There are more pages to be written in the long saga of Turtle Bay Resort.
The public will need to take the opportunities that are coming to weigh in as more detailed plans for the project emerge. This means making sure any new development includes traffic mitigation, preserves beach access and ensures the continuation of what’s been good communications with the neighbors.
The popular visitor destination perched on Oahu’s northern point will continue to draw tourists to its 410 hotel rooms and suites, with the resort’s new owners planning a renovation in the short term.
But now, longer-term plans for expansion, delayed for decades, have been revived, even though the timeline is still unclear. Blackstone Group acquired the property last year from a consortium of investment firms; it is now being managed by Benchmark Resorts &Hotels.
Turtle Bay’s new management has announced the preliminary plan to refurbish the hotel’s exterior and landscaping, starting in May. The owners plan eventually to add about 750 units, at an undetermined date.
The tumultuous history of the project dates back 32 years, when the Honolulu City Council approved a unilateral agreement with the then-owner, Kuilima Resort Co., that entitled the company to build five new hotels and 3,500 rooms at the site. The accord was struck at a time when more of the community favored the development out of a desire for jobs.
But the plans were delayed due to economic conditions, and by the time Oaktree Capital bought the property in 1999, the public mood had shifted radically, fueling stiff opposition to the project.
A protracted land-use and legal fight ensued, forcing the owners to do an updated environmental impact statement, as new concerns over traffic and the environment had arisen.
The ongoing battle ultimately resolved in a compromise in 2015, when an agreement involving a mix of public funds enabled a deal that preserved the pristine Kawela Bay adjacent to the hotel and put limits on what could be added to the complex.
The owners got $45 million. Given the uncertainty over their ability to exercise development rights, this may not have been a bad deal: It ended the uncertainty and yielded a pot of cash besides. Under the management of Replay Resorts Inc., it then became possible to sell the resort as a property with a future, and Blackstone picked up the opportunity.
What’s encouraging is that much of the groundwork has been laid for a healthy exchange between the community of North Shore residents, current and potential employees and the new owners. There has been the Turtle Bay Foundation, which has given out more than a half-million dollars in funds to community organizations and scholarships.
But there’s more to be done to nurture the relationship; namely, information.
Some have concerns about the loss of natural shoreline that are unassuaged by the compromise preservation deal.
Others feel nervous about the impact of more hotel rooms on a Kamehameha Highway that’s already at capacity for traffic — overloaded with it, in the busiest times. They need to know: What are the plans to manage that?
There will be new employment: Surely a new recession will hit at some point and when it does, any additional jobs will be welcome. But in a tourism market steering away from the full-service hotel product, it’s still unclear what the would-be employees can expect.
Finally, the general population will want to know that the treasured shoreline on Oahu’s vaunted North Shore will still be made accessible to kamaaina, in full accordance with state law.
The owners have their zoning in hand but there will be occasions for further public review as subordinate permits are sought. That stage remains a ways off, but it’s never too early to kick off the conversation on the future of Turtle Bay.
