Land Board rejects revetment proposal for Hololani Resort erosion

By a narrow 4-3 vote, the Board of Land and Natural Resources rejected a request last week from Hololani Resort apartment owners seeking an amendment to 2018 board action for a sheet pile and rock revetment to protect the property from shoreline erosion.

After hearing testimony last week Friday for and against the request, Board Chair Dawn Chang expressed strong reservations about the private property owners using state land for construction of a hybrid sheet pile/rock rubble mound revetment.

The Kahana Bay property has had an emergency sandbag since 2007. The property owners said the proposed revetment cannot be moved further back onto private property, and construction needs to use state land. Furthermore, it’s designed to minimize erosion impacts, they said.

The property’s underground parking is very close to the shoreline, they said.

Chang called the matter a “very difficult” decision for the board, especially as it seeks to balance the needs of private property owners to protect their property and the board’s mission to preserve and protect public natural and cultural resources and beach access.

“Landowners want to protect their private property,” she said. “In a situation like this, it is at the cost of the public because these structures are prohibiting safe public access.”

A short time later, Chang said “I do see this as just part of a much, much larger picture that I need to see a greater commitment by the private landowners all along the shoreline that you’re working towards a long-term solution. And, I haven’t seen enough of that; other than we’re going to protect our own property. Where is the long-term solution here?”

The Hololani owners argued that their situation is unique because the shoreline is made up of alluvial soil (made up of soil deposited by stream runoff). And, because it’s not sand, the soil sticks together and erodes is clumps and comes off vertically, like an iceberg.

But Chang said there was evidence “many years ago that this was the trend that was going to happen,” but when action came before the board, it was an emergency, and “we had no other options.”

Public testimony was mixed, with Hololani owners strongly in favor of granting permission for revetment construction and with some firm community opposition. (Public testimony is available at the following links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5. For an overview on seawalls, click here.)

Hololani owner Lori Colwell said the rock revetment would “significantly enhance public access and safety.”

“The current sandbags are not only unsightly but also hazardous for beachgoers,” she said. “Replacing them with natural rock will create a more stable and accessible shoreline, ensuring that the area is safer for everyone.”

She said the deteriorating sandbags require frequent replacement and disrupt the shoreline ecosystem.

“The natural rock revetment is a permanent solution that will blend seamlessly with the environment, promoting a healthier marine ecosystem while reducing the need for ongoing interventions,” Colwell said.

Hololani owner Grant Parthemer said the “makeshift continuation of the use of sea bags fronting the wall is dangerous, inhibits access, and mars the aesthetic beauty of the Kahana coastline.”

“The bags are failing, are slippery and unstable, and provide a real barrier to public access to Kahana Bay,” Parthemer said. “I have seen several people who access the bags slip and fall while attempting to fish, snorkel and simply access the water. The bags also collect scum and are extremely dangerous to people who try and use them to access the water. A permanent rock revetment would allow a stable platform, not only protecting the sea wall, but the people who want to access the water.”

Others called for the board to reject the revetment proposal.

Lahaina fisherman Davin Balagso said: “My family relies on the healthy ecosystems of West Maui for subsistence, and the proposed Hololani rock revetment will further damage our coastline and restrict access to vital resources. I urge you to reject this project to protect the environment and preserve our cultural practices for future generations.”

Natia Barber said she was concerned about the project’s precedent, setting “a very slippery and dangerous slope that would give private investors the power to destroy more of our public resources.”

“How can we create community if we’re relying on the interests of people who don’t reside where they’d like to cause mass destruction?” she asked. “We must protect our public beaches and not continue to put Bandaids over issues that need real help. I understand the desire of these foreign investors to protect their investments, however it isn’t coming without a price. That price is our precious beaches, our place we call home, our space in which we all come together.”

Barber said approving the project would open “the floodgates to future harmful developments.”

Susan Kanehailua called the proposed 400-foot-long rock revetment “direct threat to Maui’s beaches.”

She said the project would violate Hawaii’s Act 16, enacted in 202, which prohibits the use of seawalls and revetments on sites with beaches, unless such a project is clearly in the public interest.

“Shoreline hardening projects like this have already resulted in the loss of over 4 miles of sandy beaches on Maui,” Kanehailua said. “The temporary sandbags in Kahana have degraded the coastline, and a permanent revetment will only worsen the erosion and environmental harm. Hawaiʻi must adopt policies that prioritize sustainable, nature-based solutions over outdated methods.”

Chang urged the Hololani owners to return with a better, more long-term solution to their beach erosion problem.

A YouTube recording of the board’s consideration of the Hololani’s request (agenda item D8) can be seen here. (Begin viewing at 2 hours and 49 minutes).