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State to acquire,
By Gary T. Kubota
fix up Lanai harbor
Star-BulletinWAILUKU -- State transportation officials are moving forward with plans for $15 million in improvements at Lanai's commercial harbor.
State Transportation Director Kazu Hayashida yesterday signed an agreement that will allow the state to take over the privately-built and operated Kaumalapau Harbor.
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources is scheduled tomorrow to vote on acquiring 2.9 acres of harbor land from Lanai Co. for the nominal fee of $1.
The transfer of ownership will allow the state and federal government to spend some $13.5 million in improvements on the harbor, mainly for the breakwater, which has been in disrepair.
The Lanai Co., a subsidiary of Castle & Cooke Inc., has agreed to pay up to $1.5 million as its share in the improvements.
Commercial shippers say the improvements in the harbor will significantly increase the number of days they are able to deliver goods to Lanai.
Several years ago, Chevron, citing the deterioration of the harbor breakwater, halted its barge service at Kaumalapau.
Lanai Oil Co. assumed the service with a smaller barge.
Lanai Oil Co. President Alex McBarnet said there are times now when the company has to wait for weeks to deliver fuel because of harbor surges.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected this year to finish developing a design for the harbor improvement that includes a 350-foot-long breakwater with a 50-foot-long dogleg. The corps will oversee the project.
Dole Co., a subsidiary of Castle & Cooke, built Kaumalapau Harbor in the late 1920s. The breakwater was built on state land and leased to Castle & Cooke.
The current lease, signed in 1974 and extending until 2009, required Castle & Cooke to maintain the wharf facilities and breakwater.
