With grave concerns on the part of some North Shore factions, the net bottom line is that there are many more of us “local folks,” who are anxiously awaiting the development of the Hanalei Plantation Resort. What a wonderful improvement:
With grave concerns on the part of some North Shore factions, the net bottom line is that there are many more of us “local folks,” who are anxiously awaiting the development of the Hanalei Plantation Resort. What a wonderful improvement: the restoration of what now looks like, and is, a collection of “wastelands.”
And imagine accomplishing such a restoration with very low density accommodations, compared with what most folks imagine, when they hear the word: resort. To many of us, this will not be a resort, in the typical definition of resort. Rather, this will be more like an “ohana community.”
It will have a small visitor component, which will be of the cultural quaint bungalow-style cottages, much like Kona Village on the Big Island: a mere 86 bungalows, as opposed to the St. Regis with 252 rooms and Hanalei Bay Resort with 250 rooms: total of 502 rooms!
The proposed residential component of some 34 homes will be located on Kauakaniauna Ridge. Only 27 homes will face the Hanalei Bay. The remaining seven will face the restored Kamo’omaika’I Fishpond. Kauakaniauna Ridge was the site of the original Hanalei Plantation Hotel with its 50 cottages (162 rooms). After Hanalei Plantation Hotel/Club Med was demolished, Mr. Bruce Stark came in to develop a concrete jungle of “wannabe” condo units: some 60 in total! That project died over several years, leaving ugly concrete remains. And, of course, nature has taken over with many huge, overgrown ironwood forests. At our family-owned Waimea Plantation Cottages, we have an infestation of ironwood trees along the beach west of the cottages. These are very messy and break apart in strong winds. These ironwoods are a nuisance!
I am fortunate enough to have been born in 1932 in Waimea. My grandfather purchased two acres on Hanalei Bay in 1906 where he built our six-bedroom beach house (he had eight children!). During the 1930s and early 1940s, I was at Hanalei all three months of the summers. I got to know all the ancient Hawaiian families from Hanalei to Haena, who became my “hanai” parents. My good friend Dick Sloggett and I, along with other Hawaiian kids, would poke around the ancient rock wall along Kamo’omaika’I Fishpond and catch sea oopu in the fishpond. It wasn’t until the tidal wave April 1, 1946, that the whole Kamo’omaika’I Fishpond became inundated with invasive sands and corals and who-knows-what. I was surprised to find out recently, that archeologist Dr. Hal Hammatt of Cultural Surveys Hawaii discovered that the ancient rock wall along the fishpond dates back to pre-contact; 400 years ago! Just to have this wall restored and available to visit in the future will mean a lot to many culturally interested visitors and school kids.
After 1948, it was “visit Hanalei” when can, during summer vacation times. So in 1964, my family and I, along with some NASA guests, visited Hanalei Plantation Hotel for the first time. Auwe! It was such a wonderful experience to have a place to go for food, great Hawaiian culture, entertainment and views. After I retired from NASA in 1981, my wife and I moved into our home here in Princeville, which overlooked Club Med. We watched the Club Med demolition process and the Stark project begin. Now that the ironwoods will be removed and some island-style homes in place, we look forward to an attractive Kauakaniauna Ridge. We look forward to have visiting friends stay in the Kamo’omaika’I Fishpond bungalows and experience the cultural attractions.
As far as view planes from the Hanalei Bay side, we noticed the view from Waipa during the Taro Festival, several weeks ago. When sweeping our eyes from the St. Regis to HBR to the homes on Mowry-Princeville ridge, we noticed how stark and ugly the whiteness of the St. Regis dominated our view. Next, HBR looked OK with subdued browns and landscaping. Those mansions on the Mowry ridge were barely noticeable with subdued colors and landscaping. My comments then were: (1) the Kauakaniauna Ridge development could be barely noticeable just like Mowry Princeville ridge and (2) The St. Regis was so stark and white and commercial looking, HPR is planning to be something entirely different. Something looking like HBR would fit better into the visual images of quaint Hanalei Bay. Alternative: As we did with our white concrete bridges during World War II, paint the St. Regis Resort a camouflage color and the white will disappear as did our Kauai bridges!
A closing thought: If this project were to die on the vine, there is no question that another Bruce Stark wealthy-type entity will buy out the project lands and build a monster development. Money talks, and a 500- to 600-room resort development is within the zoning ordinance of the HPR project property. Kauai County needs the tax revenue! What, another St. Regis-type hotel on Kauakaniauna Ridge? And further, no Kamo’omaika’I Fishpond, with its cultural beach and ancient rock wall. Auwe!
• Alan Fayé is a resident of Princeville.
