County wrestling with access to Kauapea Beach A North Shore developer realigned parts of a trail over his property that leads to Kauapea Beach in Kilauea without Kaua’i County approval and could be required to undo the work. The Kaua’i
County wrestling with access to Kauapea Beach
A North Shore developer realigned parts of a trail over his property that leads to Kauapea Beach in Kilauea without Kaua’i County approval and could be required to undo the work.
The Kaua’i County Council Thursday deferred action concerning a proposed beach access shift.
On June 1, Mayor Maryanne Kusaka requested council approval of a cancellation and relocation of a beach-access easement at Kilauea Bay.
The previous access had been last granted legally almost 10 years ago.
But there has been a public outcry against the new easement, completed without permits by the property owner, developer Steve Long.
Long built a concrete staircase to Secret (Kaupea) Beach to replace the current easement which abuts property he owns. Long has indicated he wishes to build homes nearby.
Long didn’t obtain a county Special Management Area (SMA) permit before he realigned parts of the 1,300-foot-long trail over his 24 acres of beachfront, said county Planning Department official Keith Nitta.
Without the permit, Long may have to remove the improvements, including steps.
“This is an illegal development. Basically, you can’t do anything without a permit. The owners have shown a total disregard for county law,” claimed George Volker, a North Shore resident.
Another citizen, Andy Parks, urged the council to stop the easement request, not defer it.
But the council opted for deferment until Aug. 15. Councilman Ron Kouchi said a “denial today would eliminate any discussion.”
Councilman Kaipo Asing pointed out that the Kilauea Neighborhood Association had asked for time to study the situation before offering its opinion.
Asing also said sections of the staircase might be in a conservation district, which would further complicate the matter.
The Planing Department will determine whether a minor or major SMA permit is required when the agency reviews Long’s application for an after-the-fact permit for the work done on the trail, Nitta said.
A public hearing on the permit will be held if it is determined that a major permit is required through approval by the county Planning Commission.
No public hearing will be required for a minor SMA permit, which can be approved by the Planning Department.
Council members visited the trail site in June, accompanied by several members of the public.
Visitors and residents take the trail to get to the remote beach, where nudity has prompted wealthy landowners on the bluffs by the beach to hire security guards to warn people not to sunbathe in the nude.
Over the years, the original alignment of the trail has been changed, possibly by nature or by people who use the trail. Long apparently moved it back to its original alignment in anticipation of building a home by the trail and preserving the privacy of new homeowners, Nitta said.
Long also realigned the trail to protect himself against lawsuits in the event of accidents. “People meander off the trail, and he is worried about the liability,” Nitta said.
But some beachgoers have complained parts of the new alignment are too steep and are dangerous.
Staff writers Lester Chang and Dennis Wilken can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 225 (Chang) or 252 (Wilken), and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net and mailto:dwilken@pulitzer.net
