As the new owners of the site of the once great Coco Palms Hotel, we want to take this opportunity to update you on our efforts to restore this beautiful and sacred land to its former glory.
About six months ago we acquired control of the property via foreclosure/failed sale and were deeply disturbed by the state in which we found it.
The grounds were covered in nearly 100 abandoned cars, a large homeless camp, and tens of thousands of pounds of trash. Criminal activity and drug abuse were rampant on the property, and we’re told these problems have existed for well over a decade. The extent of the problem was truly shocking and heartbreaking.
We took on the enormous responsibility and expense of beginning to clean up the property because we understand the importance of preserving this land and ensuring it is treated with the respect it deserves.
The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) has also expressed a desire to see the property cleaned up, and we happily agreed to their request. We assumed DLNR’s request to clean up the property was all the permission we needed from DLNR to do the cleanup,, so we didn’t apply for a permit for the cleanup.
The DLNR has informed us we needed a permit to clean up this land, and has asked us to hold off on any more cleanup until we obtain the correct permit. We’ll of course obtain any needed permits and work cooperatively with the DLNR and all other government agencies to ensure we comply with all rules and regulations as we clean up the historic Coco Palms property, and ensure it never again becomes a dumping ground for trash or a magnet for crime and drug abuse.
Separately, the DLNR has received erroneous complaints that we grubbed or graded the land. We will show the DLNR those complaints are not accurate.
Lastly, the County of Kaua‘i asked us to provide emergency access to the property, especially for fire trucks, by removing some trees. There was a major fire on the property in 2012, so the county’s request was not surprising, and we complied with it. Other governmental agencies are concerned we did not get their permission before complying with the county’s request, and we are working to resolve that issue.
Our highest priority has been to clean up and secure the site in preparation to demolish the dilapidated structures.
All work that has been performed on the project has been monitored by our on-site archaeological monitors and per our approved Archaeological Monitoring Plan.
We are committed to working with area Native Hawaiian community groups and others to ensure that we move forward in a manner that honors this sacred land and its history.
We will continue to work proactively with all government and regulatory authorities to ensure we are in compliance with all rules and regulations, as we continue to transform this property from its current dilapidated state to a beautiful place worthy of its history.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. We appreciate your support and look forward to updating you on our progress.
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Patrick Manning is the managing director of Reef Capital Partners in Utah, which is the developer of Coco Palms Resort in Wailua.
