Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Musings: Say When


Grazed grass crisped to brown, poinciana trees spreading a flaming canopy — unmistakable signs of summer in Kapaa. Driving through the Homesteads in the soft gold light of early evening, enroute to a wild hive removal from a carport cabinet, I am overwhelmed by the profusion of foliage, blossoms and lush life.

A different kind of lush life is planned for the bluff overlooking Hanalei Bay, and Michelle Swartman was on KKCR this afternoon, pitching it. She's the Kauai rep for the San Diego-based company that wants to develop an ultra-upscale resort and swank cliffside house sites. Seems they're aiming to create a “village concept” for “someone who wants to be immersed in Kauai's culture and history.” Though not,  presumably, quite so culturally authentic, as, say, Anahola village.

The land — I've written about it before, in terms of blocked, then re-opened, access — is owned by e-Bay founder and multi-billionaire Pierre Omidyar, who is also financing the project. This factoid prompted more than a few callers to wonder, quite reasonably, why can't he just give the land to the people of Kauai, turn it into a park?

The question underlying that one is this: when you are already one of the world's richest men, with more money than you can possibly spend or even easily give away in a lifetime, why must you pursue destructive, disruptive projects opposed by a community in a quest to acquire more?

It's a question that was also rightfully raised about Steve Case, and his decision to destroy Koloa Camp.

When is enough, enough?

As several callers pointed out, it must come down to greed.

Omidyar is often billed as a philanthropist, which in my mind should be a given for a man worth $6.7 billion. So the idea of him dedicating the parcel to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust for public use in perpetuity isn't too far-fetched.

But what if it was turned into a park and the county didn't do a good job of managing it? Michelle worried.

Hey, we'll chance 'em.

Michelle also noted that Omidyar just provides the kala. “He does not get involved in any of our business decisions.”

So as one caller suggested, maybe the best thing to do is “let him know what his management company is doing, and that we don't like what's planned.”

Because the people who were calling in, and there was a string of 'em, most definitely did not like what was planned, despite Michelle's assurance that it would be “a resort-residential community that the public will have the opportunity to share, to celebrate and to be a part of.”

They also weren't buying her assertion that through this project, Omidyar will be “lending his support to keeping Kauai sustainable, adding to the quality of life. This will provide us with opportunities to showcase a sustainable development.”

Because as several people noted, it's going to be producing more sewage, more traffic, more trash, all of which impact the larger community.

Michelle acknowledged that burials may be unearthed during construction. She also said she had felt the mana — the spiritual power of the place that some of my Hawaiian friends say caused previous projects there to fail — and described it as “a very spiritual place.”

But that didn't stop her from repeating the developer's mantra, one that has started to wear a little thin on the tourism-stressed North Shore: “The positives and community benefits far outweigh the negatives.”

Who, though, really does the figuring for that particular equation?

When one caller suggested Omidyar build a cheap hotel, so that common people could enjoy the area, and not just the super rich, one of the radio hosts said, “You can't really be expecting millionaire landowners to fund something like that.”

Why not? 

When is enough, enough?

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

Money managers made the call. He nevah know!

irk said...

twas pathetic and made me feel like she was scratching her fingernails on the greenboard when she kept coopting hawaiian words and concepts to sell the project. shoulda used hispanic words and concepts more familiar to people from san diego where her company is from. her vox avaritia gave me a bad case of the oogies.

Anonymous said...

Stop Kauai from becoming the sole playground for the super-rich! Keep Kauai, country! Stop these foreigners from ruining a good thing!

Anonymous said...

Despite the company being based in San Diego, she is from Kaua'i from a Hawaiian family.

Joan Conrow said...

No, she identified herself as an "island girl" who came from an area on Oahu that used to be a plantation. She said her husband's family is from Kalihiwai.

Anonymous said...

Yes! Being a second generation islander doesn't make one Hawaiian.

Another calamity of the zoning laws. Her point was valid that this property is zoned for resort. And the often used...if not them, then someone else.....

But this Ohana investment group claims.... "We invest in only what we know and leverage core competencies in financial analysis, asset management and development to increase likelihood of success." Their website says NOTHING about sustainability, existing community, etc. However, they do claim to "....take a long-term strategic approach to the value creation process and allow for modifications and changes in approach to be made throughout the process. We have the ability to be patient, yet retain a disciplined and focused approach and are looking for exceptional opportunities."

Time (past time really, but never too late) to flood this company's inbox with the perspectives of the community!

Anonymous said...

P,R.= Paid Liar in corporate terms.

I wonder what her paycheck equates to a week. Her use of adjectives and adverbs tells me she has rehearsed this speel to the tee.

If they wanted to make a culturaly sensitive area, they would make a park, hire kapuna, and educate the masses. If you want to experience and "share" at this proposed facility don't forget to bring your fat wallet and fully loaded credit cards. What a load of BS.



Upscale resorts and properties will never equal, or be comparable
The hawaiian culture.

Time for Kauai to fight this plague like the dummy ferry!!

Anonymous said...

Here comes another Koloa Landing or St Regis that is built on sacred lands, please make room for the rich and the poor please stay out of sight or cut our grass and don't forget to take out the trash.

Anonymous said...

And you have a problem with that?

In Xanadu did Kublai Khan
A stately Pleasure-Dome decree,
Where Alph, the sacred river ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

Kauai...the pleasure-dome of the rich.

Well, maybe not like Ellison Island, but still it has potential.

Anonymous said...

Yes I do have a problem with that.

Why don't you tell me where your family/ancestors are buried, so i can dig their bones up and throw them anywhere i please, desecrate their grave sites and build whatever the crap I want to and tell you that I'm sorry but you can have a min wage job cutting grass where your family was buried.

We all see things differently, but we can't respect our differences that's the problem I have.

Anonymous said...

Ok so he has paid money managers telling what to do - Joan - have you written directly to him? Have any of you told him something different than what they are telling him?

A letter writing campaign to the individual, a publizied wide spread national petition - or just a couple of callers on a LOCAL ONLY radio show?

Show some initiative people get out and get this issue made PUBLIC, beyond these islands. There are plenty of people who would be interested in preservation and protection but if no one but a few local name callers are in on the action...then...you get what you get. Nothing.

Try harder, seriously. Please.

Anonymous said...

Ok so he has paid money managers telling what to do - Joan - have you written directly to him? Have any of you told him something different than what they are telling him?

A letter writing campaign to the individual, a publizied wide spread national petition - or just a couple of callers on a LOCAL ONLY radio show?

Show some initiative people get out and get this issue made PUBLIC, beyond these islands. There are plenty of people who would be interested in preservation and protection but if no one but a few local name callers are in on the action...then...you get what you get. Nothing.

Try harder, seriously. Please.

Anonymous said...

Like he would care.

Anonymous said...

So good give up now, before you even try, nice defeatist attitude and that is why you will continue to FAlL. You won't even try.

Whine and bitch and moan - no one hears you because no one here tries.

So you know this person doesn't care because ..... That is what you believe?

Pathetic, just as sad as the corrupt Cunty officials.

Anonymous said...

No, because he pays people to do shit like go on the radio and say all the wonderful things that the project will bring and he's probably paying lawyers and engineers and architects and landscapers to turn this "vision" into reality. And when it's done, you have Kukuiula North. The sales pitch will be the same "live the dream, rich man" blather. Sucks, but this guy has money and property rights on his side. Tell you what. You show up at the next public hearing and give them the old "this is bullshit" rant and I'll be the next speaker telling them "motherfucker nailed it".

Anonymous said...

And then the project will be approved and built anyway.

Money talks and bullshit ranting/raving walks.

Anonymous said...

"Why don't you tell me where your family/ancestors are buried..."

I'd be happy to. I could probably get you GPS data to find the correct graves faster.

Feel free to piss on their headstones, take a dump on their graves, dig them up and feed their bones to your dogs. I don't care.

Dead is dead and what's left isn't worth anything.

Ancestors live in one's memory...the rest is nothing and not worthy of veneration.

ps - I did have a close relative whom I didn't like much at all. Got some of the cremation ashes and had them molded into a clear plexiglass toilet seat which I still use. Now, that's remembrance!

Anonymous said...

"...Being a second generation islander doesn't make one Hawaiian."
Exactly my point with James Alalem, who is a Filipino, calls himself a "kahu" of the Wailua heiau and iwi yet has very little knowledge of Hawaiian culture, language, practices and history. I am so happy he was found guilty - hopefully he will get some jail time instead of a fine.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous: "No, because he pays people to do shit like go on the radio and say all the wonderful things that the project will bring and he's probably paying lawyers and engineers and architects and landscapers to turn this "vision" into reality"
Actually as Joan stated, "Michelle also noted that Omidyar just provides the kala. “He does not get involved in any of our business decisions.”

So "he" probably doesn't even know she was on the radio and he very well may not know much of anything about this project! So the commenter's suggestion to go straight to the source is a good one.

Bottomline.....WHO ZONED THIS LAND AS RESORT?......RIGHT HERE ON THE ISLAND IS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM!

Anonymous said...

You and your people have no respect for the living or the dead.

You call yourselves americans but the truth is that you're europeans born on a different continent.

Our cultures are different and to acknowledge that and embrace the uniqueness is showing respect for one another as human beings.

You act as if entitlements are rights of passages and privileges that cannot be taken away but one only ceases to exist with the blessing of good fortune as a vagrant pauper have not.

Anonymous said...

You're American now. Get with the program or continue to knock yourselves out trying to fit a square peg into what is now a round hole.

Damn natives...

Anonymous said...

Nothing but development will happen here because no one here knows how to write a letter or start a nationwide petition or get national news coverage.

too bad.

Anonymous said...

If you know, and you act like you do, why not show or tell others? Or start it yourself???

Anonymous said...

i don't live there and you people should learn to take care of yourselfs and stand up. pathetic like the corruption in your government

rely on someone else to vote, someone else to clean up your mess.

just sad and pathetic that none of you (67,000) can do anything for yourselfs except whine and complain and HOPE that someone else takes care of YOUR problems.

Anonymous said...

Sell the whole place to Ellison. His buying Lanai was, relative to someone with only 1 million in assets, like that person buying a used Chevy.

Only a "benevolent dictator" can sort out the zoo called Kauai.

Since "Ellison Island" is already used, he could rename your little dysfunctional patch "Larry Land".

Anonymous said...

What did you think was going to happen here regardless of the politicians? Kauai is too beautiful and people are going to want to move here. Money on one side and preservation ont the other. Not much of a contest.

Anonymous said...

If you know, and you act like you do, why not show or tell others? Or start it yourself???

July 12, 2012 11:49 AM

too bad you have no brain to lift a finger for yourself, let alone protect your precious island.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I do and I am so piss off.

Anonymous said...

Actually, I do and I am so piss off.

July 12, 2012 8:48 PM

so what will you do about it?

Anonymous said...

What do you care? You already said you're not from here and you're not doing anything.

Anonymous said...

and you are from there and you aren't doing a damn thing either, are you.

haha - jokes on you buddy and your loss

Anonymous said...

So do nothing - so do keep the corruption going....

Anonymous said...

Chinatown. Noah Cross, developer/child molester. No conscience.

Anonymous said...

Jake Gittes: How much are you worth?
Noah Cross: I have no idea. How much do you want?
Jake Gittes: I just wanna know what you're worth. More than 10 million? (movie was set in 1937)
Noah Cross: Oh my, yes!
Jake Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What could you buy that you can't already afford?
Noah Cross: The future, Mr. Gittes! The future. Now, where's the girl? I want the only daughter I've got left. As you found out, Evelyn was lost to me a long time ago.
Jake Gittes: Who do you blame for that? Her?
Noah Cross: I don't blame myself. You see, Mr. Gittes, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place, they're capable of ANYTHING.

Anonymous said...

Omidyar is the one who brought the Dalai Lama to Oahu a few months ago. Obviously he has a spiritual side. Anyone who buys this property will develop it as per how it is zoned (resort), so lets hope that he does it with better consciousness than some of the greed-driven others around the island.
Personally, I wish he'd create a spiritual ashram there.