HONOLULU (AP) - An attorney representing a group of Hawaii residents opposed to development in an Oahu beach park plans to seek a court injunction against the project.
Attorney Tim Vandeveer filed a lawsuit and expects to take further legal action against development within Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Sunday.
About 140 demonstrators opposing the development gathered Saturday at the park’s woodland area known as Sherwood Forest, which covers 74 acres (0.12 square miles or 0.31 square kilometers).
Honolulu wants to clear a plot to build a multipurpose field, playground and 11-stall parking lot on the site, said Andrew Pereira, a spokesman for Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
The $1.43 million project is a compromise from the city’s 2012 plan to develop a $32 million sports complex and 470-stall parking lot, Pereira said.
“Mayor Caldwell respects the right of protesters to express their views, but he’s going to continue with Phase I of the project, which the community fought for and approved,” Pereira said. “Those who support the project deserve as much attention as those who are opposed to it.”
The city failed to adhere to federal land use controls, violated federal and state historic preservation law, conducted an inadequate environmental assessment, and used a flawed permit approval process that distorted the park’s primary and special purposes, Vandeveer’s lawsuit said.
“It’s really a process to go through and consider the true impact on the natural resources, the cultural and historical resources, and that’s what we are asking the city to do,” Vandeveer said. “Not just in this process, but all across the state.”
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com
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