North Shore Kauai

Hanalei beach park to expand

nskbuzz — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:02:02 +0000

One of the most popular North Shore beach parks is set to expand.

Gov. Linda Lingle on Thursday signed off on the release of $800,000 from the Land Conservation Fund to be used for the acquisition of a quarter-acre of beach-front land adjacent to Hanalei’s Black Pot Park, according to Department of Land and Natural Resources records.

Meeting parcel owner John Hodge’s $3 million asking price — reduced from $3.3 million — the state money will add to the $1.85 million already approved from Kaua‘i County’s Open Space Fund and $350,000 from the county’s Special Trust Fund for Parks and Playgrounds, said Kaua‘i Public Land Trust Executive Director Jennifer Luck.

“We’re elated,” said Luck, who was instrumental in the process and “cautiously optimistic” that Lingle would release the money.

Brosnan granted vacation-rental permit

nskbuzz — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:22:22 +0000

NORTH SHORE RESIDENT CHALLENGES ELIGIBILITY

How cool would it be to stay at James Bond’s house, maybe not even legally?

Apparently, there are a few with such bragging rights. He may have a license to kill, but did he have a permit to allow transient renters in his home?

The Planning Commission just now gave former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan a non-conforming-use certificate for his home as a transient vacation rental, acknowledging he has been using his home as such since 2007.

A current county ordinance regulates TVRs which had been in use before the law was passed, in March 2008. If a TVR started operations after that date, it wouldn’t qualify for a permit unless it is in a visitor destination area. Owners have to reapply for a permit every year.

Planning Director Ian Costa said applicants also have to show state general-excise and TAT (transient accommodations tax, or hotel-room tax) licenses, plus records of bookings, reservations and collections to qualify for a permit. The Planning Department confirmed that the records for the Brosnans’ TVR have been verified and are available for viewing upon request.

According to at least one North Shore resident, however, the Brosnans should have been denied the permit, just as it happened when they previously applied for it.

Sunset Session in Hanalei

nskbuzz — Wed, 26 May 2010 08:23:59 +0000

Shadow, a Jack Russell Terrier, and Lucas Angulo, surfer-grom from Hanalei, Kauai, catch some waves at tiny Retros (next to Pine Trees) in Hanalei Bay.

Your Sunscreen May Give You Cancer

nskbuzz — Tue, 25 May 2010 01:07:05 +0000

Sunscreen is supposed to protect us from cancer, but a new report from the Environmental Working Group claims that many products don’t do what they’re supposed to. Some sunscreens contains ingredients that might even trigger skin tumors and lesions, according to the EWG’s 2010 Sunscreen Guide.