Powerful Message

August 25, 2006 | In Activism, Development, Tourism | No Comments

Our friend Gabriel Talyor recently had a strong and beautiful letter to the editor waiting to be published by the Garden Island newspaper. It has been circulating around the island already on various email lists.

A slender young woman placed a sprouted coconut on the table, sat down in front of the microphone, introduced herself, and greeted the commissioners in Hawaiian. It was 8 pm in the cold, harshly lit county meeting room where the planning commissioners sat listening to public testimony. Combined, the two proposed resort/condo projects would total 547 multi-family units/hotel rooms and 964 parking stalls. And they would be located on the beach in the historic Waipouli coconut grove, the heart of Kaua‘i’s traffic hell.

The dozen of us that came to testify against the proposed beachfront resorts had been sitting on hard chairs for nearly seven hours. The morning’s agenda dragged on into the afternoon, but I dared not go out for more than bathroom break, because it could suddenly shift to the public hearings and all could be lost. I was stiff and hungry and I wanted to go home. But then something changed.

The young dark-haired woman spoke in a poetic form that is difficult to capture, but essentially, in a gentle way, she told riveting stories of how our life style on Kaua‘i is being transformed by the unleashed and insensitive growth of tourism. She took us on a journey into the heart of the Hawaiian people and its assault on their traditions. And she led us down a path into the soul of the ‘aina, our beautiful island whose shores are being gambled away in a crap game, and sold out to the highest bidder. When she finished, it was apparent that the atmosphere of the sterile room had risen to a higher level.

While I experienced a feeling of deep sadness, it was not one of despair. Rather, I gained a sense of strength and renewed hope. Hope to believe that we who are concerned about our quality of life and of that of the ‘aina, can successfully communicate with not only the County Planning Commission, but with all the powers that influence growth on Kaua‘i. In addition to presenting my own testimony, I knew that I had to do something more. And it was urgent. I knew that I had to communicate with my fellow Kauaians right away.

So here I am to tell you that if you are horrified by the vision of 1,000 more cars pouring onto Kuhio Highway, if you are worried about the stress of these proposed resorts on other infrastructure: water, sewage, solid waste, and if the thought of an additional 1,200 to 1,700 tourists filling up our parks, beaches, and hiking trails, causes you to clench your teeth, you can do something now.

You can testify about this proposed project without breaking your ‘okole on a hard chair for seven hours. You can write your thoughts, concerns, exasperation and frustration to the County Planning Commission today. They will be accepting written testimony (signed with your address) about this proposed project through the mail or fax up through Monday, August 28.

To: Kaua‘i County Planning Commission
Re: Testimony -Coconut Beach Development & Coconut Plantation Holdings
Send testimony by Fax: 241-6699 or mail to: 4444 Rice Street Lihue, Hi. 96766

It’s going to take all of us to work together to stop this train wreck of overdevelopment and to support reasonable growth on our beloved island. It is not enough to just grumble to our friends. Let’s step into our power and make our voices heard where it counts.

Costco is Ugly

August 22, 2006 | In Uncategorized, Development | 3 Comments

It’s always surprising when construction goes so fast that you find familiar places changed nearly overnight. We shop at Kukui Grove Mall at least every other week, so last time I was shocked to find the view of the mountains now blocked by the Costco under construction.

The ugly containers in the foreground belong to Kmart, but at least they are below grade and never blocked the views. The new construction is a huge eyesore that ruins the landscape, I see why they’re called big box stores. From approximately 100 yards away, it still blocks the view 1500 feet (450 meters) up the mountains. The peak is Ha’upu at 2297′ (700m), and it looks truncated there, floating above a big ugly box instead of sitting on its beautiful lush slopes.

I know the area is all retail-oriented, with Kmart, Sears, Macy’s, Kukui Grove, and the Home Depot nearby, but there was still this beautiful viewplane left:


The whole manner in which Costco “invited” itself to the island really stinks. Many people here want more shopping, cheaper prices, and wider selection, and along with tourists who know the store from the mainland, they figured they would be welcomed. However, a majority of people opposed them in the newspapers and popular opinion, and it was clear they are not wanted. So after fighting for their permits, they announced they would not build here because the cost of construction was too high. However, I think that was a ploy to make the opposition back down, because they broke ground 2 months later without telling anyone.

Costco’s partner-in-crime is Grove Farm, the corporation run by Steve Case that owns most of the land between Lihue and Koloa on the other side of Ha’upu. They have turned their agricultural land into development such as Kukui Grove, Puakea golf course, and the nearby Home Depot, guaranteeing them steady revenue until the island is all paved over. I’m not sure whether they sold or lease to Costco, but they are also developing a housing development in the background, behind the 12′ (4m) black fence.

Adding insult to injury, Grove Farm tore down this park and pavilion that used to be located exactly where the box now stands the first photo. It was somehow owned by Grove Farm and far from any neighborhoods but still used by the community for small events and swap meets. It was probably built because Grove Farm at one time was required to provide community space in exchange for turning agricultural land into commercial space, but now it’s gone.

Open Reply to Bill

February 21, 2006 | In Homeowner, California, Development, Kauai Style | 2 Comments

Bill just wrote to me:

My wife and I have been envious of your ability to make the transition from mainlander to islander. […] But we have to ask, how were you able to do it?! We have looked from afar at the property listings and they are outrageous even for modest properties. And yes, we’ve read that the islanders are just fine with that as more people would like to have that dream existence.

But anyway, just wanted to say hello and thanks for your blog postings. Its very interesting reading and great to see the vivid pictures. […]

I’ve been asked similar questions before, and I think my answer will interest other readers, so I hope you don’t mind if I answer publically.

Hi Bill,

Thanks for reading A Kaua‘i Blog, glad you like it.

There are at least three transitions to make if and when you move here: financial, social, and psychological. Many people leave again in less than two years if they can’t successfully make all three. There is a book called “So You Want to Live in Hawaii” that you should read if you’re considering moving here. It doesn’t encourage or discourage you to move, it just helps you be clear about the realities and your own motivations.

The financial transition is the most obvious, you need to be independently wealthy, have a job lined up ahead of time, or enough savings to last until you find a job. Personally, I took a sabbatical from a computer job to move here and begin the adventure hiking business, and my wife quit her job to make and sell crafts here. We are frugal people and we made the move with our savings. However, we found we didn’t want to live in a shack and we could not afford rent for a decent house with our start-up ideas.

Fortunately, I was able to go back to my California job through tele-commuting and stay on the island. That allowed us to buy a house, barely. I still do guided hikes, but it just can’t pay the mortgage in a place like this. Like my hiking business, I think there is a market for successful entrepreneurs on Kauai, but not much funding. You either need a background in business so you can do a real business plan and get a loan, or scale back your living needs drastically to whatever you can make from your cottage industry.

Any decent (but still small) living space for a couple is at least $1000 per month, mortgage on a small house is around $3000 monthly. The cost of living is roughly the same as the San Francisco Bay Area, just without all the job opportunities. In my estimate, you would need at least one professional salary (architect, engineer, nursing, etc.), or two skilled jobs (contsruction, trade, teaching, government, etc.) for a couple or small family to be comfortable. Long-time residents and local families who own their house can live on two or more service jobs (sales clerk, cleaning, tour guide, entertainer, etc.) because their mortgages are much much lower. For everyone else, the overlap between available salaries and obtainable mortgages or affordable rents on this island is very small.

For career-minded manager-types, the only real opportunities are with the international luxury resort franchises on the island, but they do exist. The good news is that nurses can always find work here, skilled jobs are available for those with experience, and service jobs abound at $10/hr. So people willing to work can usually get started here, long enough to see if they can make the other transitions. The bad news is, the weather is often perfect, the beaches are beautiful, the locals are taking it easy, and you won’t have time to enjoy it. When you move here expecting every day to be a vacation and instead you have to work more than you did on the mainland, you will feel how hard the financial transition can be.

Real-estate is a thorny issue here. Many realtors are just flipping homes to investors, which prices out the locals, and sometimes literally drives them out of their affordable rental. Locals have no mobility because they’re selling older homes and can’t afford the new ones, unless they leave for the mainland. There is also resentment against developers who are taking the green agriculture land that gives Kauai much of its character and turning it into investment/vacation housing. You can guess what happens when there is more housing than open land: no more character and charm.

The social and psychological transitions are harder to see and plan for. If you have a large circle of friends and live close to family, you may find you won’t stand the move. But that may be true even if you move somewhere else on the mainland. Locals and earlier transplants avoid the fresh-off-the-boat mainlanders because so many of them leave even if you take the time to cultivate a new friendship. We’ve had that happen to us. We’ve tried being open to the local culture, both the Hawaiian heritage and the current rural character, and we’ve found people to be friendly, but there is still a limited number of like-minded people on the island who share our professional and recreational interests.

And finally, island fever is real. Activities are more monotonous, and potentials are more limited here than on the mainland, especially if you come from a city. We love the outdoors and are still finding things to discover, but we also miss skiing—fortunately that can be fixed with a winter vacation to California. No such thing as a road-trip in Hawaii, if you’re used to a change of scenery every now and then. Again, it is a question of openness. Kauai has a lot to offer if you’re not busy complaining about how it’s not like the mainland.

And once you feel you’re established here, you may still feel like you’re not treated as a local. It takes much more time for those who were raised here to see you as one of them. You need to get connected to the social fabric and think of the island as home, not someplace you can leave if things go bad. And don’t try to speak pidgin until it feels natural to you. Our friend Gabriela, who has lived here for 30 years, built two houses, ran a B&B, and wrote a book about it, says it took at least 20 years to be accepted into the local community.

To be honest, we feel well established here after 2.5 years, but we can tell that none of our transitions are complete. Buying a house and raising a child on a single income from a remote job makes us financially vulnerable, we’ve met lots of people but have really established only a few friendships, and we do get homesick for the high Sierra or the Alps. So be prepared, but don’t be afraid to make the move. And once you get here, slow down, be open to the local culture, the local activities, and the opportunities that are here. And give it some time.

Aloha!

Ocean Kayaking

February 13, 2006 | In Development, Kayaking | 1 Comment

This past weekend, we finally had the chance to take our kayak out in the ocean, although we didn’t go very far.

A two-person kayak is dwarfed by the green island and the immense deep blue ocean

The ocean is much rougher in the winter, although the south shore only had 0-2′ (0-60cm) waves predicted, which our kayak can handle. But we weren’t counting on the wind blowing 10-20 knots with stronger gusts. This made the water choppy and paddling even harder.

We launched from the beach next to Kukui’ula harbor near the Spouting Horn, paddled around a small wave-break and then headed back towards Poipu about half a mile (1 km). I don’t think we were ever more than a quarter-mile (400 m) from shore. The goal was to see some whales from a bit closer, but we were too busy negociating the weather to see any. We didn’t see any from shore either, so I don’t think they were around that area.

In the picture you can see our friends Becky and Julian riding on our old blue Cobra Tandem. I was paddling Julian’ one-person kayak to take the picture, while Sonja waited her turn on shore with the baby. It’s fun to see the island from off-shore and get a new perspective on the mountains. I think that is Haupu Mountain in the clouds above Julian. The Kauaian saying goes “The mists of Haupu foretell the rain,” but we only had wind and sunshine.

As a side note, the empty green fields behind the ocean-front houses is going to be developed soon as part of the 1500+ units of the new Kukuiula subdivision. Looking at their site plan, it is even larger than I thought. It goes beyond the Spouting Horn, all the way to the edge of the McBryde and Allerton National Tropical Botanical Gardens that are inland of Lawai beach in the foreground of this photo from their website:

The canefields of the south shore before being paved over by the Kukuilua development
Source: kukuiula.com

Old Koloa Town Torn Down

February 1, 2006 | In Development | No Comments

Once again in Koloa for an ice cream after an afternoon of snorkeling back in December, I was saddened to see that they finally began tearing down the old Koloa town. This photo, taken from the “terrasse” of the Lappert’s ice cream shop, shows all that’s left of the cottages in the third picture of my previous post:

Piles of rubble beneath the old shade trees of Koloa Town

According to yesterday’s Garden Island newspaper, I’m not the only one who thinks the planned developments will destroy the atmosphere of the oldest missionary and sugar mill town on Kauai. Resident there are fighting to save the stately old trees across the stree from this photo, yet you can tell they expect something other than tourist shops:

[D]evelopers should build either affordable housing on the site, or storefronts for businesses like a laundry mat, a dry cleaner or a hardware store, providing services for residents that are not available in Koloa today.

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