable Communities Plan.

A proposed 5 additional hotels and 1000 resort condominiums are not sustainable and will threaten the viability of the existing resort.

For more information:
http://honoluludpp.org/Planning/Koolauloa/Kloa5yr/KloaProject Page.pdf

.

Update on the Turtle Bay Expansion
(With thanks to Gil Riviere and the Ko'olauloa-­‐North Shore Alliance -­‐ KNSAlliance.org)

As 2008 comes to a close, we would like to remind you that the Turtle Bay Resort Expansion controversy is far from resolved. Kuilima Resort Company (KRC) continues to work towards final subdivision approval that could allow them to develop five new hotels and 1000 luxury condos on the rural North Shore. When announced as the Interim Management Officer of KRC, Stanford Carr was thought to be capable of balancing the public's intense desire to "Keep the Country, COUNTRY!", with the creditors' interest in getting out of foreclosure. That "spin" may have been overly optimistic as he is clearly following his fiduciary responsibility of maximizing the resort's value with no compromise in sight. The current Turtle Bay Resort has become successful in the last couple years because it has been correctly marketed as a rural destination on 880 acres of the pristine North Shore. If anyone tells you TBR is doing poorly, remind them that TBR is doing better than most of the Waikiki hotels during these difficult times. Several important efforts are underway to help preserve the rural character of the North Shore, but the work is not yet done. Your help is vital!

Governor's Turtle Bay Initiative

In January 2008, the Governor boldly suggested that the state could help organize a public-­‐private partnership to preserve the lands around the Turtle Bay Resort and to assure long term health of the existing resort. With much fanfare, the Turtle Bay Advisory Working Group was convened to develop a solution. The Group recently met to discuss options and the Governor's office released a statement mentioning two recent failed bids to purchase the undeveloped property surrounding the resort. The Governor's State of the State Address is coming up in January. Send an email to the Governor encouraging her to keep the preservation of Turtle Bay a priority in 2009.

Defend Oahu Coalition's Challenge of the 1986 Conditional Land Use Change

Defend Oahu Coalition filed a motion with the State Land Use Commission (LUC) to order the developer to show cause as to why 236 acres of the resort property should not be returned to its original agriculture classification after 22 years of inaction. The LUC plans to hold its third meeting on this issue in early February at a time and place to be determined. Please send an email to the LUC to request the hearing be held on the North Shore, preferably in the evening, so that the maximum number of concerned residents can participate. It will be imperative to have a strong showing because KRC is trotting out hotel management personnel as area residents who support the expansion. Click here to read the Defend Oahu Coalition position paper.

City and Country of Honolulu

It is time to remind the Mayor and the City Council that the public does not want large scale expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort. Serious issues with traffic, affordable housing and poorly maintained infrastructure will worsen with expansion. It is time for our leaders to walk the talk and help Keep the Country, COUNTRY! Send a message to the Mayor Send a message to all of the City Council Members

Keep the North Shore Country's Legal Challenge for a Supplemental EIS

Keep the North Shore Country recently filed a motion to prevent the City and County of Honolulu from issuing Final Subdivision Approval until the legal questions over the need for a SEIS are decided. These injunction requests are very difficult to win and the court denied the motion. Oral arguments on the need for a SEIS were held at the Hawaii State Intermediate Court of Appeals on April 9, 2008, but the court has not yet ruled. KRC received Tentative Subdivision Approval on September 29, 2006 and has received three extensions to complete the conditions necessary for Final Subdivision Approval. To qualify for the latest extension, KRC had to show that they were moving forward on the resort expansion. The construction project to expand Kuilima Drive to four lanes is probably the simplest way for them to go through the minimum motions to buy more time for their grand plan. Go to www.keepthenorthshorecountry.org for more information.

Nothing great ever comes easy! We are at a critical moment in time; whatever ends up happening on the North Shore now will have lasting repercussions for all of Oahu. Please take the time – right now -­‐ to send emails to our elected leaders and pass this on to your friends. Stay Active!