A Step Towards State Action?

The Kailua Neighborhood Board passed three motions related to beach
access at their monthly meeting on Thurs., Nov. 1. One asked the Dept.
of Planning and Permitting to verify if the gate on L'Orange Place is
in compliance with the permit that was taken out by Rich Carvill,
president of the L'Orange homeowners association and owner of Carvill &
Company, a real estate business. The permit was for a wood fence and
gate. What was erected is not made of wood. Manini stuff? Maybe. But it
seems like some of these gated road homeowners only want certain rules
and laws enforced when it suits their needs.

The other two motions passed are more significant:

Motion 1: The Kailua Neighborhood Board No 31 requests that
Councilmember Marshall's office initiate a tax assessment review of all
Kailua private lanes and beach rights of way that prohibit public
access.

A letter has already been sent by the KNB Sustainability Committee to
Barbara Marshall, who says she is in favor of financial tax
disincentives for private road homeowners who deny public access to
beaches. Will higher taxes persuade some to reopen or keep open their
lanes? We don't know yet, but it's worth looking into.

Motion 2: The Kailua Neighborhood Board requests that the State
Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Attorney General along
with other state agencies as appropriate verify whether, or not, the
County of Honolulu is in compliance with public access to the beaches
and other recreational areas, and to provide the KNB with that
information as required by Section 198D-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes,
including access to all beaches, shorelines and inland recreational
areas in Ko'olaupoko.

This is big, folks. We don't know if anyone has ever asked the State
DLNR or Attorney General to say whether the County of Honolulu is in
compliance with "guidelines" on public beach access. We already know
that in Kailua at least two of our public accesses are more than a half
mile apart -- and the standard is supposed to be a quarter mile.

Moreover, State Senator Fred Hemmings spoke at the KNB meeting and said
public beach access is "a serious problem" that "has to be addressed"
by the County of Honolulu, and the State as well. Tell him we need his
help and support, by calling him at 587-8388 or email him at:
senhemmings@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Mahalo to BAH members and the KNB for staying there until 11 PM last
night to pass these motions! It may not seem like much to pass a motion
about sending letters. But it's a major step towards getting the State
to acknowledge that something needs to be done to preserve beach access
for all of Hawaii.

Next up: KNB Sustainability Committee meeting, Tues., Nov. 13, 7 PM at
the Kailua Recreation Center. Special thanks to KNB members, Christian
Porter, Linda Ure and Kalana Best for their work on the committee in
assisting BAH!

(Submitted by Rich Figel, phone: 262-5073).