HA‘ENA — Commercial parking lots across from Tunnels Beach are no longer in operation after the state found three land owners to be in violation of land use within the conservation district. On Friday, the Office of Conservation and Coastal
HA‘ENA — Commercial parking lots across from Tunnels Beach are no longer in operation after the state found three land owners to be in violation of land use within the conservation district.
On Friday, the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources issued a notice of alleged violation and orders to Naomi Yokotake in Hanalei, the Ruth Chang Trust in Lahaina and Richard Berry of Oregon. The complaints issued were for alleged unauthorized land use.
An OCCL investigation was in response to complaints from North Shore residents asking why there are commercial parking lots operating within the state conservation district area. The lots are fenced-in grass fields with gatekeepers taking approximately $10 per vehicle to park near access points to Makua, also known as Tunnels Beach.
The investigation concluded that a commercial parking lot is being operated by the two named individuals on parcel TMK (4) 5-9-001:021 in Ha‘ena, said DLNR Information Specialist Deborah Ward. The parcel belonging to Berry is TMK 4-5-9-001:021.
“The parcels are located within the conservation district limited subzone, which is under the jurisdiction of the State of Hawai‘i,” Ward said. “There is no record of approval for this use of the parcels.”
The land owners are granted a 30-day reply period for the notice. If commercial parking lot continues to be operated on the parcel, then the matter is to be referred to DLNR Board for disposition and fines of up to $15,000 per day in addition to administrative costs incurred by the department.
Prior to the DLNR review, the Kaua‘i County Planning Department issued a statement saying that while the parcels come under the county’s special management area, the county involvement occurs when improvements are being made to the area.
The parcels are located in the state land use conservation district, the statement added. Any land use in the conservation district comes under the purview of DLNR.
“After finding that no discernible improvements were made to the area in question, no further action was taken,” the statement says.
Complaints noted that the lots could each handle 75 to 100 cars, and that the diversion of cars from the county parking area nearer Ke‘e Beach is creating more sanitation issues without bathrooms, showers or trash bins between Tunnels and the alleged illegal lots.
“The visitors are leaving all kinds of rubbish, and worse, dirty diapers and other trash in the bushes,” said Keoni Smith in an email to The Garden Island. “It is getting out of control.”
Although Tunnels has long been a visitor attraction, Smith said the parking lots are effectively placing more people on the beach and requires a lifeguard reassessment of what they currently have in place to handle these numbers. “It is becoming a safety issue,” Smith said.
• Jane Esaki contributed to this report.
