HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-01-05 Exhibit 07_PD Email Regarding Site Visit From: Darrow,Jeffrey W.
To: Leslie Enriauez Rosehill; Rov,Alex; Steen, Raimee
Cc: Ku'ulei Kealoha-Cooper;Leila Kealoha;Gina McGuire
Subject: RE: Continued SMA Violations at Kaimu Cove Property—Enforcement Still Pending
Date: Wednesday,October 29,2025 7:44:56 AM
Attachments: image001.pnq
Aloha Ms. Rosehill,
Thank you for the information that you have provided. Our staff did conduct a
site visit and reiterated the stop work order to those onsite. They are drafting a
notice that will be sent out once completed.
The Planning Department cannot create an easement on private property
without being part of a planning permitting process. In this case, the public
access easement would be established as part of the SMA permitting process,
which is still in progress.
Thanx,
Jeff
Jeffrey W. Darrow
Planning Director
County ofHawaii Planning Department
101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3
Hilo, HI 96720
808-961-8158
I"oft
tip .• County of Hawai'i
Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended
recipient(s)and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any review, use,disclosure,or distribution
by unintended recipients is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-
mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
From: Leslie Enriquez Rosehill<leslie.lihaunani@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2025 1:16 PM
To: Darrow,Jeffrey W. <Jeff.Darrow@hawaiicounty.gov>; Roy, Alex<AIex.Roy@hawaiicounty.gov>;
Steen, Raimee<Raimee.Steen@hawaiicounty.gov>
Cc: Ku'ulei Kealoha-Cooper<whipmkealoha@aol.com>; Leila Kealoha <leila@pohakupelemaka.org>;
Gina McGuire<mcguire2@hawaii.edu>
Subject: Continued SMA Violations at Kaimu Cove Property—Enforcement Still Pending
EXHIBIT 7
Aloha,
I am following up on my previous report regarding the illegal use of a backhoe on the
Kaimu Cove property in the Puna District. Despite the County's issuance of a stop-work
order, the desecration has continued, most recently on October 12th and again on
October 27th with no visible enforcement or consequence.
The backhoe, owned by Mark Wyatt, has been used repeatedly by hired operators to
disturb the land. The current construction of a pickleball court is being carried out with
no regard for the SMA permitting process, environmental protections, or cultural
sensitivity. These actions are not only unlawful, they are deliberate.
The developers, Mark Wyatt and Kaimu Cove LLC, have submitted incomplete and
biased documentation throughout the SMA application process. Their actions reflect a
pattern of disregard for the law and for the community's efforts to engage in good faith.
The descendants of Kaimu have worked diligently with your department and others to
protect our home, yet our documented concerns have gone unanswered.
I am respectfully demanding that the Windward Planning Department fulfill its kuleana
by:
• Enforcing the stop work order already issued
• Issuing appropriate fines and penalties for noncompliance
• Requiring restoration for any damage done in violation of SMA regulations
I am also following up on our request of restoration to access to our fishing trail, during
our in person meeting. This trail has been used by descendants of Kaimu for well over
40 years as access to our ko`a. Its erasure is not only a cultural violation, it is a severing
of our relationship to place and practice. We are formally requesting that this trail be
reinstated and recognized as an easement for continued access to our ko`a, by law.
The developers' actions have disrupted a living tradition and endangered our ability to
fulfill our kuleana. The County has a responsibility to protect cultural access and uphold
the rights of lineal descendants. We ask that this request be reviewed with urgency and
honored in alignment with the law and the County's commitments to cultural
preservation.
I look forward to your response and to seeing the County uphold the protections it has
put in place.
Me ka `oia`i`o,
Leslie Enriquez Rosehill