The Kauai Planning Commission rejected a petition Tuesday from a group of residents who were asking the commission to revoke permits issued to the owners of the Coco Palms Resort property. This means their plans to build a new, 350-room hotel are still on the table.
The group is against the redevelopment plans, saying the land is sacred and that a hotel is not the right option for the long-vacant Wailua property on the island’s eastside.
The former Coco Palms Resort was destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Little has changed since then, as several efforts by developers over the years have not been successful at rebuilding the once-famous resort.
The 40-acre property is home to an ancient fishpond, burials and native wetland birds many community members have been fighting to protect.