PUNALU’U (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hundreds rallied in Punaluu on Saturday to protest a major planned development that residents say would change the small beach community forever.
The protestors are speaking out against Black Sand Beach LLC and its plans to revitalize the area.
The company’s website says it’s committed to rebuilding historic structures and listening to the community before building anything new on its more than 400 acres around Black Sand Beach.
Residents we spoke to Saturday say the developer hasn’t made good on many of those promises.
They’re also concerned that any new development would bring too many visitors to the secluded beach and impact wildlife like honu, which are known to use the beach for nesting.
“We’re out here today to try and bring information to the people of Pau that action needs to be done. There’s a development that’s proposed to be built right next to the shoreline, and they have ignored a lot of the issues that are on the policies that are on our CDP. This infrastructure is about ready to fall off. The owner has owned it for three years,” President of Malama Pono Punalu’u Guy Enriques said.
“We are the next Maui to happen because eight or maybe more of the fire hydrants have been dead in since he bought it and she’s promised to do something. It’s been three years. And even after the Maui fire, not as if nothing happened.”
We contacted developer Black Sand Beach LLC on Saturday about the protesters’ concerns but have not received a response yet.
The group Malama Pono Punalu’u is planning a caravan from Kau to Hilo on Thursday.
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