REPORT FROM KAUAI COUNTY – Citing the lack of action on permits that were first issued in 2005, modified by the Planning Commission in 2009 and then extended for three years, Planning Director Michael Dahilig has filed a petition asking the Planning Commission to issue an order to show cause (OSC) against Coco Palms, LLC Ventures, the owner of the resort that has remained vacant since it was severely damaged by Hurricane Iniki in September 1992.
“Twenty years of blight and inaction must stop now,” stated Dahilig. Noting that the three-year time extension on the special management area (SMA) permits and their related conditions expired on January 25, 2013 without a request for extension or update from the property owner, Dahilig said “the extension was granted with the understanding that the project would be completed by the deadline, however, the property remains in limbo with no foreseeable action in sight. I believe revocation of permits is the proper course of action at this time.”
Mayor Bernard Carvalho and Council Chair Jay Furfaro concur with Dahilig’s approach. In a joint statement, they also asserted that inaction at Coco Palms is no longer acceptable. “The owners have had ample time to seek solutions and yet we are still at square one,” they stated. “It’s time to move forward and look to other options that will address the future of this historic site. Once the permit issue is resolved, we will be in a better position to discuss what those options might be.”
In his filing, Dahilig is asking the Planning Commission to place the matter on the agenda of its February 12 meeting, in order to schedule an OSC hearing with the Commission’s hearings officer on Thursday, March 28, at 9:00 am.
Sad. I hope the developers are able to rebuild on that beautiful site. I remember being there with my parents when I was 6 when we were visiting from Honolulu.
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