Kamehameha Schools announced Tuesday afternoon that it is moving forward with plans to demolish the former Keauhou Beach Hotel.
Kamehameha Schools announced Tuesday afternoon that it is moving forward with plans to demolish the former Keauhou Beach Hotel.
The draft EA, submitted for publication by the state Office of Environmental Quality Control after receiving approval from the Hawaii County Planning Department, is the first step in a process that will allow Kamehameha Schools to proceed with demolition of the former 309-room hotel, located south of Kahaluu Beach Park, and implement its vision for an educational complex at Kahaluu Ma Kai.
An approved final EA is required to support necessary land use entitlements for future plans for an “aina-based” learning complex, according to Kamehameha Schools.
“This will be an education piko for West Hawaii, a Hawaiian place in which opportunities for applied learning, teaching and knowledge creation are rooted in tradition while aspiring to 21st century innovation,” Kaeo Duarte, Kamehameha Schools director of strategic initiatives in West Hawaii, said in a prepared statement. “The potential for learning opportunities extends across a broad range of learners from this community, across the island and beyond.”
An approved final EA will make Kamehameha’s Kahaluu Ma Kai project complaint with the state’s environmental review process. The publication and availability of the draft EA on Aug. 8 starts a 30-day public review with comments due by Sept. 8.
“Our community ohana will have a few venues through which they can offer comments, ask questions and provide input during the environmental review process,” said Allen Salavea, land planning and entitlements manager. “We’ll be hosting two open house meetings to share site plans and gather community manao on August 13 and 14.”
Once the environmental review process is complete and all applicable land use entitlements are obtained, demolition of the Kona Beach Hotel and proposed improvements to the site for an educational facility can be implemented.
“We’ve been in discussion with various community stakeholder groups including kupuna, lineal descendants of the area, educational entities, Native Hawaiian organizations and government agencies for the past three years,” said Duarte. “Manao from stakeholders helped us develop a preliminary conceptual site plan to serve as a guide for transforming Kahaluu Ma Kai into a landscape for traditional learning, and doing so in a way that honors the aina and kai.”
Demolition of the vacant hotel is slated for the fall of 2015. The 309-room hotel closed in August 2012.