Inter-Island Helicopter owner Ken D’Attilio has positioned a fuel tank and a trailer office at Burns Field in Hanapepe without government approvals for about year, but he won’t be getting permission soon, according to a county government official. The delay
Inter-Island Helicopter owner Ken D’Attilio has positioned a fuel tank and a trailer office at Burns Field in Hanapepe without government approvals for about year, but he won’t be getting permission soon, according to a county government official.
The delay has added to the cost of government and could delay improvements the state has planned for the airfield.
D’Attilio requested a permit from the Kaua’i County Planning Department for his structures with the state Shoreline Management Area at the west Kaua’i facility.
But the county rejected his request, saying the structures are part of state Department of Transportation expansion proposal for the site.
In turn, the state has told D’Attilio that his structures at the field would not be included in their plans, leaving D’Attilio with no immediate recourse.
But the state is not off the hook.
The state’s decision not to exclude D’Attilio’s structures from the expansion plans leaves the state vulnerable to future citations by the county and possible lawsuits from the county.
“We would take legal action against the landowner, the state, but we don’t take suing the state lightly, said Dee Crowell, director of the Kaua’i County Planning Department.
D’Attilio nor the state DOT was available for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Inter-Island and at least one other helicopter company have state approval to only park their aircraft at the airfield.
In late 2000 or early 2001, Inter-Island began operating the above-ground fuel tank. After the company was evicted from state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property in Hanapepe, the company placed a temporary office trailer at the airfield.
The county Planing Department cited the DOT’s Airports Division. In turn DOT asked Inter-Island to remove the structures.
D’Attilio tried to apply for a county permit, but the county wouldn’t ;t consider it because “we felt the tank and the office were part of DOT’s application ( to the county Planing Commission) for improvements at Burns Field,” Crowell said.
The state’s proposal includes four helicopter pads, two fixed-wing , tie-down areas and buildings.
A contested case hearing last summer stalled progress on the plans, but the hearing was suspended after Kaua’i resident Wilma Holi challenged the environmental assessment for the airport expansion plan.
Holi, who had concerns about the potential impact the airport improvements might have on Hawaiian salt beds at Salt Ponds in Hanapepe, complained the environmental study didn’t consider all options.
Represented by the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. Holi prevailed in court action, forcing the state to conduct another environmental assessment before the project could move forward.
