Posted on: Wednesday, January 8, 2003
Kona builder to pay $2.5 million to improve park
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor
Once permits are issued, private money will allow improvements at Kekaha Kai State Park in North Kona to begin within two years, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Road improvements and restrooms at the 1,700-acre park's north end will be paid for with $2.5 million from W.B. Kuki'o Resorts. The company earlier agreed to contribute the money as part of a land swap that gave the state control over the coastal property in exchange for mauka land that would be developed for luxury housing, said Daniel Quinn of the DLNR.
Kekaha Kai State Park, formerly known as Kona Coast State Park, is one of nine sites included in a proposal by former Gov. Ben Cayetano to develop a string of wilderness parks across the state. The park — 2.6 miles north of Keahole Airport — is widely used for swimming, fishing, picnicking, hiking and relaxation.
The Mahai'ula section of the park has a sandy beach and dune, with a picnic area and portable toilets. From there, a 4.5-mile hike north on the historic Ala Kahakai coastal trail leads to Kua Bay. At the midway point is Pu'u Ku'ili, a 342-foot-high cinder cone.
Plans call for increased access to recreational, natural and cultural resources, with emphasis on maintaining the area's natural setting.
Planned improvements include parking and camping areas, recreational pavilions, restrooms, educational and interpretive programs, an education center and visitor orientation facilities.
The development of the Mahai'ula section may not move ahead immediately, Quinn said. However, improvements to the north end of the park are expected to begin once conservation district use and shoreline management area permits are issued.
The DLNR is seeking comments on its draft environmental impact statement for Kekaha Kai State Park. Comments should be sent by Feb. 22 to the department at 1151 Punchbowl St., Suite 310, Honolulu, HI 96813; the Office of Environmental Quality Control at 235 S. Beretania St., Suite 702, Honolulu, HI 96813; and consultant Group 70 International Inc., 925 Bethel St. (fifth floor), Honolulu, HI 96813.
