A wild meeting just took place on the future of a hotel or cultural park at Coco Palms Kauai.
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37 thoughts on “Breaking: Coco Palms Plans Explode In Bizarre, Emotional Hearing”
A wild meeting just took place on the future of a hotel or cultural park at Coco Palms Kauai.
Excellant report by Beat of Hawaii.
l
Do you know about if hotel property fee simply owner (present or the so called”new buyer”) even has mentioned or Planning Commission has ever asked them about any actions they have taken to become lessee of the State (DNLR) land that makes up the coconut grove, the corner at Kuamoo and Kuhio and a portion that is SeaShell. Kauai County Property website says lessee is Coco Palm Ventures LLC (a former developer) with address in Honolulu . It also seems to show that back property taxes owed. Wonder if a new lessee will be reponsible to pay back taxes not paid by a former lessee or if County can take some action to collect from State.
HI Carl.
Great questions. We haven’t heard anything about the state land that’s part of it.
Aloha.
This is excellent coverage of the Planning Commission hearing today; however, the Planning Commission’s own rules require “substantial progress” be made within two years of the issuance of permits or the permits automatically lapse (not within the last two years). Permits were issued 3/10/2015. Under the rules, the permits lapsed in 2017. The Fifth Circuit Court, State of Hawaii, ruled in a similar case in 2020 that the Commissioners could not extend the time. The “lapsing of permits” is mandatory if no substantial progress was made within the first two years of the issuance of permits. While the County of Kauai appealed the Court’s decision, the decision has not been reversed, to date.
Aloha, Here We Go, Again,,,,
I don’t know how, I have no proof, no ideas but this is so fishy,,
First time the representative had been to Kaua’i? Give me a break. That right there should tell you something and the were not building huts here, even I, as only a 16 year houle resident, find that incredibly offensive! Huts might just be the way to go Mr Utah.
A question which nobody ever seems to want to answer: How much is the upfront and ongoing cost and who pays if this is turned into a cultural center ?
I certainly presented the same question in a way to provide some guidance in how much would it cost and who would be willing to pay. If the current owners want to provide funding for a project of a certain scope perhaps the best solution could be obtained with their assistance. Otherwise donors need to be found.
Don’t you think if donors for a project this size were available, they would already have been found ?
I hope Coco Palms can be restored closely to the way it was before Iniki. It was such a magnificent place that so many fondly remember today.
Too bad the minority members of the Council voted down the resolution for a Charter amendment for affordable housing funding. If citizens approved, then the funds to purchase the property may have been available to reimagine Coco Palms with some affordable housing and cultural center together.
Forgive me, but it seems to me the permitting process is just a game of delay, reapply, delay, reapply. And if the place is unsuitable for a hotel due to global climate change, then it certainly is for a cultural center. Furthermore, what did the prior owners do that allowed them to construct it? Communication and compromise then, should be as vital for now.
The Coco Palms could never realistically be replaced. In today’s world a hotel that small couldn’t make enough to satisfy the investors and a big newer resort type hotel couldn’t recreate the magic. It is a fond memory of what once was and I’m thankful I had the privilege to experience it in the 1960s. I was just a young child but it’s a place I have never forgotten. I think it would be the best tribute to Kauai and the loving memories of a tremendous landmark to develop a cultural center in it’s place. It would be amazing if the architects could design the new buildings along the lagoon in a similar style of the original structures
Thank you Beat of Hawaii for providing an update on the hearing about Coco Palms. One thing I don’t understand and wonder if you would be able to address is why the Kauai government is continuing to allow developers to extend and extend and extend the permits when there is are so many people against rebuilding. You are also right on that a hotel at that spot would not be all that desirable at all, particularly a luxury hotel that they claim to be building.
Hi AW.
We wonder the same thing ourselves. It just doesn’t add up.
Aloha.
Something to do with an upcoming election?
Making Coco Palms a historical or cultural site only may not be feasible if the County of Kauai or State of Hawaii would need to fund this effort. Donations from some of the Billionaires that are frequenting Kauai may be possible and should be investigated for a source of funding. Any plan must include the feasibility of securing the funding for the plan.