The city’s Department of Planning and Permitting will hold a public hearing on Tuesday morning, February 15, concerning the proposed 220-room hotel in Laie, according to a story in the Hawaii Independent.
The hotel is intended to draw tourists to Laie who would otherwise stay in Waikiki or at the Turtle Bay Resort. It will apparently be operated as a Marriott hotel.
The hearing is reportedly scheduled for 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the Kahuku Public Library.
But information about hotel and the hearing is missing in action. Neither a public notice nor background information on the permit application that is the subject of the hearing appear to be available on the department’s web site, although other meetings are listed.
* Note: Here’s the basic application, received late today from the office of City Councilmember Ernie Martin.
The hearing didn’t appear on the department’s “calendar of event.” Critics will certainly cite the lack of readily available information as evidence of a desire to prevent opposing viewpoints from being heard.
I went to the DPP web cite, which features a calendar of events. I entered the search terms “public hearing” and, for the area, both Koolauloa and North Shore.
Both searches came back with the message: “No events found.”
![[text]](http://ilind.net/images_2011/calendar0215.jpg)
An environmental assessment for the project was submitted in 2008.
The 9.5 acre site along Kamehameha Highway includes the Chevron station, McDonalds, the old 49-room Laie Inn, and an adjacent open area.
In case you think the hotel will primarily service the BYUH campus, here’s the description from the project’s environmental assessment:
The probable guest demographic for a redeveloped La?ie Inn, assuming competent management, marketing and affiliation, is likely to be predominately domestic visitors, divided primarily between:
• Younger, active, independently-traveling couples and families who are either return visitors to O’ahu or attracted by the operator’s brand. These patrons would be seeking a competitively-priced, low-intensity, outdoor-oriented, non-Waiki?ki?/resort vacation experience. Few visitors of this segment currently stay at accommodations in the study area.
• Mixed-aged and seniors traveling to a defined destination in Laie (PCC, the LDS Hawaiy?i Temple, BYU-Hawaii, or family/friends), often in groups or within peak periods. Pricing, ease of access, supporting facilities, and quiet, quality and cleanliness are primary concerns of this group. Presently, this segment either stays at the existing Laie Inn, Turtle Bay Resort, or in Waikiki.
To address the expectations/needs of these guests, the redevelopment of Laie Inn is designed with moderately spacious units in a low-key setting having lawn/playground areas, limited (cost-efficient) amenities, and a quality beachfront experience. Marketing tie-ins with the PCC and other windward/North Shore activities and destinations, and service and meeting space agreements with the restaurant will help to offer a more comprehensive vacation destination.
The Laie hotel expansion, along with the proposed “Envision Laie” project, have drawn strong reactions from residents who want to “keep the country country.”
This Envision Laie under the table process is getting from ridiculous to insane!
I searched the Neighborhood Board Minutes for announcements. There was none. It should be mentioned by the chair or representatives of the area. In this case, it should be one of the four Laie reps. Well, good luck to transparency there!
The quiet beachfront across this Marriott hotel is zoned residential. Hawaii Reserves owns many beachfront properties there. We want to know if the city is transforming the residential beach area into resort use for HRI.
I’m sick of these disingenuous power play. And HRI/BYU are supposed to be big on Honor Code and Dress Standards etc etc.
By the contents in the Hawaii Reserves website, I just want to add that this is one of the most dishonest websites I’ve seen. One would think that the whole universe is in support of this Envision Laie by this their website.
There is a new website called
facebook/EnvisionLaieQuestions
We should all join!
I understand that there are efforts by “some” to shut down that facebook site. If true, this is outrageous!
The area involved is already zoned resort, and was the site of a smaller hotel previously. No zone change is needed.
DATE: Tuesday, February 15, 2011
TIME: 10:30 a.m.
PLACE: Kahuku Public & School Library, 56-490 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku
APPLICATION: SPECIAL MANAGEMENT AREA USE PERMIT (SMP)
FILE NO. 2010/SMA-54 (KO)
Applicant: Hawaii Reserves, Inc.
Landowner: Hawaii Reserves, Inc. and Polynesian Cultural Center
Location: 55-109 Naniloa Street, Laie
Tax Map Key: 5-5-6: 39 and 40
Zoning: Resort/B-2 Community Business District
Proposal: Redevelopment of the recently demolished Laie Inn, which entails the construction of a 222-room hotel with amenities (including a restaurant and banquet/meeting facilities) and retail area in the Special Management Area.
______________________________________________________________________
Maps showing the general location and boundaries of the area under consideration are on file at the Department of Planning and Permitting, Permit and Zoning Records Access, First Floor, Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building, 650 South King Street, and are available to the public for inspection during office hours, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For assistance, please call the department’s Urban Design Branch at 768-8034.
I called 3:22 pm February 14, 2010
Message on the number 768-8034:
“Sorry Kiyomi Oyama is not available. You cannot record a message for Kiyoma Oyama.
His mailbox is full.
Otherwise please hold for an operator.
Sorry the operator is not available.
Goodbye!”
Thank you.
But why was this information not readily available, along with information on what is at issue in the granting of this permit?
Guidance for those who think they might want to testify is really required to save everyone time and effort.
I live almost next to this project. I did not receive a letter from the city.
This is a total surprise.
The average citizens do not know all these technicalities.
I called and a lady answered the phone. I asked her where I can see the maps. I’m especially interested in what’s happening on the makai side of this hotel.
She said there is nothing on the makai side that she knew of. I told her there were rumors of HRI also using their residential beachfront lot across the mauka hotel. She said she doesn’t know.
I asked if I could see the maps. She said I have to inspect the application at the Fasi Building.
Citizen: Is it online?
DPP: No.
Citizen: So the only way we can get information is drive down to the Fasi building?
DPP: Yes.
Citizen: Do you have it online?
DPP: No. We don’t post applications online.
Citizen: Who is in charge of all this?
DPP: Group 70.
Citizen: Do you have a number or name I could contact?
DPP: uum, I don’t. Could I have your number?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38042428@N05/5411649600/in/photostream/
Welcome to Laie, Waikiki. Corner of Naniloop Loop and Kamehameha Highway.
I’ve also had the same experience finding information about this “SO-CALLED PUBLIC HEARING” and have found no official notice. It’s very discouraging to see such a clearly biased process happening before our very eyes. The DPP should take responsibility for this “oversight” and reschedule the hearing. We should all make calls to the Mayors office, Councilmans office and the DPP to demand fair treatment.
I’m calling to voice my concerns today and to ask for a fair hearing and reasonable public notice. The whole Windward coast will be affected by a development like this and our concerns shoud be heard. Contact info for the mayors office and the City Council can be found here:
http://www1.honolulu.gov/mayor/cityhall.htm
http://www1.honolulu.gov/council/ccl.htm
Also see DPP’s Rules of Practice and Procedure available online at:
http://honoluludpp.org/permitinfo/part1.pdf
Section 5-1 in regards to “Reasonable public notice of hearings”
Hi Ian,
I saw the hearing info added to the City Council calendar on Feb. 8.
Here’s a link: http://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-107502/2011%20Council%20Calendar.htm
I hope this helps.
Interesting.
That’s a different meeting, also important, but not for the Laie hotel.
This special meeting was at Waialua by City Council Planning Committee by Ann Kobayashi, Chair 11:00 am.
According to my information who was at the Laie Inn meeting at the Kahuku Library, DPP explained they just found out yesterday it was not on their website.
How’s that? People within 300 feet were supposed to be notified according to Jeff Overton at Group 70. But a lady did not seem to know about it. She lives 25 feet away from this site. She was because she works for BYU.
Another person who lives across the development on the oceanside did not know anything.
Aloha Adrienne-
That was a totally different meeting! Many people concerned about KEEPING THE COUNTRY, COUNTRY wanted to go to both meetings, because they were both so important.
But isn’t it such a “REMARKABLE COINCIDENCE” that both meeting were schedualed on the exact the same day & similar time so that people interested in preserving the COUNTRY & more modern, Community-focused development could not attend both ??
You’re right! My mistake. Hmm.
Ian, the link to the environmental assessment is for the draft EA; there is a FINAL EA that resulted in a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) by the City for the Laie Inn Redevelopment – this includes copies of timely received public comments and DPP’s responses to the comments. The link is here:
http://oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov/Shared%20Documents/EA_and_EIS_Online_Library/Oahu/2000s/2008-08-08-FEA-Laie-Inn-Redevelopment.pdf
haupia,
For the right amount of money, our public officials will tell the public anything their contributor wants them too.
iosepa, while that may be true, the environmental review process under chapter 343 hrs still requires the public officials to justify their decisions in writing through an ea or eis – although challenging the written record for an ea or eis may be daunting, i still believe it is the one thing that keeps everyone honest (in spite of the superfairy disaster)
I received a written notice by regular mail about this hearing/meeting about a month ago.
Unfortunately, I had a number of important hearings at the Capitol going on at the same time so I did not travel up the coastline to attend the hearing.
Can you scan the notice and provide it to the readership?
NO Newspaper or Website is printing nor are the TV news the sketches of how LARGE this 220 room, complex of “3 & 4 STORY BUILDINGS!” is suppose to be: meeting rooms & conference room, hotel restaurant, etc!
The two sketches they do show: one is cropped & the other from the PCC side shows the larger part of the hotel way off in the background foreshortened. To see the sketches of the FULL road view & the “3 & 4 story buildings” FULL-ON, we are told that we have to go all the way down to the Department of Permitting & Permitting’s headquarters during their business hours to look at them.
The #1 complaint of Tourists to Oahu is Urban Sprawl! Such a LARGE cement hotel , more traffic & overcrowded beaches in such a scenic area will make Oahu a less desirable Tourist destination and damage our Tourist Industry ! A few grab and everyone else suffers!
We were also originally told that this was going to be a “Training Marriott” for the THOUSANDS of new BYU-H students that new BYU-H President Steven Wheelwright plans to bring in from the mainland, Asia & overseas. BYU-H has traditionally had 2400 students, already that has risen to 2,780 degree students and Envision Laie plans say that this will grow to 5000 students, plus often spouses, and new faculty & staff-,plus their spouses & their children!!
At the meeting, they were not even able to tell us how many jobs there would be for LOCAL people……etc, etc..
We have just learned this afternoon that TESTIMONY Letters needs to be submitted to info@honoluludpp.org and/or koyama@honolulu.gov
DEADLINE by Tonight- FRIDAY, Feb 18th- 11:59pm!
HEAD your E-mail: Laie Inn/Marriott redevelopment-OPPOSE.
Even if it is a a couple lines that you oppose such a large hotel in the COUNTRY is helpful