HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0853.007 2010-2012 comments in support of Comm. 853 (Res. 308-112) re. access to Papa'ikou Beach
for Hawai'i County Finance Committee, 10 AM Tuesday, October 2, 2012, Hilo
Cory Harden, Sierra Club, Moku Loa Group. PO Box 1137. Hilo, Hawai'i 96721
mhAinterpac.net 808-968-8965
Many thanks to Dominic Yagong for his leadership on this difficult issue. This land, as Lito Arkangel said,
is "a big kuleana."
We understand there is a proposal for access through the Shropshire land. We hope Council will ensure a
public airing of the pros and cons, while preserving Resolution 308 as an option.
We hope to see
• Access governed by the County, not private landowners
• Timely resolution at a fair price
• Access like that at similar beaches
• Community participation in maintenance, management, visitor education, and decision-making.
Some of this is already happening.
We believe Ms. Prickett and Mr. Waugh deserve some credit. They replaced a hazardous trail with a safe
one at their own expense, they open the trail to the public most days, and they work to keep the trail and
beach safe and clean. They considered letting the County take over Mill Road in 2000, they try to keep
the road passable for emergency vehicles, and they offered to do mediation in 2010.
But we're disappointed that they decline to negotiate with the County about purchase of the trail and road.
That leaves this condemnation as one of the few options, and not the easiest.
For the trail, experts disagree about whether the public has a legal right to access. Neils Christensen of
Independent Hawai'i Surveyors and Chris Yuen, an attorney and past County Planning Department
director, have gathered extensive documentation saying yes. But the County Prosecutor and current
Planning Department staff say no, the trail is private property.
For Mill Road, there is conflicting evidence about ownership by Ms. Prickett and Mr. Waugh versus
Silverton Camp lot owners.
Sorting it out in court could take many days and many dollars. This condemnation avoids that.
Supporters of the status quo say other public beaches have restrictions like Papa'ikou. But public
beaches don't ban strollers, coolers, bicycles, skateboards, and parking. They don't close at the best
times for surfing, subsistence fishing, and traditional practices. They don't close, for a day, or forever, at
the wish of one or two people—especially when families have been going to a special beach for
generations.
We hope this issue is resolved soon, fairly, and with the involvement of the community.
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