STAR-BULLETIN / MAY 2003
A permit system designed to reduce commercial activities along Kaanapali Beach is scheduled to begin in mid-December.
State moves to restrict
Kaanapali beach tradeA permit system aims
to limit widespread
commercial activities
KAANAPALI, Maui >> State officials are developing a beach permit system in West Maui to reduce commercial activities on the 1-mile shoreline along Kaanapali.
Some independent beach rental operators said the change will make running their businesses difficult and will favor the resort properties fronting the beach.
Dan Davidson, deputy director of the Department of Land & Natural Resources, said the new permit system is trying to prevent a "carnival atmosphere" where beach rental operators and their equipment occupy a significant part of the public coastline.
"Our concern was the beach," Davidson said. "There was a significant problem."
Davidson said the Kaanapali Beach permits will be issued by about mid-December.
"We are in the process of finalizing all the details in the permits," Davidson said. "We're looking at the requests. We going back and forth before we determine what is appropriate."
Davidson said that under the new permit system, no equipment and storage equipment bins will be allowed on Kaanapali Beach from 7:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. daily.
He said the department is setting limits on the number of cabanas resorts can place on the beach and the number of cabanas that can be set on the beach before being rented.
"The final numbers are still being negotiated and reviewed," he said.
Davidson said the conditions in the permits will take into consideration the location of cabanas on the beach to make sure they do not take away the public access to the ocean and interfere with public enjoyment of the beach.
He said a limited number of permits will be issued to hotels and independent operators to have commercial equipment on Kaanapali Beach between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
The new beach permit system for Kaanapali was approved in concept by the state Land Board on Sept. 26, after Davidson testified that an existing ocean recreation permit system was inadequate to enforce rules on the beach.
The board gave Land Board Chairman Peter Young the authority to issue the commercial activity permits for Kaanapali Beach to adjacent resort properties and those with ocean recreation permits.
Cy Miyamoto, who operates a surfing school off Kaanapali Beach, said he was not notified about the Sept. 26 meeting on Oahu and said the meeting should have been held on Maui.
"I was upset because I do pay fees to the state," he said.
Independent beach operators said they would have difficulty if they could not store their equipment on the beach.
David Flavin, who previously operated an ocean recreation business at Kaanapali, said the beach permits should be issued on a seniority basis.
Flavin said independent beach operators should also have the opportunity to bid on the cabana concessions.
Davidson said the intent behind the new beach permit system is to reduce the number of existing cabanas on the beach.
