Kaʻū News Briefs May 28, 2024

EVA LIU, PRINCIPAL OF BLACK SAND BEACH, LLC, responded to a political cartoon published in May in Hawai‘i Tribune Herald. It showed a construction crane with her company's name on it holding up a turtle on Black Sand Beach. 

    She wrote: “Responsible journalism is a phrase that most of us want to believe in. Unfortunately, Gary Hoff's cartoon last Sunday was both irresponsible and beneath the quality of journalism at the Hawai‘i Tribune Herald. The cartoon was blatantly wrong and quite simply unfair. The Trib needs to do better. 

    “Our partners at Black Sand Beach, LLC are committed to community, culture and conservation. We are committed to do what’s pono. Punalu‘u Village was originally developed by C. Brewer in the 1970’s, and the entire complex is zoned around a resort concept. That said, we are not building a resort. We are focused on creating a community centered around health and wellness that will serve residents and visitors

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach photo from Punalu'u Village facebook.

alike. 

    “We spent the last three years listening to the community and downsized the project from the previous owners’ plan of building 2,900 units to a much smaller concept of 225 units located about ¼ mile from the shoreline. We’ve already spent over a million dollars to upgrade the area’s infrastructure including the water and wastewater systems that serves the existing condominiums, golf estates and the public beach park facilities. 

    “We recognize that some in the community don’t want anything to happen in Punalu‘u Village. Leave it as it is. We don’t think that it’s pono. Past decades of neglect and 'leaving things as is' have proven otherwise. 

    “We’re trying to do the right thing. 

    “We’ve committed to move all commercial activities off the shoreline, protect Native Hawaiian gathering and fishing rights, restore Kawaihuokauila Pond, work to limit or eliminate tour buses at the beach, establish a Shoreline Conservation Management Area, and to create a community-led and community-driven foundation to manage an steward the conservation area and wahi pana (sacred sites).         “Unfortunately, Hoff’s cartoon contributes to the spread of misinformation by inaccurately suggesting that we’re displacing the honu and harming the environment when in fact, we’re actively protecting the honu.” 

    After the May public hearing on the Punalu‘u project, Black Sand Beach, LLC posted on its facebook page Punalu‘u Community: “After a day of testimony, we have entered into a contested case process. We will continue working closely with the community to address concerns and ensure a sustainable, respectful development process. Mahalo to all!”

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THE PUNALU'U CONTESTED CASE, regarding a Special Management Area Permit proposal for Black Sand Beach, LLC’s proposed development. is set for July. The parties, Black Sand Beach, LLC, County of Hawai‘i, and the intervenors, the Center for Biological Diversity and a community group ‘Iewe Hanau o Ka ‘Āina, have agreed to a mediator for the settlement conference. County rules require this mandatory settlement conference between the parties before any contested case can proceed. The conference could be short or take some time.
    If a settlement between the parties on the Punalu‘u issue can’t be reached during the conference in July, then a contested case will go forth. Should the contested case proceed, it could be a lengthy process. A hearings officer who operates as a judge, must be chosen, briefing deadlines set, and the quasi-judicial trial held. At the end, the hearings officer makes a final determination, which will be sent to the Windward Planning Commission, which can choose whether to accept the recommendation. Windward Planning Commission would also have for its consideration, the two days of testimony from the public.

    The Windward Planning Commission voted to accepted the Contested Case interventions at the

May 6 public hearing.