A federal lawsuit over whether development planned for a condominium property regime at Marconi Point requires a Special Management Area permit is still alive, but much narrower in scope. On December 20, U.S. District Judge Jill A. Otake granted in … Continued
The wheels of justice turn slowly, it is said. In the case of the federal criminal charges that have been brought against Hilo attorneys Gary Zamber and Paul Sulla Jr., and their business partner, Rajesh Budhabhatti, those wheels are turning … Continued
Above photo: This stretch of vegetation at Marconi Point was known to be a robust habitat for endangered Hawaiian yellow-faced bees. The top photo, taken in 2022, shows what it used to look like before unauthorized clearing occurred this past … Continued
A housing development first proposed 40 years ago and into which the current owners are seeking to breathe new life faces a series of daunting challenges. There’s the uproar from the community over traffic impacts from the proposed 450-unit development. … Continued
“Stale entitlements.” That’s the term that the Hawaiʻi County Planning Department uses to describe approvals given decades ago for a Holualoa development. The time for performance ran out and, with no requests made for time extensions, one might think that … Continued
When the Land Use Commission approved the redistricting of the property to be developed by Kona Vistas, the very first condition concerned affordable housing. Condition A required 10 percent of the housing built on the property be “offered to residents … Continued
Archaeological studies going back decades have been undertaken on the area that is the site of the Kona Vistas project. Aside from the numerous pre-historic and historic sites documented, there have been several burial sites discovered. Over the last 40 … Continued
When resource managers caring for the native bee and seabird habitat on Oʻahu’s North Shore learned what was happening early last month, they spread the word as far and as wide as possible in hopes of keeping the damage from … Continued
Above photo: The scene in front of the Royal Hawaiian last January. CREDIT: DOUGLAS MELLER Among the bills that made it across the finish line in this year’s legislative session, several are designed to make enforcement of shoreline rules easier and … Continued
Awards: Environment Hawaiʻi editor Patricia Tummons’ pieces on affordable housing, published in 2022, won two awards in the All Media category of the Society of Professional Journalists, Hawaiʻi Chapter, annual contest. The winners were announced at an awards dinner on … Continued