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Queen's RiseHawaii Kai Development
Company, Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate, and Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical
Company are proposing to end run typical development procedures by holding the
City Council hostage with a $100 million lawsuit. In the late 1980's, a battle
ensued between developers and those who would "Save Sandy Beach." In an island
wide initiative in 1988, two-thirds of O'ahu voters supported rezoning from
residential to preservation. However the Hawai'i Supreme Court overturned the
initiative. In 1989, the City Council, listening to the vote of the people,
rezoned the contested 31 acre parcel from residential to preservation.
The developers initiated eight inverse condemnation suits which could cost the
City anywhere from $30 to 100 million. In exchange for dropping the suits, the
developers request entitlement to develop twelve parcels of land in Hawai'i
Kai, Kalama Valley and Queen's Beach. All told, the they want to develop 1,700
residential units, a business park, a yacht club, an 18 hole golf course and a
140 room resort.
If developers are able to coerce the City through threat of lawsuit, then at
stake is the County's plan and zone. n