KOKE‘E — The state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources announced the availability of seven cabins in the historic Koke‘e recreation residence community that will be auctioned to the public for annual leases in mid-April during the third auction.
The properties were leased by negotiation and appraisal until 1985 when they were all offered for public auction.
Following a 20-year lease term that ended in 2005, lessees in good standing were again allowed to continue their leases through direct negotiation and appraisal. At that time, 17 cabins were returned to the state which set the stage for the second-ever auction that took place in December 2011. Winning bids for the annual lease rent during the auction ranged from $2,500 to $18,000.
The seven cabins that will be auctioned during the upcoming third auction were all returned to the state over the past 10 years. As a result, many of these properties have deteriorated. Successful bidders will have an opportunity to join a historic community that takes pride in helping care for the mountains of Kaua‘i.
The Koke‘e Leaseholders Association was formed in 1983 to work with the state and to protect this community, said the DLNR.
“We work closely with the DSP (Division of State Parks) to ensure that these cabins get into the hands of community members who will love them and maintain them as recreational residences, as always envisioned,” said Chipper Wichman, president of the Koke‘e Leaseholders Association.
“The unique historic community that has evolved up in Koke‘e over the past 100 years is part of Hawai‘i’s heritage and is not replicated anywhere else in the state. Many of the cabins are designated as historic structures under Hawai‘i law. The DLNR Division of State Parks has adopted specific design guidelines to protect the unique architecture of this mountain community.”
Opening bids for the currently available lots will range from $4,500 to $9,500 for annual lease rent.
People will have an opportunity to view the exterior of the cabins and their associated properties at the end of February for the proposed auction date in mid-April.
“For some of the current lot of cabins up for auction, ‘rustic’ may be a bit of an understatement,” said DSP Assistant Administrator Alan Carpenter. “They have been vacant a while — bring your own elbow grease. But we’re confident that we’ll find good families to steward and enjoy these cherished mountain cabins.”
The Koke‘e community was planned and modeled on recreation residences in the U.S. National Forests across the mainland. At first, the Territory of Hawai‘i, then the state of Hawai‘i started issuing permits and leases for more than 100 recreation residences, including to church camps and civic organizations.
