Letters to the Editor
The following letters recently appeared in Oahu's newspapers concerning North Shore Development:

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To Rev. Bob Nakata and those who love the open spaces and rural character of the North Shore.

I grew up in Haleiwa on Paalaa Road. Like your group, I am a member of Livable Hawaii Kai Hui, who is trying to preserve the green open spaces of kamilo Nui Valley in East Honolulu. Recently, I was sorry to read that BJMailer's Pay is based on performance . So although she says she Malama I ka Aina, she and Kirk Belsby are for the Highest and best use of Kamilo Nui Valley. In the early 70s George Santos, a pig farmer, was kicked out from Kalama Valley for the highest and best use. But going back to Carr who won't go far. He is trying to entice New investors. When the Japanese real estate and stock market peaked in 1991, the Nikkei average hit a high of 40,000. After dropping below 10,000 it now stands at approximately 14,000. This is 16 years later and the average had not even gotten back to half its peak. Our U.S. Real estate bubble burst in late 2005. Will new investors invest when we are just starting to feel the effects of this recession we are in? Does Well Fargo know that the two lane highway for concrete trucks to travel to Turtle Bay is easy to block by activist crossing Kamehameha Highway? Delays cost money. I am sure they have a plan B to exit financing Turtle Bay. Also I wonder if both Credit Suisse and Wells Fargo are aware that when the waves are up at Waimea Bay that the highway is clogged. Should there be a fire at Turtle Bay, the fire trucks will be delayed. In addition, I wonder if both these banks know that tourism is the number one industry in Hawaii and they come by jet planes. Oil price is over $130 a barrel, airlines are going bankrupt, thus airline ticket prices will go up And as the economist say in econ 101, the elasticity of demand for travel is elastic. Travelers that had discretionary funds but now are unemployed, will not be taking that Hawaiian vacation. Are there enough people with euros, yuans and wons to take up the slack of declining tourist from Japan, Canada and the mainland? As tourism declines, who will be filling up the new 3,500 hotel rooms? I guess Credit Suissee and Well Fargo with their many Harvard and Stanford grads with their PHDs in finance know something we don't know? The saying is buy when no one wants it. Would Donald Trump or Warren Buffett consider this as a good long term investment now? By the way, Stanford Carr is teamed up with Herbert Horita whos fortune went the way of the Nikkei. Will unemployed Aloha Airline employees buy into the Royal Kunia? Reverend Nakata, please continue to fight to save the rural nature of the North Shore.

Aloha
Tai Hong

THE NORTH SHORE HAS SUFFERED

The region that surrounds the Turtle Bay area is not what must be considered when determining the environmental impact of building in that area. What it does to Hawaii’s surfing community is indirect. Building in that area will certainly have the effect on North Shore development as what occurred on Maui when Kaanapali was developed. Having surfed Honolua Bay when it was relatively uncrowded I will have to say that Honolua suffered serious overcrowding with Kaanapali’s overdevelopment. Honolua has become Maui’s Malibu. Reef and vauna helped keep the crowd down until everyone wore leashes. The depth of that tragedy is only appreciated by those who knew what it was about before it was lost to the crowd. The North Shore has suffered from overpromotion for decades. The money grubbers have been selling its’ soul for far too long. The reason that secret and sacred are such similar terms is because they derive from a synonymous definition. There are no tour buses in a surfing Paradise. Hotels, whether legal or illegal, just aren’t a part of the equation. Paradise Lost has tour buses, hotels, vacation rentals, is overpriced and there are way too many kooks with surfboards. To get some waves to yourself you have to enter the annual winter air mattress and rubber dicky contests. Contestants stay tethered to leashes and you have to wonder who knows how to swim. Those tour buses are going to need even more sophisticated parking facilities when the promotional machine enters second gear. Wouldn’t it be smarter to have the State purchase the Turtle Bay property and have UH use it for research and development of wave energy. Converting swells into electrical energy has already been done elsewhere. Providing wave energy to Hawaii’s homes and industries has far reaching potential. It could certainly curtail some of Hawaii’s present tourism dependence. Hawaii could easily become the leader in such development. I would suggest that such energy production could provide substantial revenues for the State if the State owned the facilities.

NORTH SHORE
SUPPORT URGED FOR TURTLE BAY PURCHASE

I strongly urge support for Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to purchase Turtle Bay Resort so as to preserve the 850 acres of land around the hotel and prevent expansion of the resort.
This is a long-term visionary use of taxpayer dollars, and will be seen by future generations as foresighted and wise.
Once land is developed, it never goes back again.
With every development, our paradise is disappearing.

Dave Druz
Hale'iwa

TURTLE BAY
WE NEED TO WORK TO SAVE PART OF HAWAI'I

When I heard Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal to purchase the Turtle Bay property, a quote I used to have on my refrigerator came to mind. It read, "Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men's blood. Make big plans, aim high, and WORK."
Here was a big plan and it stirred my blood. My only disappointment, and it probably shows my political naivete, was that the plan did not seem to stir everyone's blood the way it did mine.
If the property is available for purchase, we should not care who gets the credit for the vision of acquiring it. We should not care whether it is consistent or not with some past environmental decisions by Gov. Lingle — because on this one she is right.
It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to save a piece of vanishing Hawai'i.
Rectifying a bad planning mistake of 20 years ago comes with a price. What is the price? I do not know. What I do know is that the price of not acquiring it will be much steeper.
Let's aim high and work. There are many creative ways to bring together dollars, but there will never be a way to restore to future generations lost beauty that rightfully should have been theirs.

Ursula Retherford
Kailua

Join together to create North Shore dream

Our governor has a desire to put together a plan to purchase Turtle Bay/Oaktree Capital's property. Kudos to her for seeing potential where others see a lost cause. It's not too late. Rather than create a negative climate surrounding that plan, let's foster support and get creative to help further this vision along. There are many ways to accomplish this goal by creating partnerships and gathering together like-minded individuals who know how to succeed.
The victories at Waimea Valley and Pupukea/Paumalu continue to inspire and empower us. Let's be positive and do all we can to "Keep the Country COUNTRY."
 
Katye Killebrew
Honolulu

TURTLE BAY
IN OUR INTEREST TO KEEP NORTH SHORE PRISTINE

The idea to preserve Turtle Bay area is phenomenal.
I am a longtime North Shore resident and this sounds great. The North Shore is already showing signs of pollution and is getting more and more abused and looking less and less beautiful. The traffic is horrendous even now.
The ocean is getting polluted and the beaches don't look as nice as before. There is trash on the beaches.
The entire North Shore should be limited and frozen to development.
Most tourists that I talk to on the North Shore have escaped from Waikiki because they think it is crazy — too busy, too loud, too artificial. They got that at home and are looking for something relaxing instead. So, keep North Shore pretty, keep it pristine, keep it quaint.
The bottom line is that's what we sell here in Hawai'i: a more sane, natural lifestyle, in a pristine environment.
It is in our best interest to keep our environment pristine and our lifestyle simple and natural. Nobody else has that — so they will pay big bucks to come here to experience it.

Milica Barjaktarovic
Waialua

PROPERTY WORTH WHAT BUYER WILLING TO PAY

Since when is a property worth significantly more than the value sought in a foreclosure? If $283 million, or even $400 million, were the true value of the Turtle Bay Resort, why aren't savvy businesses lining up to take advantage of the bargain?
According to the foreclosure complaint, the borrower utilized proceeds to make "a one-time distribution to the beneficial owners." What did the owners do with the money they paid themselves? Why haven't they used the funds to repay their obligation?
Besides being a director of Keep the North Shore Country, I have been in the mortgage-lending business for 16 years and one fact is abundantly clear: The value of real estate is determined by what an informed buyer is willing to pay, not what a seller hopes to get.
This resort is probably worth much less than the "asking price" of $283 million.

Gil Riviere
Waialua

PROTECT TURTLE BAY AS ONE OF LAST RURAL PLACES

As a lifetime resident of the North Shore, I share the desire to protect Turtle Bay as one of the last rural and old-Hawai'i outlets. It is a beautiful and peaceful place. It is sacred for the Hawaiians, with many iwi on the land.
It must be protected for our children and their children.
Turtle Bay (and the North Shore as a whole) is a special place for locals on O'ahu and visiting tourists.
I humbly ask you to support Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal in this critical time.

Matthew Cabamongan
Hale'iwa

NORTH SHORE
STATE COULD BE A HERO BY BUYING TURTLE BAY

If the Turtle Bay and the Kahuku-La'ie developments become reality, the state would be obligated to undertake a massive reconstruction of Kamehameha Highway to the North Shore.

This would no doubt require figuring out where the money will come from, years of engineering studies, environmental impact statements and land condemnation. The inevitable result would be public outcry and years of litigation.

The state government instead could become a cultural, environmental and fiscal hero by curbing North Shore growth by buying the Turtle Bay now.

John Errett
Kahuku

TURTLE BAY
WE NEED TO WORK TO SAVE PART OF HAWAI'I

When I heard Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal to purchase the Turtle Bay property, a quote I used to have on my refrigerator came to mind. It read, "Make no little plans, they have no magic to stir men's blood. Make big plans, aim high, and WORK."

Here was a big plan and it stirred my blood. My only disappointment, and it probably shows my political naivete, was that the plan did not seem to stir everyone's blood the way it did mine.

If the property is available for purchase, we should not care who gets the credit for the vision of acquiring it. We should not care whether it is consistent or not with some past environmental decisions by Gov. Lingle — because on this one she is right.

It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to save a piece of vanishing Hawai'i.

Rectifying a bad planning mistake of 20 years ago comes with a price. What is the price? I do not know. What I do know is that the price of not acquiring it will be much steeper.

Let's aim high and work. There are many creative ways to bring together dollars, but there will never be a way to restore to future generations lost beauty that rightfully should have been theirs.

Ursula Retherford, Kailua, Honolulu Advertiser, February 11, 2008.

North Shore Project Will Strain Resources

Watching the Live Earth concerts recently, I was reminded of our interconnectedness. Each of us has an impact on the global climate crisis.

O'ahu is saturated with cars. The proposed Turtle Bay expansion will not only strain roads beyond their limits, but will add to Hawai'i's contribution to the climate crisis by placing further demands on water, electricity and waste disposal resources. How much more can O'ahu take?

Just as importantly, a development such as this will cause the loss of one of the most pristine, undeveloped and beautiful places in the world. Once it is lost, it will be lost forever. The coastline between Turtle Bay and Kahuku Point is equal in beauty to Ka'ena and Ka'iwi.

I recently answered a telephone survey for Hawai'i 2050, created by the Legislature to "establish a mechanism to ensure that our unique islands and way of life are maintained and sustained for current and future generations to enjoy."

While this is a noble effort, in reality there is no 2050. There is only the present, and the time to create a sustainable environment is now.

Building 3,500 more resort units on the North Shore would be an act of destruction, the exact opposite of sustainability.

Michael Zucker, Palolo - Honolulu Advertiser , July 20, 2007.

Don't Let Resorts Take Over the Islands

I'm a student from Germany who had the great opportunity to spend half a year in Hawaii during a six-month internship.

You are living in paradise and you should definitely not only think twice but a couple of times before you give permission to or plan to build a resort on one of the most beautiful stretches of coast, along Oahu's North Shore.

One thing that makes Hawaii still special is the fact that it hasn't seen too much development compared to other tourist regions in the world. You should keep it that way.

On the island of Lanzarote, Spain, for example, they have a law that you can't build hotels, resorts and the like higher than a palm tree. The island benefits because they don't have these huge hotel complexes standing in everybody's way and making the landscape ugly.

Please reflect on this and also think about your kids who will not have the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful place like you and we have.

Holger Stripf, Munich, Germany - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 26, 2007.

Turtle Bay
It's Absurd to Allow Old Plan to be In Force

Bob Nakata's June 19 commentary listing all the good reasons for the city to deny building permits to Oaktree Capital Management LLC should be read out loud to our City Council and Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

It is absurd to allow Oaktree, or anyone else, to build anything with a 20-year-old agreement.

Anyone who has come to the North Shore during the last 20 years has noticed it can now take up to two hours to get from Hale'iwa to Sunset Beach.

There is also a huge housing shortage and shops and restaurants have a hard time finding workers. And our ocean is full of sediment from developments that is killing our coral reefs and fish.

Whatever legal reasons the Circuit Court judge had for allowing a 20-year-old agreement to stand without another environmental impact statement does not mean that the city has to ignore the obvious changes on the North Shore in the last 20 years.

The short-term benefits that any politicians, or a handful of North Shore residents, might have for supporting Oaktree's expansion are far outweighed by the problems that this project will bring to our state.

Lorenn Walker, Waialua, HI- Honolulu Advertiser, June 26, 2007.

Oahu can't support Turtle Bay expansion - Commentary by Bob Nakata, June 19, 2007. Honolulu Advertiser.

All can unite in campaign to save Hawaii - Commentary by Kevan Blanche, June 15, 2007. Honolulu Advertiser.

Turtle Bay
Expansion Shouldn't Sacrifice Environment

My family and I have stayed many times at the Turtle Bay Resort over the years. The North Shore is a unique and special place, and any significant new development should be very carefully reviewed for environmental sustainability.

Nicola Jones' Web page states that the Kuilima Resort is not trying to turn the North Shore into Waikiki. Of course not, and this statement is misleading in its inapplicability.

The Kuilima should be held to very rigorous environmental standards for any new development.

Since I haven't received any evidence of that, I will have to consider my discomfort with the expansion in considering any future bookings at the Turtle Bay Resort.

Russell Weisz, Santa Cruz, CA - Honolulu Advertiser, June 12, 2007.

Expect gridlock at Turtle Bay, too

The recent traffic demonstration in Kahului involving 110 cars illustrates the traffic surges the Superferry may bring to Maui ("Anti-Superferry demonstrators clog Maui traffic," Star-Bulletin, June 2).

Many people have suggested a similar demonstration to illustrate the impact of the proposed Turtle Bay Resort expansion. The developer's 2005 Traffic Impact Analysis Update counted as many as 975 vehicles per hour (vph) in 2005 and estimates up to 2,724 vph in the year 2028. Half of this many vehicles, at 40 feet each, would create gridlock for more than 10 miles, the distance from Kuilima to Haleiwa!

Extreme gridlock is a terrifying prospect. We have not been able to support such a painful demonstration, but we are continuing our legal efforts to force a supplemental environmental impact statement. News about the proposed Turtle Bay Resort expansion is regularly updated at www.KeepTheNorthShoreCountry.org.

Gil Riviere, Keep the North Shore Country, Hale'iwa - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, June 11, 2007.

Kawela Bay
Community Must Preserve Island Gem

I had the opportunity to surf outside Kawela Bay a few weeks back. During my session I found myself again and again enjoying the natural beauty of the shoreline and the mountains. It truly is a magnificent tropical monument of old Hawai'i. We residents of O'ahu need to do whatever it takes to preserve these rare remaining under-developed areas.

I am not against development, but I believe it is overwhelmingly obvious this island does not need any more resorts — we have enough! Short-term construction jobs are followed by low-paying service employment, and that does not justify the destruction of one of the few remaining unexploited bays on the island.

Turtle Bay Resort and the multitude of vacation rentals is enough for the North Shore. Turning it into another Waikiki would ruin what makes this area unique and enjoyable.

Being a Florida native, I have seen first-hand how developers exploit and rape the land if there is money to be made and they are left unchecked. Grassroots organizations, such as the one being spearheaded by Mark Cunningham to save places like Kawela Bay, are usually the only defense against the reckless development, which is sadly often sanctioned by short-sighted politicians. If we all just sit on our hands, Kawela Bay will end up just another sad memory.

Tom Robinson, Hawai'i Kai - Honolulu Advertiser, May 15, 2007.

Hotel Expansion
North Shore Roads Are Already Inadequate

Fortunately, there were no injuries or lives lost from Saturday's rockslide at Waimea Bay.

However, combined with the continued erosion of this nearly century-old two-lane highway, its partial closures during high surf and the almost daily bumper-to-bumper traffic, it clearly demonstrates that the roads on the North Shore are inadequate to handle even the current traffic load.

Given this reality, Turtle Bay Resort's planned expansion defies common sense.

We need to seriously examine the wisdom of allowing this project to proceed unchecked, especially considering its impact on the North Shore.

Carol Philips, Hale'iwa - Honolulu Advertiser, April 13, 2007.

More visitors, hotels will ruin North Shore

Continued development is eating away at the peace and serenity offered by the North Shore. The North Shore is what it is because it is not overly developed. Change it by further commercialization and you will find people who have made it what it is will leave. I will have no interest in visiting there any longer once it is golf courses and hotels. Small, privately owned shops, few golf courses and little major hotel development are what make the North Shore a special place. Please count us in voting to override proposals by the Oak Tree Development Corporation, the Turtle Bay Group and others wanting to proceed with the proposal to expand the Turtle Bay Resort.

The North Shore beauty that exists now should remain, so future generations can enjoy these open spaces. Keep the country, country!

Tom and Cindy Bennett, Hampton, VA - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, April 7, 2007.

Resort Expansion Will Have Big Impact

Regarding the controversies surrounding the Turtle Bay Resort, it should be noted that the Circuit Court rulings on the supplemental environmental impact statement lawsuit are on appeal and the briefs are being prepared.

Also, resolutions now being considered at the Legislature would convene special hearings on the labor force requirements and the effects on traffic of the proposed resort expansion. Where are thousands of new workers supposed to come from, and where are they supposed to live? What are the Turtle Bay Resort, City and County of Honolulu and the state Department of Transportation planning to do to mitigate the enormous traffic increases? Ignoring the potential impacts of the resort's proposed expansion will not make them go away.

For more information, see www.keepthenorthshorecountry.org.

Gil Riviere, Keep the North Shore Country, Haleiwa - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, March 31, 2007.

Kawela Development
Hawai'i Needs to Find an Economic Balance
[See "State Urges Turtle Bay Resort to Revise Layout," published in the Honolulu Advertiser, January 7, 2007]

Mahalo to Melanie Chinen, administrator for the State Historic Preservation Division.

A state official finally challenged the Kuilima Corp. development.

We are supposed to be a government "for the people," and the people have spoken — neighborhood boards from Ko'olauloa to Wahiawa do not support this project.

Kuilima Corp.'s arrogance is outrageous! This from the people who tout their destination as the "true Hawai'i."

They have no more respect for the 'iwi of our ancestors than they do for the future of our keiki.

They got lucky with a one-of-a-kind deal 20 years ago, which should not put them above reproach from the community who will be most impacted by their development.

How can they go forward in good faith when the "will" of the people does not support this expansion?

Are we again going to give away our coastlines and way of life yet again to tourists and corporate greed? We have a moral obligation to find a balance between tourism and other economic alternatives.

Jess Snow, Kahuku- Honolulu Advertiser, January 16, 2007.

Hawai'i Should Back Shoreline Setbacks
[See "State Urges Turtle Bay Resort to Revise Layout," published in the Honolulu Advertiser, January 7, 2007]

Finally, a government entity — the State Historic Preservation Division under the direction of administrator Melanie Chinen — stood up for our important ancient burials in Kahuku.

All of Hawai'i should stand with her and support her recommendation for shoreline setbacks for Oaktree Capital Management's planned expansion.

Other state and city officials should be examining how this 20-year-old plan escapes updated impact reviews to address the loss of rural communities.

What becomes of our families who seek free wholesome beach and countryside recreation? Do we wait until it's all gone, or do we preserve this precious, finite resource for generations to come?

Margaret Primacio, Kahuku- Honolulu Advertiser, January 10, 2007.

Plans for Expansion Should Be Reviewed
[See "State Urges Turtle Bay Resort to Revise Layout," published in the Honolulu Advertiser, January 7, 2007]

State Historic Preservation Division administrator Melanie Chinen should be applauded for recommending a review of Oaktree Capital's planned expansion at Kawela Bay.

The iwi are there. They should not be disturbed in any way, shape or form.

Oaktree can sell the existing hotel property for a decent profit.

This isn't just happening in Kawela but in all of Hawai'i. Enough hotels already.

Mark K Manley, Kahuku- Honolulu Advertiser, January 10, 2007.

Our Island Life Needs to be Saved, Protected

Memories serve to protect, remind and perpetuate. They make for great stories and have the potential to direct our future.

My first memory of Hawai'i is with my mother at the beach off Diamond Head. My most recent memories are of a three-day escape to Kawela Bay. I was born and raised on O'ahu, and I had never been there. I felt I had just stepped onto Tahiti or Kaua'i because of its lush forests and a bay teaming with ocean life.

What is your first memory of Hawai'i; your first experience with island life? Preserve it, keep it alive. Then, take a trip out to Kawela Bay. Decide for yourself if Oaktree Capital Management's planned expansion is best for the island.

Change is good, memories are sweet, but there is something to be said about keeping certain things sacred.

Please learn about the proposed expansion plan and help support Defend O'ahu Coalition in keeping the O'ahu we know from becoming a total memory.

Taylor Nordgren, Ventura, CA - Honolulu Advertiser, January 10, 2007.

Kawela Bay
Turtle Bay Must Learn to Protect the 'Aina
[See "State Urges Turtle Bay Resort to Revise Layout," published in the Honolulu Advertiser, January 7, 2007]

State Historic Preservation Division administrator Melanie Chinen's advice to Turtle Bay Resort officials is weighty and significant.

Turtle Bay Resort is obligated to treat the land as a living entity. The 'aina is not just a commodity for you to undermine as you wish, so please humble yourselves, stop the threats, do your homework and learn what it means to truly "malama i ka 'aina."

Richard Hamasaki, Kane'ohe - Honolulu Advertiser, January 10, 2007.

Kawela Development
Kuilima's Response on Burials is Arrogant
[See "State Urges Turtle Bay Resort to Revise Layout," published in the Honolulu Advertiser, January 7, 2007]

Kuilima Corp. once again has shown its arrogance by defying a state official's suggestion to revise its massive development plans at Turtle Bay Resort and Kawela Bay.

Issues such as burials are precisely the reason a new environmental impact statement should be required of Kuilima.There have been too many changes on the North Shore since the 1980s when the original agreements were made.

Most tourists coming to the area do not want to spend vacation time in densely populated areas; that is why they seek the tranquility of the country. Development on the scale of Kuilima's plans would destroy that sense of place.

Kudos to State Historic Preservaton Division administrator Melanie Chinen for warning Kuilima about future obstacles.

If the warnings go unheeded, and Kuilima is forced to revise later when delays will cost millions of dollars or kill the project entirely, you will not see any tears from me.

Robert Thurston, Hale'iwa- Honolulu Advertiser, January 9, 2007.

Kahuku Hospital
Company Should do its Part to Save Facility

Regarding "Oaktree Capital Management should pay for Kahuku Hospital": "Kahuku is the only hospital and emergency room within an hour's drive," Dr. Richard Price, who operates the ER said in a Honolulu Advertiser article. "A lot of people are going to die needlessly."

As of last month, the developers of the Turtle Bay Resort have been give the green light to move forward with plans for five new hotels with 3,500 rooms and condominium units that would transform the area cared for by Kahuku Hospital. A multi-billion dollar investment company, Oaktree Capital Management, owns the Turtle Bay Resort.

Kusao & Kurahashi Inc., planning and zoning consultants for KRC, outlined the company's updated redevelopment plans and talked about infrastructure. I believe that the Kahuku Hospital is a vital part of the infrastructure and therefore, Oaktree Capital Management should be responsible for some portion of the funding as a condition for the building permits.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann said, "I am strongly urging Kuilima to continue to pay careful attention to the concerns expressed by North Shore residents and others." Nicola Jones, CEO of Kuilima Resort, said Kuilima is looking at creative, innovative solutions to address the community's concerns.

It seems a major concern to the 27,000 people and one ambulance now between Kualoa and Waimea Bay is adequate medical care. With added population and traffic, the closure of the hospital will present particular problems for acute heart and stroke patients, traffic accidents and ocean related accident victims, severely asthmatic people and women in emergency childbirth.

Oaktree Capital Management must foot the bill. The multi-billion-dollar investment company has an obligation to be a major partner if the Kahuku Hospital is to continue caring for the North Shore residents.

Marsha Rose Joyner, Honolulu- Honolulu Advertiser, December 12, 2006.

True to its Roots

The North Shore of O'ahu has been my home for all 17 years of my life. And although the time I've spent here is relatively short in comparison to my elders, I've been around long enough to witness the destruction and changing of my countryside. When I was young, Ted's Bakery was still a hole-in-the-wall, with a single wooden bench along its front wall for customers to eat on. When I was young, you could only park along the road if you wanted to go to Sunset Beach. When I was young, Velzyland was home to countless local families, happy to have a place they could afford. When I was young, Turtle Bay Resort was still a humble hotel filled with the true aloha spirit and affordable accommodations.

When I was young, the North Shore was still the North Shore.

But now, after all these years, increasing tourism and greedy developers have taken hold of the country and turned it into a monster. A place where traffic is constant, and large modern structures break the serene flow of small homes and green foliage. A place where local people have been removed from their homes and replaced with well-to-do mainland residents. A place where the homes are now so lavish and expensive, locals can't even afford to live there. A place where everything is built more for visitors and less for local people.

Turtle Bay's idea to expand onto Kawela Bay and extend toward Kahuku is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. The claim is that there will be more jobs available to residents and more business for storeowners. But who are they really trying to please here? Building more hotels will not only cause even more traffic and people congestion, but it will also mark the end of the North Shore as we know it. The country will no longer live up to its name. It will simply be a title used to attract the tourists to the new hotels. The locals will no longer be locals, but rater outsiders with more money who can afford to pay higher rents.

All I am asking is to keep the North Shore true to its roots - a beautiful, laidback, humble stretch of coastline free of the everyday chaos caused by big buildings and hundreds of people The citizens of Hawai'i are more important than the interests of far-off companies and a few locals, and most North Shore residents would much rather drive to town for work than to allow the building of these new hotels and see the disappearance of one of the last remaining places of genuine local life.

Save the North Shore. It's worth it.

Rebecca Fonoimoana, Hale'iwa - Honolulu Weekly, Volume 16, Number 48, November 29, 2006.

Development
Country Better Than Chaos in North Shore

The idea to expand Turtle Bay onto Kawela Bay and extend toward Kahuku is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard. The claim is that there will be more jobs available to residents and more business for store owners. But who are they really trying to please here?

Building more hotels will not only cause even more traffic and congestion, but it will mark the end of the North Shore, as we know it. The country will no longer live up to its name. The locals will no longer be locals, but rather outsiders who can afford higher rents.

All I am asking is to keep the North Shore true to its roots - a beautiful, laid back, humble stretch of coastline free of the everyday chaos caused by big buildings and thousands of people.

The citizens of Hawai'i are more important than the interests of far-off companies; most North Shore residents would much rather drive to town for work than to allow the building of these hotels and see the disappearance of one of the last places of genuine local life.

Rebecca Fonoimoana, Hale'iwa - Honolulu Advertiser, Friday, November 24, 2006

Please, Keep the Country Country

We the good people of the North Shore have a history of resisting - and stopping - large development.

Just in my lifetime, we have stopped the quarry, the hotel at Pua'ena Point, the Obayashi development in Pupukea, the mall at Sharks Cove and the condos in Waimea Valley. We love where we live for a reason - it is the country.

Today the good people of the North Shore are resisting, but not stopping, the Turtle Bay development. Why?

What hold does Oaktree have over our elected representatives? Why are 20-year-old Environmental Impact Statements valid "with prejudice?" Why does it move forward against the people's will?

Garrett McNulty, Waialua - Honolulu Advertiser, Friday, November 24, 2006

North Shore Traffic Already Intolerable

I am utterly amazed at state circuit Judge Sabrina McKenna's decision that Kuilima Resort Co. does not have to do a new environmental impact statement on the planned expansion of hotels on the North Shore of Oahu (Star-Bulletin, Nov. 14). I have lived on the North Shore for 36 years and the traffic has become an enormous problem. I know that the number of visitors to Oahu in 1985 was 4.8 million and the number of visitors to Oahu in 2005, 20 years later, was 7.4 million. The projection for 2006 is even higher.

I invite the honorable judge, the City Council, mayor and anyone who is in a position of power to take a drive out to the North Shore and experience the traffic snarl from Haleiwa to the Turtle Bay Resort every single weekend. (Weekdays aren't much better.) Nowadays there doesn't have to be a surf meet, media-hyped "big waves" or a federal or state holiday to cause traffic congestion. It is an everyday occurrence. It is obvious that 3,500 more hotel rooms will increase the traffic headaches. It will be intolerable.

We need to remember to respect the land and take care of it and to respect our residents and visitors, as well. If these hotels are built, it will be too late.

Jason Olson, Hale'iwa - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Friday, November 24, 2006

North Shore Needs
Hospital Closure: Crazy

To close the one and only hospital that serves the entire North Shore of O'ahu and much of the Windward coast is absurd. It's also foolish, dangerous and, if stupid is different than absurd, then it's stupid as well.

To build several new hotels and condos on the North Shore, an area that can ill afford any increase in traffic, is moronic and just seems to have the unmistakable stench of greed. To do both is simply beyond words!

Have the powers that be totally lost their minds and sense of perspective?

Wayne Pearce, Hale'iwa - Honolulu Advertiser, Tuesday, November 20, 2006

Kuilima ruling ignores 20 years of changes

Circuit Judge Sabrina McKenna made a ridiculous decision ("Judge rejects new review for Turtle Bay," Star-Bulletin, Nov. 14). She agreed with the city that Kuilima Resort Co. did not need to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement on its planned expansion because the study approved more than 20 years ago still applies today. In other words, the North Shore is the same today as it was in 1985. This is ludicrous.

North Shore residents have been ignored by the mayor, the City Council and the Department of Planning and Permitting because they have been advised by the corporation counsel not to address the public's concern due to the threat of a lawsuit if the resort owner doesn't get everything it wants.

We did not vote for the mayor or Council members to be so spineless as to not do what is best for the public. The expansion plan has few supporters, while the project's opponents include almost everyone who resides or recreates on the North Shore.

Peter V.Z. Cole, Surfrider Foundation, Oahu Chapter, Haleiwa - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Monday, November 19, 2006

North Shore
Big Resort, No Hospital: Where's Our Priority?

I am truly amazed how misplaced our priorities are. We may end up with a large resort-type development taking place on the North Shore near Turtle Bay, yet we are losing the only hospital on the North Shore.

The idea of building more, increasing the population and then taking away a basic service such as a nearby hospital just doesn't make sense!

How is it that there is support to develop the North Shore, but no money to keep emergency medical services close by?

If this development is allowed to proceed (against the many wishes of the North shore community) I would hope that Kuilima Resort Co. could find a way to financially assist Kahuku Hospital.

Dee Montgomery-Brock, Mililani - Honolulu Advertiser, Friday, November 17, 2006

Hum Along and 'Keep the Country Country'

Hum Steve Miller's "Going to the Country" and sing:

People on the island know where to go,
Up to the country where life is real slow,
We like green space with some elbow room,
But now the natural coast may soon be doomed

Chorus: Hey ho, no more condos, save some green space for our keiki to know

Hey ho, do what's right, keep the country country is everyone's fight

From Kawela to Kahuku and down past Laie,
Condo commandos are stalking on their prey
They'll give us some parks at a few select spots
Where they'll pave paradise and put up parking lots

(Chorus)

Developer folks got one thing on their mind
That's make a lot of money and leave the islands behind
But then the kamaaina are stuck forever more
With condo-fed traffic jams and tourist shops galore

Pat Caldwell, Kailua - Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Kawela
Community Must Demand Open Discussion on Project

Your recent article on the expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort (Oct. 13) suggests that the Kahuku community is divided on the issue, when it is clear the only support for the project is coming from a handful of individuals - most of whom were personally involved with the agreement 20 years ago.

The board of the Kahuku Community Association voted to endorse this plan without prior community discussion. Several members of the board are employed by either Turtle Bay or Kuilima Resort Co., and there is no indication these board members recused themselves from deliberations or the vote.

There has been overwhelming community demand for input at every Kahuku Community Association meeting since the board endorsed the development, but the board has refused to put the item on the agenda.

As a small business owner, homeowner and community member, I am disheartened that my community board members and elected city officials are turning a deaf ear to our concerns, and are ignoring the pleas of the community to allow open discussion on this issue.

I understand that 20 years ago the prevailing concern was for jobs for the workers of the recently closed sugar mill. But, that is not the Kahuku of today. My Kahuku neighbors are worried about traffic, affordability and availability of housing, the destruction of our countryside and loss of the local feel of this area.

Before it's too late, we need to push our officials to get involved and take the steps necessary to ensure that any development abide by standing requirements to protect the environment and preserve our natural resources.

Can we afford to lose the North Shore? Ask your friends and neighbors whether they would rather have preservation of the North Shore, its beaches and landscape, or a tidy profit for Mainland developers.

Does our entire island have to be for sale to the highest bidder?

Virginia Abshier, MD, Kahuku - Honolulu Advertiser, Wednesday, November 1, 2006

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