August 20, 2010 – Kona, Hawaii
Video by David Corrigan
A resolution to abandon the western end of Kamaoa Road in Ka’u so it can become the dominion of ranchers who use it to access their property was postponed Tuesday. Instead, the Hawaii County Council’s Finance Committee decided to arrange for a public hearing and site visit to the location.
5 of the 6 landowners are in favor of claiming the road, and it will likely be gated if the transaction is approved. However, some other residents in the area were crying foul over the proposal.
The site visit and public meeting will be held sometime after the Sept. 18 primary election.
Extended video Aug. 17 Finance Comittee regarding RES. 377-10
| KAMAOA ROAD MAP STUDY
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Ka’u Councilman Guy Enriques explains the situation along Kamaoa Road using a projected map during the Finance Committee meeting. Enriques also explains why he introduced resolution 377-10, authorizing the abandonment of the Old Homestead Road near South Point, so that adjoining ranchowners can purchase and gate the road. The resolution generated controversy during the committee meeting on Tuesday. |
| ABEL OBJECTS
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Abel Simeona Lui, konohiki and controversial resident of Kawaa in Ka’u, “objects” to the discussion of the Kamaoa road privatization… and he does so in the middle of councilman Guy Enriques presentation. Abel, who is not directly impacted by the Kamaoa Road situation, is nonetheless known for interrupting meetings on behalf of Hawaiian Sovereignty. |
| YAGONG WIEGHS-IN
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Dominic Yagong, the councilman representing the Hamakua district, warns the committee that the move to sell Kamaoa Road to the ranchers may limit access, and sets a precedent for the so-called Roads in Limbo that he says could result in a massive sell-off of public roads. |
| HOFFMANN RAISES ETHICS QUESTION
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann asks Guy Enriques to consider recusing himself from a vote on the Kamaoa Road issue in light of allegations that the resolution introduced by the Ka’u representative is a political payback for campaign boosters. Enriques responds, blaming the rumor on the media for what he says is divisive coverage. |
| BRENDA FORD EXAMINES MAP
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Brenda Ford takes a second look at the map, and questions a resident who is displeased with the resolution to sell Kamaoa Road. During the South Kona councilwoman’s questioning, Puna councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason loses her patience with the delay, exclaiming “Get a life!” |
| EMILY SHARES HER MANA’O
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. Puna councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason defends Guy Enriques, saying she knows what its like to feel attacked in the press and expressing her disdain for other councilmembers who come to her district and “stir the pot”, a referance to a recent political meeting held by Ford and Yagong in Puna. |
| VOTE FOR HEARING, SITE VISIT
Get
the Flash Player to see this player. After lengthy debate, Yagong makes a motion to hold a public hearing in Ka’u and conduct a site visit to Kamaoa Road. 6th district councilman Guy Enriques objects to the idea, saying that the hearing will not be well attended by folks from the affected area and will only further divide the residents. After massive procedural confusion, the council decided to hold the public hearing and site visit sometime after the primary election. |
facebook comments:
Thanks for sharing this information. I drove by after speaking to you, and noticed that the gate was indeed locked. Perhaps last weekend the gate wasn’t locked because visitors where in the area.
Great job covering the Kamaoa Road privatization issue. Thanks to the video of the road itself and the maps I have a much better vision of just where this is–something the print media was not able to convey. The council members’ discussions were eye openers. If I hadn’t heard Mr. Enriques say in essence that he didn’t think public meetings served a good purpose, I wouldn’t have believed it. Even more to the point, he never really addressed the concern that Mr. Hoffman was expressing to him about a possible conflict of interest in his introducing the resolution to sell this road. It was very telling that he chose not to refute the rumors about having taken campaign contributions from the landowners, and instead tried to blame the media for overblowing the road issue.
It is even more fascinating that it is the two West side council members and Mr. Yagong who emerge as the champions of the right for Kau residents to speak up on this issue and that the East side council members who were featured want to silence discussion because they think it is divisive to the community to express differences of opinion openly in a public forum.
Thank you for preparing this coverage, Mr. Corrigan. It is the closest thing to accessible television news on the Big Island that we have.
If this road is sold to satisfy the interests of a few wealthy ranchers, at the expense of public access to coastline, it sets a dangerous precedent, and in effect creates a gated community.
Guy Enriques has made it abundantly clear that he is not interested in hearing opinions of the public at large, saying that a public hearing on this issue wouldn’t be useful. He is not interested in ‘transparency”.
Emily Naeole conducted herself in an unprofessional manner, telling Brenda Ford to “get a life”. Ms. Ford shows consideration for the residents of the area who would be impacted by this decision.
Emily and Guy are crying about their lives being written about in the newspapers, but that is part of the kuleana of being an elected representative of the people. If you can’t stand the heat, don’t even get into the kitchen. Stay home.
The public does not have the whole story here yet. Let all the details be reviewed publicly. Guy needs to demonstrate that he is not paying back some campaign contributors, as it certainly appears that he is.
I shudder to think what this council would be up to without Ford and Yagong on it.
a couple questions. Does this road truly provide access to the coastline? As far as I can tell it ends at a Private Landowner’s property. Second, what is the benefit that the landowner’s receive from owning the road? Ownership of the road provides higher liability and risk to the owner. The owner’s already have access over the road and as the road ends at private property what is the public benefit of this road?
The true beneficiary of this conveyance is the Public/County, because the County reduces its risk should anything happen to an individual on a substandard “County” road that goes nowhere.
What would be the public outcry if the County put funds towards improving/paving the road to County standard for a few select landowner’s who that would only benefit?
This gate is not locked and has not been locked since last October when the County became involved. What you see is the chain wrapped around to a latch which can be opened at ANY time. I agree that this video brought all different points, however Enriques did reply to both issues brought up by Cheryl King above, it just wasn’t included in the video. He is involved in this because a formal complaint was filed in his District. The County’s solution was to offer the road for sale because it has been abandoned by State and County for more than 60 years, at least. The gate has been in place for that long also. The landowners maintain the road at their own cost. There is no coastal access, no public lands and no where for anyone to park or even turn around on the road without committing trespass. The road is not as it appears for the first 800 feet. It is a rough, narrow one-lane dirt & gravel road that dead ends into private property. While I understand the “precedence” issue, each matter similar to this (just like all before it) has to heard on a case by case review. There will be a public hearing and a site-visit by all Council members in about a month, then they will decide. Hopefully the sole landowner who is objecting will be able to live with that decision. The media has not portrayed both sides of this issue by any means. The result has been a lot of misinformation and even slander against the sole family who resides closest to South Point road on the road in question.
Here’s all the proof we need that Enriques is practicing political payback and lying to all of us. No wonder he doesn’t want transparency. No wonder his objections to site visit and public hearing:
https://nc.csc.hawaii.gov/Report/Public/20080910150526CC10340SA.html
Mallick/Ensey, who owns1,598 acres behind this illegal gate contributed AT LEAST $2000 to Enriques’ 2008 campaign under the the name of Holiday Inn of Covington in LA, $ 70 and $155 under Charles Ensey. Under what other entities???? Mallicks are mega developers with huge land holdings and development here on island as well as mainland. More investigation needs to be done to see how many more of the abutting land owners who push to privatization of this road made ‘contributions’ to Enriques on record. This is crucial for sure now that there’s proof of Enriques’ lies.
Stacks of Enriques political signs at another political supporter’s porch behind this illegal gate speaks volumes. Everyone in the community knows Kanihos are staunch Enriques supporters, pro-development.
http://www.impeachguyenriques.info/html/der_gated_road_fuhrer.html
For more shenanigans, research Enriques’ involvement in Ka’u CDP and possible connections with mega developer, Nani Kahuku, who have plans to turn 16,456-acre parcel makai of Hawaiian Ocean View Estates into a mega resort.
Regardless of locked/unlocked, this road is public access should never, ever have a gate across it. Remove the illegal gate.
Drove past this road today and the gate appears locked. Checked county records and everything verifies that this road is indeed a public road currently being utilized. It would have more usage if there’s no gate across it to prevent people’s access. I hear the view’s incredible. Remove the gate!!
OMG, Ashton…this is HUGE! I looked at the maps and Mallick’s property does appear to be adjacent to that of Nani Kahuku developers. This could be a huge payoff for Enriques. Despicable that he’s able to lie with a straight face at a public hearing. Other than the 2 obvious landowners involved in this scheme, how many of the others have a hand in this? This is why they resort to beating up people who use this road? This is why they tried so hard to malign Ms. Winn (sp?) at the Chronicle blog, the only landowner who resisted this sale. Good for her. She’s the only ethical one of the bunch.
http://www.ImpeachGuyEnriques.Info
Crimes against the People :
• Bill #239- 30 days jail or $1,000 fine for hauling greater than 250 gallons at public water spigots.
• Supports the illegal selling of a public road to his political supporters, despite opposition and objections from the community.
• Allegations of sexual impropriety with students under his tutelage, prompting resignation.
• Sunshine Law violator “Transparency’s got to end somewhere”, “You’ll never get the real answer from the public hearing”.
• Ka’u CDP- Excluded qualified nominees in favor of his hand-picked panel on the steering committee. Potential financial conflicts of interest among the county, facilitator/consultant, and sub-contractors hired by the consultant.
• Serving special interests: Enriques’ off island contributions alone for last term is $27,480 from a total of $93,000 (reported).
Crimes against the Hawaiian Land & Culture :
• Punalu’u Beach development scheme- “Enriques is president of O Ka’u Kakou, an organization formed by Sea Mountain Five” Developers who proposed (3) 250-unit hotels and 2,000 homes, desecrating this pristine Ka’u Coast, a major nesting ground for green sea turtles and the endangered hawksbill turtle. http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/articles/2007/06/21/local/local03.txt
• Attempts to remove public access.
• Removal of Hawaiian resources by selling beach sand and pebbles at his family’s souvenir stand at Punalu’u Black Sands Beach.
• Possible front man for a Delaware owned, Aiea-based Nani Kahuku Aina developer with plans to turn 5 miles of Ka’u coastline into thousands of homes, hotels, condos, several resorts, golf courses, and an airport on its 16,457 acres extending from Mamalahoa Highway to the ocean.