The Kaua‘i County Council on Thursday unanimously approved a proposal by Kukui‘Ula Development Co. Hawaii for a 1,002-acre residential, resort and commercial project at Kukui‘ula in Po‘ipu. “It was seven-zero,” council vice chairman James Tokioka said Friday. The decision allows
The Kaua‘i County Council on Thursday unanimously approved a proposal by Kukui‘Ula Development Co. Hawaii for a 1,002-acre residential, resort and commercial project at Kukui‘ula in Po‘ipu.
“It was seven-zero,” council vice chairman James Tokioka said Friday.
The decision allows for the development of the first large-scale resort community project on Kaua‘i in many years.
Kukui‘ula is located in the Po‘ipu Beach area, one of the top resort areas of the island. Kukui‘ula is an area located mauka of Lawa‘i Road, home to multi-million shoreline homes and on which are found condominiums and Spouting Horn, one of the island’s top visitor attractions.
The council, which met at the historic County Building, also approved a Visitor Destination Area designation for the entire 1002-acre project, up from the 160 acres originally approved.
The VDA designation allows for development of timeshare units throughout the project. However, the developer plans to locate the timeshare units only in “core areas” of the project.
The rezoning bill reduces the density of Kukui‘Ula from 3,400 residential units to 1,500 units. The developer proposes to sell fewer lots and units but at higher costs than were envisioned for the 3,400-unit proposal.
Some critics of the project contended the developer could be asking for up to $1.5 million for some lots, and that only wealthy Mainland buyers could afford them.
Such prices would box out most local homebuyers, the critics have contended.
Representatives for the developer said that while they understand the plight of local buyers, they need to sell the lots at “market prices” to make the project profitable.
The council requested, and representatives for the developer agreed, that the developer set aside a minimum of 75 housing units between Po‘ipu and Port Allen.
The homes would be geared for first-time Kaua‘i buyers, including those with income restrictions, who are resort employees and who are employed by Kaua‘i County.
A limited-equity, cooperative-housing project also may be developed on five acres some day, creating an opportunity to have “permanent affordable housing” on Kaua‘i.
Earlier this year, councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura had asked the council to support the cooperative housing concept to partly address the lack of affordable housing on Kaua‘i.
In response to concerns the project will create more traffic congestion in South Kaua‘i, leaders with Kukui‘Üla offered remedies: Installation of a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Po‘ipu Road and Lawa‘i Road; A “western bypass” road that would run from the roundabout mauka to Koloa Road and a “northern leg” of the bypass road to run from Koloa Road to Maluhia Road.
In addition, the developer plans to build a road within the resort to handle motorist traffic, and to turn an emergency road at the northwestern end of the project by Lawa‘i Road into a paved road, to provide another way for motorists to get in and around the resort.
These improvements are intended to help ease traffic on Po‘ipu, Koloa and Lawa‘i roads and steer traffic away from Koloa town as much as possible.
The developer also has agreed to maintain public access on beaches near the project, and will develop and maintain a 20-acre “regional and recreational park.”
Some residents had raised concerns that if the park were not built, Po‘ipu Beach Park and public beaches in South Kaua‘i, already popular destinations for visitors and longtime residents, would be inundated by a new wave of beach users.
Some residents also had voiced concerns that expanding the VDA designation would take more of the neighborhood feel out of Po‘ipu and Koloa residents.
Officials with the Kaua‘i County Planning Department sought the VDA designation as a way to differentiate Kuku‘iUla’s timeshare units from residential homes, in South Kaua‘i.
The VDA units and the “non-VDA” residential units are currently assessed the same tax rate, county officials said.
Officials said they are anticipating the rates for the homes will be remain lower than that of the VDA units should the day arrive when the council revises the tax laws.
Over the last four years, housing assessments have skyrocketed because of repeat high-price sales across the island.
The county has considered a tax structure reform to help longtime residents from being taxed off their properties.
For the Kukui‘ula project, the developer must secure county permits and other government approvals before actual construction starts.
Lester Chang, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and lchang@pulitzer.net
