Maui may ban
beach businessesMayor Arakawa gets a bill that
would bar recreational businesses
from 10 beach parks
WAILUKU -- Maui County Council members have passed a ban on commercial recreational activities at 10 beach parks on the Valley Isle.
CORRECTION
Thursday, Jan. 1, 2004>> A Maui ban on commercial ocean recreational activities affects nine Valley Isle beaches. An Oct. 4 story on Page A3 incorrectly reported 10 beaches.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin strives to make its news report fair and accurate. If you have a question or comment about news coverage, call Editor Frank Bridgewater at 529-4791 or email him at fbridgewater@starbulletin.com.A bill, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, goes to Mayor Alan Arakawa for his review. Arakawa was unavailable for comment.
Under the bill passed by the Council yesterday, a number of commercial activities involving instruction are banned from Cove Park, Hookipa, Launiupoko, Puamana, Baldwin Beach, the three Kamaole Beach Parks and the southern portion of Kalama Park.
The banned commercial activities include surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking.
Residents in favor of the bill have said commercial users are cluttering the beaches with equipment and spoiling residents' enjoyment.
Maui resident Charles Silva said he supported banning commercial activities at Hookipa beach, where facilities are crowded with surfers on big-wave days like yesterday.
"We don't need no surf schools," Silva said.
Critics of the bill have said the county would have to increase enforcement to make the new law effective and fear the bill will hurt the law-abiding licensees and not the outlaw businesses.
The measure would shift the responsibility of administering county ocean recreation licenses from the county Department of Finance to the county Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Parks Department is expected to develop the administrative rules and an appeals process.
Parks Director Glenn Correa said public hearings will be held to review the rules, once they are developed.
Correa said his department also will be looking at the more than 20 other beach parks not covered by the ban to determine whether to recommend a commercial ban on any of them.
Council Parks Chairwoman Jo Anne Johnson said the bill represents a step toward improving conditions at several recreational beaches.
"For me, it's one step in a long process of steps," she said. "There's so much work to be done."
Johnson said that under the bill, a special fund is to be developed through license fees that would help to pay for enforcement.
