The North Shore of Oahu is one of many rural areas statewide that has exploded into a tourism “hot spot.” We join other communities across Hawaii shouting, “enough is enough already!” The question is simple: Who should take priority, community needs or tourism?
Tourism will always be part of Hawaii’s economy, but how much is too much?
As columnist Lee Cataluna commented in this newspaper over four years ago, “the canoe is already full.” That sentiment is still widespread and strong. Some 67% of residents annually surveyed by the Hawaii Tourism Authority agree that “[t]his Island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people.”
With visitor counts again approaching 10 million, elected leaders are also sounding the alarm. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi wisely stated at a recent town hall meeting that tourism levels need to return to the 8 million mark.
As tourism increases, so does the pressure to allow development projects that rely on tourism cash flow instead of meeting long-term community needs. City land use plans, such as the North Shore Sustainable Communities Plan, were created with substantial citizen input to limit and direct growth, but these well-designed plans are often misinterpreted, ignored or reduced to checkboxes.
In our area, the resident versus tourist development question is urgent: The city is under pressure to issue building permits for the largest-ever commercial development on the North Shore — a 34,500 square feet tourism mall, including a two-story restaurant, five food trucks and 126 parking spaces.
Located directly across from Kapoo (Sharks Cove) and the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District, if built, this development will forever change our rural community, harm the environment, add to traffic congestion, and degrade the quality of life and nature that residents all over Oahu enjoy on the North Shore.
The developer, Hanapohaku LLC, contends that this retail mall is “for the community.” Residents disagree. A 2021 survey of the Sunset Beach Community Association members found that 80%-90% disagreed that the project met the needs of residents. Another broader survey launched in November 2023 has garnered more than 8,000 responses, with 99% against the proposed mall. This developer is paddling backwards.
The city is trying to steer the canoe in a better direction. In 2023, the mayor’s team approached our community to propose a new North Shore First Responder Center that would provide a desperately needed ambulance station and a new North Shore District Lifeguard headquarters. We enthusiastically welcomed the city initiative and suggested the Sharks Cove commercial property, which had been marketed for sale at least twice by the current owner, as the ideal location. This site is perfectly situated for a combined ambulance, lifeguard and emergency response headquarters.
Many elected officials are joining the cause. The Honolulu City Council recently passed a CIP budget addition of $500,000, proposed by Councilmember Matt Weyer, for the planning and design of the new center, with a specific site to be confirmed.
So what needs to happen next? When the mayor comes to the North Shore for his town hall meeting this Thursday, we will humbly ask him to finalize a city purchase of the parcels in 2024, for the benefit of public health and safety. With the backing of more than 8,000 people, the local community, the City Council, former and current (and future) first responders, our keiki and kupuna — and you — we invite everyone in the canoe to paddle together and help steer the North Shore First Responder Center canoe to success.
John Thielst and Lynell DaMate are North Shore residents.
