Repealing an ordinance that expedites the permit process to rebuild structures destroyed by Hurricane Iniki will put an end to restoration plans for the Coco Palms Resort, the iconic Kauai hotel where Elvis Presley filmed "Blue Hawaii," argues Bob Jasper, who holds guided tours at the property.
"If it passes, it would pretty much be the death for the hotel," he said.
The Kauai County Council held a public hearing Wednesday on Bill 2502, which would repeal the so-called "Iniki Ordinance," which offers an expedited permit process to rebuild structures and buildings destroyed by the Category 4 storm that devastated the Garden Isle on Sept. 11, 1992.
The bill says the ordinance has served its purpose and is not needed.
In June, Mayor Bernard Carvalho sent a letter to the Planning Commission requesting the remaining section of the Iniki Ordinance be repealed, saying there has been ample time for property owners to use it.
Bill 2502 will be sent to the Council’s Planning Committee.
During public testimony Larry Rivera, the resort’s former music director, said, "Coco Palms should be made an exception to the ordinance."
A local investment group, Coco Palms Hui LLC, plans to buy the property and is seeking demolition and building permits to restore the resort. Petrie Ross Ventures, based in Maryland, has owned the resort since 2006.
The group applied for a demolition permit in August. Developer Tyler Greene, managing partner with Bridge Real Estate Hawaii, has said permits under the Iniki Ordinance would allow them to forgo an environmental impact statement.
Coco Palms has been shuttered since Iniki.
Demolition permits for Coco Palms have been suspended pending further review by the Planning Department, according to a recent letter sent by the Department of Public Works to architect Ron Agor, who was hired by the developers for the restoration project. The suspension can be lifted once the department confirms the permits and plans comply with county laws.
Agor said Thursday that the developer’s attorney, county attorney and the Planning Department are working together on the permit issue to get Coco Palms back on track. Of the permit suspension, Agor said, "Until we come to an agreement with the county on what we need to do, the county wanted to be assured that we would not start the demolition process."
