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CLIII Pi 1°NN NG DEPT <br /> MAY 9 20124 <br /> RECD BY MAIg <br /> Council moves to Tool <br /> block Kau hotel project Email this article <br /> E-mail City Desk <br /> Authorizing Mayor Kim to buy the land could <br /> bring a smaller project <br /> STORY SUMMARY» <br /> KAILUA-KONA»The Hawaii County Council approved a measure <br /> yesterday authorizing Mayor Harry Kim to negotiate the purchase <br /> of 150 acres of coastal land at the Punaluu black-sand beach 56 <br /> miles south of Hilo. <br /> A potential effect would be to kill a 350-room, 1,050-residential-unit <br /> resort on 430 acres proposed by developer Sea Mountain Five <br /> LLC. <br /> But practically,the measure passed by a 5-4 vote could force Sea <br /> Mountain to downsize its proposal to make it acceptable to Kim's <br /> administration,Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford said. <br /> Kim has said that he would prefer not to see a resort at the site,but <br /> it is not clear whether his administration would completely block it. <br /> The council measure"authorized"Kim's administration to buy 150 <br /> acres at the beach and 2,000 feet inland, but it does not give the <br /> administration power to force a sale.Pat Blew of Sea Mountain <br /> said his company has a contract to buy the land and has no <br /> intention of selling it. <br /> A sizable part of the Kau community wants some kind of <br /> development,for the jobs it would create and for the estimated$1 <br /> million per year in public benefits it would create. <br /> FULL STORY» <br /> By Rod Thompson <br /> rthompso n(tilsta rbu l leti n.com <br /> KAILUA-KONA»The Hawaii County Council,in a 5-4 vote <br /> yesterday,approved seeking the purchase of 150 acres at the <br /> Punaluu black-sand beach on the Big Island,casting a cloud over a <br /> proposal to build a 350-room resort and 1,050 housing units. <br /> The council passed a resolution"authorizing"the administration of <br /> Mayor Harry Kim to negotiate the purchase of the shoreline and <br /> land extending back 2,000 feet from the beach. <br /> The resolution does not call for legal condemnation of the land,and <br /> Sea Mountain Five LLC managing partner Pat Blew said his <br /> company is not willing to give up the land voluntarily. <br /> Both the Council and Kim are now on record that the resort as <br /> proposed is not acceptable.Referring to Punaluu,Kim previously <br /> said he would like to see one beach on the island remain free of <br /> resorts. <br /> Sea Mountain needs various county approvals,especially a S CA 1J ] <br /> shoreline management area permit. ��`� <br /> The company does not own the 430-acre tract in question.Sea ''f 9 <br /> Mountain has an agreement to buy it from SM Investment Partners <br /> only after the company obtains the shoreline permit. <br /> With neither Sea Mountain nor SM Investment willing to sell,the <br /> actual effect of yesterday's resolution could be to force.negotiation <br /> Rebecca /ii /0/07/7, ti,G- 71i', dny/ itfla/Ii'4t/ <br />