Our elected or selected government representatives have been misled and duped by the empty promises of off island developers for the past 30 years since Coco Palms was destroyed by ‘Iniki. We as a community (me included) should have been “up in arms, stomping on desks” over the lack action by the interval mayors, county councils, planning commissioners. Promises were made and broken. No quick fix even happened. The festering Coco Palms situation required new thinking, new directions years ago.
To fully understand the situation we must look backward. This property was first leased by Mr. Lyle Guslander a hotelier from San Francisco and Honolulu, He appropriately identified tourism as a new business opportunity on Kaua‘i that would supplement our already present pineapple and sugar industry. He stumbled upon a site in Wailua, Kaua‘i, that was previously used as a businessman’s lodge. It fit the bill for potential rental rooms and was located across from the beautiful sheltered Wailua Bay with long, very broad sandy beach. It was ocean front since traffic was no problem; only one car every three to five minutes went by and the sugar cane train tracks, fronting the property were used only intermittently during harvesting.
He leased/purchased the property in 1953 with its 24 rooms for hotel use. This became the footprint for all the changes that went on to become the iconic Coco Palms hotel.
In the 1970s with its Hawai‘i themed ambience and Hollywood appeal because of its moviemaking history it was the place to be seen. Elvis and the movie South Pacific only added to its importance on Kaua‘i.
Because of its popularity nobody ever stopped to think whether it was really an appropriate hotel site in the first place. So much has changed since it first started in 1953 and even since its total destruction in 1992; that no one’s even entertained seriously the idea of whether a hotel at this site passes a common sense test.
Certainly a Kaua‘i general plan update (citizen directed) would likely reject that idea. The property is no longer ocean front with a wall between it and the beach. The beach itself is only a ribbon of sand compared to the broad, expansive beach with trees and a parking lot previously present. The beach’s existence in front of Coco Palms almost disappeared in 2021 winter when the water reached under the bike path and even to the critical North/South connection of Kaumuali‘i Highway.
The traffic which was nonexistent in 1953 is now a nightmare and threatens access to both the Homestead and House lots our two bedroom communities in the area. Global warming with more extreme tides and sea water rise will likely cause a greater threat to the highway in the future, it certainly won’t get better. The stretch between the Wailua River the North end of Kapa‘a is intolerable, trafficwise. Adding a 315 room hotel, invites more chaos.
The property itself has always been located in a low-lying flood zone that was inundated completely in 2021. It previously required pumping every time a heavy rain hit the Wailua area. Under modern urban planning who would allow a hotel in essentially a semi wet swamp.
Finally as community we must admit to being dismissive toward Hawaiian cultural values, for too long. It really is The Sacred Lower Wailua River. It is home of royalty home for birthing and dying, City of Refuge, multiple very important heiau’s, center of their Monarchy’s property. Would we have tolerated similar treatment toward Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist recent great-great-grand parents, I doubt it so lets listen to their side of the story?
At the most recent planning commission hearing, which I attended, only two council candidates were against a hotel rebuild. Felicia Cowden and Fern Holland (who presented a full comprehensive review of the issues involved) I would vote for both of them if you agree with my thinking.
No to a hotel at Coco Palms site it will make things worse!!
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Roger Netzer M.D. is resident and a retired long-time Kaua‘i physician.
There’s only one problem with your article: you forgot to write about money. The land is worth about $20 – $25 Million. For the County to take it over and turn it into a park, the County would need to come up with about that much money to acquire the land through eminent domain. And then the County would have to budget a significant amount every year for improvements and repairs and maintenance of the plot. It’s not going to keep itself clean. And finally there’s the issue of opportunity cost; The amount of tax revenue lost by not having a revenue producing hotel which also has to pay property taxes. Sure, a cultural park would be a much better choice for the location, that’s pretty obvious, what’s not obvious is how many dollars are needed and where is that money going to come from ?
Instead of just writing about the obvious how about you put your energy into organizing a fundraiser.
Thank you Dr. Netzer- I like your new job!!! Keep up the good work!!
I agree with Dr. Netzer 100% and I’m sure the entire county council does temptation of political financial graft is too big of temptation for the majority of the members.
Patrick H Flores, Nampa, Id