The “Kukuihaele Land Use Plan” limits the beauty of the coastal setting proposed for what it describes as the makai condominiums. They “will be set back from the cliffs but still maximize views of the cliffs, the ocean, and the coastline to the west. Facilities will consist of 40 two-bedroom units. Amenities will include a swimming pool, ponds, gardens, and expansive walkways, and the natural environment.”
One searches in vain for any mention of the landfill smack in the middle of the 14 -acre area rezoned by the Hawai’i County Council in December 1991 to accommodate Hamakua Sugar Company’s proposed condominium development.
The landfill would appear to be routinely maintained by person or persons with ready access to earth-moving equipment. The site is far more elaborate than a simple dump. It obviously has been graded and covered over with fresh earth. Moreover, in an evident attempt to keep out members of the public who may be in the area (say, people hiking to the Kukuihaele lighthouse and landing), a large earthen berm has been placed to block automobile access to the area. The berm lies just beyond where a jeep trail to the lighthouse intersects with the paved road.
At the far edge of the landfill, along the banks of a gully, one could see the rusted hulks of old machinery and vehicles. Discarded refrigerators and other household appliances were also clearly visible.
The landfill may be the most elaborately maintained site for refuse disposal in the area of the Hamakua Coast under ownership or control of the Hamakua Sugar Company. It is by no means the only area that the company has allowed to be trashed by the improper disposition of refuse, machinery, or equipment. Traveling along the old coastal road, one encounters many equipment graveyards – areas where machinery and vehicles were parked years ago, never to be moved since.
Volume 2, Number 11 May 1992
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