Sunday, February 10, 2008

A Whirlwind Week of Action...

As reported in our weekly email update, lots happening in the aftermath of the Groundhog Day rallies: one gate has been voluntarily opened by homeowners on a private beachside lane in Kailua... the hidden 911 beach access sign we alerted the press to, has been moved by the City... and the State Legislature has scheduled hearings on at least three bills related to public beach access.

Also, on Sat., Feb. 9, State Sen. Clayton Hee held a press conference in conjunction with the newly-formed Ko'olauloa-North Shore Alliance, which includes many of the same groups that united for G-Day 2008, to present bills calling for the acquisition of undeveloped land around the Turtle Bay Resort and Ka Iwi coastline.

Preserving open space is an integral part of protecting shoreline access for the people of Hawaii. Beach Access Hawaii is proud to be part of the new alliance, and we'll keep you posted on those proposals as well.

The hearing on Sen. Gary Hooser's bills will be on Fri., Feb. 15, 2:45 PM at the State Capitol building. SB283 requires state and county agencies to ensure that a public right-of-way is available prior to the approval of ANY development project, subdivision, or zoning change. This also applies to residential construction work on beachfront homes.

We're still pushing hard for a hearing on Rep. Lyla Berg's bill that would mandate public rights-of-way for every quarter mile of beach on all islands. Stay tuned for breaking news on that and other bills we're tracking!

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