Bill to Give Developer Ten More Years To Build Out Kona Vistas Site Stalls in Council
Some 68 acres of land in the West Hawaiʻi district of North Kona have become the battleground between two dueling visions for the future of the site. One of them sees the area, first zoned for housing forty years ago, … Continued
Council Gets Advice on Housing Credits: ‘First Priority – Get Rid of Them’
One of the strongest arguments for the Kona Vistas development has been that it will bring much needed housing at the mid-level range of affordability. A certain fraction of the planned 450 or so multi-family units will need to meet … Continued
New & Noteworthy: Oxygen from Rocks
Oxygen from Rocks: A recent report in the journal Nature Geoscience describes how manganese nodules generate oxygen at extreme, lightless ocean depths. The research was led by Andrew Sweetman, head of the seafloor ecology and biogeochemistry research group at the … Continued
City, Marconi Developer Reshape SMA Lawsuit ith Filing of Stipulation, Amended Complaint
A federal lawsuit over whether development on a 96-acre agriculture/preservation-zoned property on O`ahu’s North Shore requires a Special Management Area permit has been amended again. This time, the plaintiffs forgo their original claims that the Honolulu Department of Planning and … Continued
Stipulation in Federal Marconi Case Limits Records Disclosure to Discovery
An ongoing federal lawsuit brought last year by the developer of about 100 acres on Oʻahu’s North Shore focuses largely on the actions and/or inaction by the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting with regard to permit applications for buildings … Continued
Environment Hawaiʻi Appeals Refusal of BLNR to Hear Marconi Point Testimony
At its meeting of April 26, the Board of Land and Natural Resources was considering proposed fines against landowners at Marconi Point who were alleged to have violated state laws relating to the Conservation District and protected species. Dozens of … Continued
Board Talk: Owner Donates Lot to Settle Violation Cases Over for Illegal Fences, Bird and Bee Deaths
In the end, the 4.7-acre oceanfront property that Yue-Sai Kan bought in 2021 for $3.6 million turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. Last month, the media and cosmetics magnate settled violation cases before the state Board … Continued
Increased Takes of Pelagic False Killer Whales Prompt Conservation Groups to Warn NMFS
Scientists at the National Marine Fisheries Service have documented a rise in the number of pelagic false killer whales that are killed or seriously injured as a result of interactions with the Hawaiʻi-based longline fishing fleet. While the separate population … Continued