December 2012 PDF
December 2012
Builder Defies Planning Department with Helipad on 'Sod Farm' Dwelling
“Waterfalling Estate.” That is the name that Scott Watson has given to a house he has built at Ninole, on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island about 20 miles north of Hilo. Like most other houses with names, it … Continued
Shoreline Easement Lost as Builder Racks Up SMA Violations
Ensuring public shoreline access has never been an easy task in Hawai`i. Almost always, it involves the state or county government acquiring easements across private property as a condition of development. Take the case of a subdivision in Pepe`ekeo, a … Continued
Appeals Court Hears Arguments in 2001 Pila'a Reef Damage Case
The end may be near for a decade-old case involving the largest fine ever levied by the state Board of Land and Natural Resources. After five years in stasis, the Intermediate Court of Appeals finally heard oral arguments on October … Continued
New & Noteworthy: `Aina Le`a, ATST, Ka`anapali Boating
`Aina Le`a Update: The slow pace of development at the Big Island project known as the Villages of `Aina Le`a seems to be matched these days only by the slow progress of challenges to it in court. The state has … Continued
EDITORIAL: Lax Policy of Hawai'i County Eggs On Violators
Scott Watson may be a “serial violator,” to use the description of him offered by an employee of the Hawai`i County Planning Department. But as serious and numerous as his infractions may be, the real villain in the sad stories … Continued
Board Talk: Illegal Subdivision of Conservation District Halts Puna Couple's Effort to Build a Home
“They should have told us a long time ago,” Maureen Gapp said through tears after the vote of the Board of Land and Natural Resources to deny her a Conservation District Use Permit. The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ … Continued
A $6 Million 'Private Resort' Closes Off Public Access
If anyone is in the market for a “private resort,” complete with swimming pool, water slide, high-dive platform, half a regulation NBA court, and a three-level house with seven bedrooms, eight and a half bathrooms, and kitchens on all levels, … Continued