A proposal by Kikiaola Land Company Ltd., the owner of Waimea Plantation Cottages, and Aloha Montessori International School of Kaua’i, to open a Montessori school at the Waimea resort is scheduled to be be heard by the Kaua’i County Planning Commission Tuesday, Dec. 9.
The school, if approved, could provide more educational opportunities for west Kaua’i children as commercial and residential development increases and the region’s population grows.
The proponents of the project are seeking a use permit, a Class IV Zoning permit and a Special Management Area permit. A public hearing has been scheduled at 1:30 p.m. at the Lihu’e Civic Center.
The proposal calls for the renovation and restoration of the “historic” Mana Store , which was relocated from Mana to Waimea in the late 1980s, according to a report Applied Planning Systems of Lawa’i sent to the commission and the county Planning Department. Applied is a consultant on the proposed project.
The store was deemed historic, apparently because it served many generations of West Kaua’i residents before closing.
The proposed repair work calls for strengthening the floor of the building, construction of a covered entry and improvements to restrooms in compliance with state Department of Health and state Department of Education requirements, the consultant said.
Other improvements include an outside hand sink, a paved walkway at the entry and a fenced play yard.
The school also will boast a playground that would be grassed and would include a swing, a slide and a large chess game board, the report said.
In all, the school would be located on 24,000 square feet, accommodate up to 24 students and would employ two certified teachers and a teacher’s aide to accommodate the maximum student load, the report noted.
The school’s mission is to promote the fundamentals of Montessori education, to “nature and preserve each child’s curiosity for learning,” the report noted.
That type of education attempts to encourage children to develop academic, physical, social and life skills in an “environment of mutual respect,” the consultant’s report said.
The Montessori approach to education is based on the work of Maria Montessori, an early 20th century Italian physician and educator.
She developed a form of children-centered philosophy to advance intellectual development, creativity, self-reliance and social responsibility among children.
The consultant also noted the proposed Montessori project is compatible with surrounding land uses, such as those occurring at the Waimea Hongwanji, the St. Francis Church and the Waimea Mill camp community.
The county Planning Department has not made any formal recommendations on the proposal
However, a preliminary evaluation by the department noted the school, if approved, would be put in an area Kikiaola Land Company has designated for “resort expansion.”
The Waimea Plantation Community Development Plan describes four types of lots on land owned or controlled by Kikiaola – “heritage center,” “mill camp residential,” “industrial yard” and “resort expansion,” the report noted.
While the Waimea Hongwanji Mission operated a school on nearby lands, that school site was not part of the Waimea Plantation Cottages resort, the county Planning Department report noted.
Public or private school use within the resort was never proposed conceptually when the plantation cottages was approve by the county in 1982, the report said.
The report suggested commissioners consider certain factors before making a decision on the requested permits, including:
- The possible placement of the school among a mix of resort, residential, commercial and semi-industrial uses;
- New infrastructure demands posed by the school.
- Kikiaola Land Company’s projected development of its resort-residential projects in line its recent success in securing amendment approvals for its properties.
Waimea Plantation Cottages, which is managed by the Aston Resorts, consists of 56 former plantation homes that have been converted to visitor accommodation units.
Recent county general plan and zoning approvals allow for the development of up to 250 cottages or inns.
Linda Faye Collins, president of Kikiaola Land Co. Ltd. was not immediately available to comment on the government concerns.
The consultant report noted however, that the presence of the school will not conflict with nearby areas that involve industrial uses.
The consultant contends the school will contribute to the mill camp experience for visitors at the Waimea Plantation Cottages.
“It was common place to find plantation camps and villages with a myriad of activities, including day care, laundry services, retail and schools,” the consultant wrote. Such uses were allowed on Kaua’i before zoning laws came into effect in the 1960s.
The consultant also noted that when the proposed Montessori school building is not used, it can be used for community meetings, yoga classes and special functions.
