Limiting​ ​resort​ ​growth​ ​will​ ​address tourism issue

Allan​ ​Parachini’s​ ​recent​ ​reporting​ ​about​ ​the​ ​overabundance​ ​of​ ​visitors​ ​and​ ​cars​ ​at​ ​Haena​ ​State Park​ ​has​ ​sparked​ ​a​ ​passionate​ ​discussion​ ​about​ ​too​ ​many​ ​visitors​ ​on​ ​Kauai.​ ​​ ​To​ ​the​ ​credit​ ​of the​ ​Kauai​ ​visitor​ ​industry,​ ​the​ ​county’s​ ​​Tourism​ ​Strategic​ ​Plan​ ​​acknowledges​ ​that​ ​we​ ​are​ ​at​ ​our limit:​ ​​ ​When​ ​daily​ ​visitor​ ​counts​ ​reach​ ​25,000,​ ​which​ ​happens​ ​often​ ​these​ ​days,​ ​“the​ ​island’s roads,​ ​parks,​ ​beaches​ ​and​ ​other​ ​infrastructure,​ ​in​ ​their​ ​current​ ​conditions,​ ​are​ ​taxed​ ​and​ ​the visitor​ ​experience​ ​and​ ​resident​ ​quality​ ​of​ ​life​ ​diminish.​ …”​​ Residents​ ​and​ ​visitor​ ​industry agree:​ “We​ ​are​ ​at​ ​our​ ​max.”

In​ ​my​ ​previous​ ​op-ed​ ​(TGI​ ​Oct. ​27,)​ ​I​ ​explained​ ​how​ ​managing​ ​resort​ ​development was​ ​key​ ​to​ ​managing​ ​visitor​ ​growth​ ​and​ ​residential​ ​growth​ ​on​ ​Kauai.​ When​ ​resorts​ ​are​ ​built​ ​and someone​ ​has​ ​to​ ​fill​ ​them​ ​and​ ​staff​ ​them,​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​machine​ ​is​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​stop.

The​ ​existing​ ​Kauai​ ​General​ ​Plan​ ​(2000)​ ​is​ ​a​ ​growth​ ​machine​ ​that​ ​has​ ​the​ ​potential​ ​of​ ​5,700 more​ ​visitor​ ​units​ ​on​ ​Kauai​ ​in​ ​the​ ​next​ ​20​ ​years —​ ​a​ ​66 percent​ ​increase​ ​as​ ​follows:

w Currently​ ​we​ ​have​ ​8,600​ ​visitor​ ​units​ ​(resorts​ ​and​ ​vacation​ ​rentals)​ ​in​ ​operation

w There​ ​are​ ​properties​ ​zoned​ ​for​ ​“Resort”​ ​on​ ​which​ ​can​ ​be​ ​built​ ​3,700​ ​new​ ​visitor​ ​units​ ​at Coco​ ​Palms,​ ​Princeville,​ ​Coconut​ ​Plantation,​ ​Poipu​ ​and​ ​Waimea.

w Additionally​ ​there​ ​are​ ​3​ ​“Resort”​ ​designations​ ​on​ ​“Agriculture”​ ​zoned​ ​land​ ​in​ ​the​ ​existing plan​ ​that​ ​would​ ​support​ ​some​ ​2,000​ ​more​ ​visitor​ ​units.​​​ ​(I​ ​am​ ​adjusting​ ​the​ ​3,000​ ​figure in​ ​my​ ​previous​ ​op-ed​ ​based​ ​on​ ​new​ ​information.)​ ​​ ​These​ ​are​ ​at​ ​Princeville​ ​Phase​ ​II, Nukolii​ ​and​ ​Waimea​ ​Plantation​ ​Cottages.

To​ ​most​ ​of​ ​us​ ​on​ ​Kauai,​ ​that​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​growth​ ​is​ ​scary​ ​when​ ​Kauai​ ​is​ ​already​ ​having​ ​difficulty handling​ ​what​ ​we​ ​have​ ​today.

The​ ​update​ ​of​ ​the​ ​General​ ​Plan​ ​currently​ ​before​ ​the​ ​County Council​ ​gives​ ​us​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​to correct​ ​the​ ​problem​ ​by​ ​regaining​ ​control​ ​of​ ​resort​ ​numbers​ ​so​ ​we​ ​don’t​ ​turn​ ​into​ ​an​ ​Oahu​ ​or Maui.​​​ ​Limiting​ ​resort​ ​growth​ ​will​ ​help​ ​us​ ​achieve​ ​two​ ​of​ ​the​ ​overarching​ ​goals​ ​of​ ​the​ ​General Plan​ ​Update:​ 1.​ ​Keeping​ ​Kauai​ ​a​ ​​unique​ ​and​ ​beautiful​ ​place​​ ​(unlike​ ​many​ ​visitor​ ​destinations overrun​ ​by​ ​visitors),​ ​and​ ​2.​ ​Making​ ​Kauai​ ​a​ ​​sustainable​​ ​​place​ ​​(unlike​ ​places​ ​overrun​ ​by growth).

The​ ​first​ ​step​ ​to​ ​limiting​ ​resort​ ​growth​ ​on​ ​Kauai​ ​is​ ​to​ ​remove​ ​the​ ​“Resort”​ ​designations​ ​in​ ​the current​ ​General​ ​Plan​ ​that​ ​are​ ​on​ ​lands​ ​presently​ ​zoned​ ​“Agriculture.”​ ​​​These​ ​approximately 2,000​ ​units​ ​at​ ​Princeville​ ​Phase​ ​II,​ ​Nukolii​ ​and​ ​Waimea​ ​Plantation​ ​Cottages​ ​don’t​ ​presently have​ ​full​ ​approval​ ​for​ ​resort​ ​use.

I​ ​am​ ​sympathetic​ ​to​ ​Waimea​ ​Plantation​ ​Cottages​ ​​because​ ​their​ ​unique​ ​style​ ​and limited​ ​number​ ​(60​ ​cottages)​ ​have​ ​proven​ ​compatible​ ​with​ ​the​ ​community.​ ​However,​ ​when​ ​the additional​ ​250​ ​units​ ​sought​ ​by​ ​Waimea​ ​Plantation​​ ​Cottages​ ​are​ ​added​ ​to​ ​the​ ​250​ ​resort​ ​units​ ​already​ ​zoned​ ​for but​ ​not​ ​yet​ ​built​ ​on​ ​Gay​ ​and​ ​Robinson​ ​land,​ ​there​ ​could​ ​be​ ​an​ ​833 percent​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​resort​ ​rooms​ ​in Waimea​ ​at​ ​full​ ​build-out.​ ​​ ​

The​ ​Westside​ ​would​ ​do​ ​well​ ​to​ ​avoid​ ​the​ ​unintended​ ​consequences​ ​of resort​ ​development​ ​that​ ​could​ ​come​ ​to​ ​Waimea:​ ​increasing​ ​property​ ​prices​ ​(and​ ​taxes),​ ​traffic congestion,​ ​negative​ ​impacts​ ​on​ ​agriculture​ ​and​ ​most​ ​of​ ​all​ ​diminishing​ ​the​ ​Westside​ ​lifestyle.​ ​A Transfer​ ​of​ ​Development​ ​Rights​ ​(TDR)​ ​program,​ ​which​ ​I​ ​would​ ​support,​ ​could​ ​allow​ ​Waimea​ ​Plantation​ Cottages​ ​to​ ​add​ ​more​ ​units​ ​without​ ​increasing​ ​the​ ​overall​ ​number​ ​of​ ​resort​ ​units​ ​in​ ​Waimea.

(​​Transfer​​ ​of​ ​​Development​ ​Rights​​ ​​ ​is​ ​a​ ​voluntary,​ ​incentive-​ ​based​ ​program​ ​that allows​ ​landowners​ ​to​ ​sell​ ​​development​ ​rights​​ ​from​ ​their​ ​land​ ​to​ ​a​ ​developer​ ​or​ ​other interested​ ​party​ ​who​ ​then​ ​can​ ​use​ ​these​ ​​rights​​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​the​ ​density​ ​of​ ​​development at​ ​another​ ​designated​ ​location.​ ​Credit:​ ​Wikipedia.)

As​ ​for​ ​the​ ​3,700​ ​resort​ ​rooms​ ​that​ ​already​ ​have​ ​“Resort”​ ​zoning,​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​remove such​ ​zoning.​ ​Instead​ ​we​ ​should​ ​put​ ​in​ ​place​ ​laws​ ​that​ ​clearly​ ​and​ ​fairly​ ​require​ ​every development​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​the​ ​public​ ​costs​ ​caused​ ​by​ ​that​ ​development — such​ ​as​ ​increased​ ​traffic lanes,​ ​more​ ​park​ ​space​ ​and​ ​affordable​ ​housing.​ ​​​Adding​ ​3,700​ ​more​ ​resort​ ​rooms​ ​for​ ​thousands of​ ​additional​ ​visitors​ ​will​ ​put​ ​huge​ ​burdens​ ​on​ ​the​ ​environment,​ ​roads,​ ​county​ ​services​ ​and more.​

​​ ​If​ ​developers​ ​don’t​ ​pay​ ​these​ ​costs,​ ​the​ ​community​ ​will​ ​bear​ ​the​ ​burden​ ​through​ ​taxes and​ ​higher​ ​fees.​ ​​​There​ ​will​ ​also​ ​be​ ​increased​ ​pressure​ ​to​ ​raise​ ​and​ ​use​ ​the​ ​Transient Accommodation​ ​Tax​ ​(TAT)​ ​to​ ​offset​ ​the​ ​visitor-related​ ​costs​ ​imposed​ ​on​ ​the​ ​public.​ ​​​To​ ​avoid higher​ ​costs​ ​to​ ​the​ ​community​ ​and​ ​the​ ​visitor​ ​industry,​ ​the​ ​developer​ ​should​ ​be​ ​required​ ​to​ ​pay impact​ ​fees​ ​upfront​ ​to​ ​cover​ ​the​ ​costs​ ​the​ ​development​ ​causes.

When​ ​faced​ ​with​ ​the​ ​true​ ​overall​ ​costs​ ​of​ ​a​ ​new​ ​resort,​ ​developers​ ​may​ ​choose​ ​to​ ​hold​ ​off​ ​until they​ ​are​ ​sure​ ​the​ ​market​ ​can​ ​bear​ ​those​ ​costs.​​​ ​Or,​ ​they​ ​will​ ​pay​ ​to​ ​offset​ ​the​ ​public​ ​costs​ ​of their​ ​development.​ ​​​This​ ​should​ ​slow​ ​down​ ​development​ ​based​ ​on​ ​true​ ​market​ ​dynamics​ ​and will​ ​deflect​ ​the​ ​costs​ ​of​ ​development​ ​from​ ​the​ ​community.

Our​ ​ultimate​ ​goal​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a​ ​land​ ​regulation​ ​system​ ​that​ ​permits​ ​only​ ​development​ ​that​ ​pays its​ ​way,​ ​is​ ​located​ ​in​ ​the​ ​proper​ ​place,​ ​and​ ​benefits​ ​the​ ​community.​ ​​​It​ ​would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​system​ ​that would​ ​indicate​ ​to​ ​developers​ ​early​ ​on​ ​where​ ​and​ ​what​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​development​ ​was​ ​desired​ ​and what​ ​would​ ​be​ ​required​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​offsets.​ ​​​Such​ ​a​ ​system​ ​would​ ​be​ ​streamlined​ ​so​ ​that​ ​the worthy​ ​developments​ ​that​ ​pay​ ​their​ ​share​ ​of​ ​public​ ​costs​ ​and​ ​meet​ ​all​ ​requirements​ ​whiz through​ ​the​ ​permitting​ ​system,​ ​making​ ​it​ ​a​ ​“win-win”​ ​for​ ​both​ ​the​ ​developer​ ​and​ ​the​ ​community. Creating​ ​such​ ​a​ ​system​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a​ ​goal​ ​clearly​ ​stated​ ​in​ ​the​ ​General​ ​Plan​ ​Update.

Kauai​ ​is​ ​special​ ​because​ ​its​ ​residents​ ​have​ ​worked​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​it​ ​special.​ ​Come​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Special Planning​ ​Committee​ ​meeting​ ​on​ ​Wednesday​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Historic​ ​County​ ​Building.​ ​​​Public​ ​testimony starts​ ​at​ ​8:30​ ​a.m.​ ​​​You​ ​can​ ​also​ ​email​ ​councilmembers​ ​at​ CouncilTestimony@kauai.gov​.​ ​​​A democracy​ ​is​ ​like​ ​a​ ​potluck.​ ​​​It​ ​works​ ​best​ ​when​ ​everyone​ ​participates​ ​in​ ​an​ ​informed​ ​way!

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JoAnn Yukimura is a member of the Kauai County Council.