Known historically as an intellectual training ground for Hawai‘i’s leaders, the cultural landscape of Kamehameha Schools’ Kahalu‘u Ma Kai property is on its way to being transformed into a piko for 21st-century educational exchanges.
Redevelopment updates
Kamehameha Schools is in the planning phases of redevelopment. Check back here for more updates or announcements.
KS is moving forward with the next phase of transforming Kahalu‘u Ma Kai into a world-class educational and cultural center. The public should be aware of construction activities in the vicinity of the hotel. See story »
Hawai‘i County Leeward Planning Commission approved Kamehameha Schools’ Special Management Area Use Permit (SMA) application to remove the former Keauhou Beach Hotel at Kahalu‘u Ma Kai. See story »
Nearly 100 education and culture advocates from across Hawai‘i island packed into a recent Leeward Planning Commission (LPC) public hearing to show their support for Kahaluʻu Ma Kai – a West Hawai‘i learning complex planned by Kamehameha Schools (KS). See story »
The cultural landscape of Kahaluʻu Ma Kai will be restored to a Hawaiian place in which opportunities for applied learning, teaching, and knowledge creation are rooted in tradition while advancing learners and the Lāhui toward innovation, leadership and a sustainable future.
Conceptual site plan
All access to this property will be restricted and the area will be fenced. These restrictions will remain in place until it is safe to allow access to the property. Once the project and redevelopment have been completed, a public access corridor along the southern edge of the property will provide access to the sandy beach at Makoleʻa Cove and access to historical sites will continue to be managed through the main gate via designated footpaths.
To show your support for our vision of an educational piko (hub) at Kahaluʻu Ma Kai, please submit written testimony to the Planning Commission by October 21, 2015.
Classify if testimony is personal or organizational (If testifying on behalf of an organization, provide documentation of organization relationship)
Email to:
Brandi Beaudet, Chair of Leeward Planning Commission
Email address: planning@hawaiicounty.gov
Mail – Deadline: Thursday, October 15
Include the following:
Full name
Mailing address
Classify if testimony is personal or organizational (If testifying on behalf of an organization, provide documentation of organization relationship)
Submit original with 15 copies
Mail to:
Leeward Planning Commission
Attn: Brandi Beaudet, Chair of Leeward Planning Commission
74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Building E
Kailua-Kona, H.I. 96740
An introduction to the special management area permit process
On June 26, 2015, the Hawai‘i County Planning Department accepted Kamehameha Schools’ Kahalu‘u Ma Kai Special Management Area (SMA) Use Permit application. Two public hearings, hosted by the County Planning Commission, are required as part of the permit approval process. The acceptance for processing the application triggers a 90-day countdown to the first public hearing in West Hawai‘i that will provide the public an opportunity to testify on the proposed educational complex. A decision on the permit will be rendered at the second hearing.
Approval of an SMA permit would allow Kamehameha Schools to remove the former Keauhou Beach Hotel and begin construction. The seven-story structure, with its footing anchored in surrounding tide pools, is scheduled to be carefully dismantled next fall by contractors who will adhere to guidelines proposed in the schools’ Final Environmental Assessment.
Environmental review requirement
Prior to submitting an application for an SMA use permit, Kamehameha Schools’ Final Environmental Assessment was approved by the County of Hawaii, which then issued a finding of no significant impact (FEA-FONSI) to the environment for the project.
The decision, coming after a 30-day public commenting period and a three-month review by the department, allows Kamehameha Schools to move another step closer to removing the seven-story hotel structure in order to implement its educational vision for the 22-acre site.
Construction of learning facilities for Kamehameha’s West Hawai‘i region at Kahalu’u Ma Kai and the continued restoration of the culturally significant property will support Kamehameha’s educational mission for West Hawaiʻi and ensure stewardship of the natural, cultural and historical resources for future generations of learners.
The full FEA-FONSI document is available for viewing via the Office of Environmental Quality Control’s (OEQC) website.
