Reaction on the North Shore to Gov. Linda Lingle's proposal that the state buy Turtle Bay Resort ran from astonished surprise to ecstatic elation.

"There is absolutely no split in the community on this issue, now," said an overjoyed Bob Nakata, co-chairman of the Defend O'ahu Coalition who had opposed plans to expand the resort. "And I've been fighting this for 25 years."

Nakata called yesterday's surprise announcement a "big step in the right direction."

Lea Hong, Hawaiian Island program director for The Trust for Public Land, worked with community members and government agencies on an agreement to protect both Waimea Valley and Pupukea-Paumalu from development. She was practically giddy about the prospect of adding another victory to the list.

Hong said she and several others who had been active in the quest to keep Waimea and Pupukea-Paumalu permanently protected had been invited to the governor's State of the State address.

But she said they all were caught completely off guard when Lingle made her Turtle Bay announcement.

"We're all just shocked — but pleasantly so," Hong said. "We had no idea she was going to do that. With her support and commitment a lot more can be done. It took a lot for her to stick her neck out like that and make that commitment."

Longtime North Shore resident Antya Miller said that when a proposal to expand the resort to five hotels and 3,500 rooms was made the community became united in its displeasure.

The rural two-lane Kamehameha Highway had reached capacity even without the expansion, Miller said. Adding hotels and thousands of rooms would not only alter the entire rural ambiance of the North Shore, but cost taxpayers millions in road expansions, she said.

"It's really important that you have a healthy town and country," said Gil Riviere, who heads the Keep The North Shore Country and Let's Surf coalitions, which opposed the expansion. "You've got your urban core with all the facilities and culture and where most of the people live. And you've got a rural area where those people can get away and catch a breath of fresh air and relax.

"So, I think the governor presented that nicely — that it's important to preserve open space for future generations. So we would be honored to work with the governor to help try and facilitate a solution."

Riviere said while developers work to present the economic advantages of expansion projects, it must be kept in mind that other entities, such as the surfing and movie industries, gravitate to the North Shore because of its natural, unspoiled beauty.

Just about everyone who expressed pleasure with the governor's proposal said they understood the difficulties involved — especially considering the amount of money involved. But they also seem anxious to accept the challenge.

"This is all pretty exciting," said Blake McElheney, a lifelong area preservationist and member of the North Shore Neighborhood Board. "It's hard not to be stoked. We're heading in the right direction. I would expect that the governor will have a tremendous amount of support in this effort."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.