Opponents of the Kahala Resort permit are stepping up efforts to protect public shoreline access amid a new request tied to operations fronting the luxury hotel on Oahu’s south shore.
The Sierra Club, Hawaii’s 1000 Friends, Livable Hawaii Kai Hui, the Surfrider Foundation and the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board have joined a grass-roots coalition seeking to stop the state from reissuing a permit to the hotel’s owner, Resorttrust Hawaii LLC.
The Kahala pays $1,281.60 a month for a revocable permit that authorizes use of portions of the public beach for recreation and maintenance. That long-standing permit came under scrutiny last year when Resorttrust sought a state easement to use about an acre of shoreline for commercial activity.
The plan would have expanded outdoor wedding ceremonies from two to three state parcels and set aside space for torch-lighting ceremonies and traditional sailing outrigger canoe rides.
After community protests over the prospect of weakening Hawai‘i’s public beach protections, the resort withdrew the nonexclusive easement application.
Kahala General Manager Gerald Glennon said, “It wasn’t something that the community wanted. I don’t think we’ll ever go to the nonexclusive easement again.”
Resorttrust has since asked the state to amend its revocable permit to allow the property to keep 40 items in the public area, including cabanas, showers, trash cans, canoes, beach chairs and storage. The company is also seeking permission to use a grassy strip for group events.
Resorttrust’s latest request, which Glennon characterized as an effort to clarify permit language, is scheduled to go before the state Board of Land and Natural Resources on Sept. 14.
The proposal has drawn fresh opposition from several community groups, including the Sierra Club, which urged BLNR to investigate and take action regarding alleged violations of the current revocable permit.
The Sierra Club contends the existing permit allows occupancy and use of state-ceded land only for recreation and maintenance, but that the hotel uses it for a restaurant and bar, weddings, surf lessons, canoeing, alcohol sales and consumption, and beach chair and cabana rentals.
If the Kahala receives another revocable permit, members of the hui say the state should raise fees and commit to stronger enforcement.
Diamond Head resident Linda Wong, who opposed the earlier easement request, also objects to modifying the terms of the current permit, calling it an after-the-fact authorization of the resort’s present activities and structures.
She said restaurant dining should not be categorized as recreation and argued for market-rate penalties for prior placement of structures on state land.
“Public lands are for public use. The beachfront land in front of the Kahala Hotel should not be used for any commercial purpose; it should be free of all structures and storage; and should be freely available for use by the general public,” Wong said.
Glennon acknowledged a “small opposition group that would like to see everything that’s been there for decades gone.”
He said Resorttrust wants the state to clarify the definitions of recreation and maintenance in the revocable permit so the hotel can formalize practices he said have occurred for years.
The owners want the state to be specific so that everyone understands what is allowed and what is not allowed, he said.
Kahala Resort permit review heads to BLNR
Glennon added that the company is willing to pay more for use of the area. “We also want to pay a fair price. In the past it was minimal,” he said.
“Our ownership group wants the reputation of the hotel and its relationship with the community to be solid.”
Opponents say the dispute highlights ongoing tensions over shoreline development and public access in Honolulu, similar to concerns raised in other coastal neighborhoods such as Waikiki.
Additional information about state permits and coastal lands is available from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, which oversees the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
