Hawaii County and the owner of Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park in Ka‘u have agreed to extend the popular swimming and sightseeing destination’s lease until Sept. 1 in order to continue negotiations about the park’s future.

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Hawaii County and the owner of Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park in Ka‘u have agreed to extend the popular swimming and sightseeing destination’s lease until Sept. 1 in order to continue negotiations about the park’s future.

Since at least the mid-1950s, the county has leased the 6.8-acre park site comprised of parking lots, pavilions, bathrooms and campgrounds from private owners in order to provide the public with recreational space and shoreline access. Before the extension was finalized, the park’s current lease was set to expire on June 30, after which public access would have been blocked for the first time in seven decades.

Over the years, the park has become world-famous for providing habitat for endangered hawksbill and green turtles, which can often be spotted basking in the sunshine along the rocky, crescent-shaped beach of black sand, towering palm trees and lava boulders.

Endangered Hawaiian monk seals, spinner dolphins and humpback whales are also common sights at the park, in addition to features like freshwater springs, petroglyphs, ancient burial sites and traditional Hawaiian temples known as “heiau.”

The current lease was signed in 1998 for $1 per year between the county and SM Investments for a period of 28 years. In 2020, the developer Black Sand Beach LLC purchased 434 acres of land in Punalu‘u — including the park — and inherited the lease with six years remaining.

The large parcel was intended to be built out with a luxury resort development including a 225-unit residential and short-stay complex, as well as a village, wellness center, rehabilitated golf course and tennis facility. The project’s total price tag was estimated between $200 million and $350 million.

However, fierce community opposition caused plans for the development to be shelved following a contested case hearing that saw several community groups rally against Black Sand Beach LLC. This pushback resulted in the developer withdrawing its special use permit application under review by the Windward Planning Commission, according to the Planning Department.

In a press release announcing the 2-month extension, Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda described the park’s importance to a community that has grappled with limited ocean access for many years.

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“Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park has a long, rich history of supporting the Ka‘u community, having hosted generations of birthdays, graduation parties, family reunions, celebrations of life, and annual events,” Alameda said.

“Since taking office, my administration has engaged with the landowner to reach an agreement that preserves and perpetuates public access in this unique and special part of our island,” he added. “As negotiations continue, we are hopeful that we can find a resolution that works for the long-term benefit of everyone, especially our community.”

The extension, he said, allows the county and the developer to work toward a “mutually beneficial arrangement” that best serves both Punalu‘u residents and visitors.

In the release, the developer recognized the park’s importance to Ka‘u, saying it was dedicated to reaching a deal.

“Black Sand Beach LLC remains committed to preserving and enhancing Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach Park as an important cultural, recreational and community asset. The company appreciates the continued engagement of the county and recognizes the importance of collaboration in achieving a positive outcome,” the company said.

Since approximately 2007, certain sections of the park have been on the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation (PONC) Fund’s priority list. This county program earmarks a small percentage of property tax revenue to purchase culturally, historically and environmentally valuable lands and permanently protect them from development.

Critical to the PONC process is completing appraisals for the properties in question so that the county can approach willing landowners with fair-market offers. The lease extension would give the county time to come up with a bid if it decides to pursue PONC preservation, which has not yet been confirmed.

A rally billed as “Keep Punalu‘u Punalu‘u” was held Sunday afternoon at the park’s beach pavilion with the stated goal of encouraging the developer to “put the people of Ka‘u first” and to be a “willing seller” if the county makes a PONC offer.

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Email Stefan Verbano at [email protected].