A licensed property owner in Hawaii has hired bouncers to try to keep the public away from a beach near his property.
An Anini beachfront homeowner has taken a scandalous step, despite all of the tropical paradise’s beaches being publicly accessible by law.
The matter came to the attention of Kauai County Council President Mel Rapoza after a security guard escorted an elderly Hawaiian man out of the area.
“It is our right as residents and even visitors to this place to be able to use public access,” Rapoza said.
He added that he had personally removed a “road closed” sign posted by the land owners, who have not been identified.
A Hawaii homeowner has hired bouncers to try to keep the public away from a stretch of Anini Beach in front of his property.
The $8 million property is listed as a two-bedroom vacation rental by Anini Beach Hale LLC. SF Gate information.
“Basically, the owner had taken over the state beach, set up his beach amenities, hired security to chase local people off the beach, and even had the audacity to put a ‘Road Closed’ sign on a pole that was getting closer to that path,” Rapoza said.
“Who do they think they are to just say, ‘I’m going to put up a Road Closed sign just to keep the public out’?”
The council has now approved a resolution that seeks to get tHe claims to conduct a study of the Anini Beach coastline to end the debate over where public and private boundaries lie.
“This is an important issue for the entire state,” said local Lonnie Sykos in support of the resolution.
‘However, this is not just this beach. We have ‘Secrets’ (Beach), where the landowner planted the path (towards it). Now it is solid Eureka and other types of trees. This is a problem elsewhere.”
In its resolution, the council said it “received numerous complaints alleging that a number of private landowners across the island are obstructing public rights of way with gates, foliage, stones and other barriers.”
Kauai County Council President Mel Rapoza expressed anger at the actions and introduced a proposal urging the state to conduct a study of the coastline.
The matter came to their attention after an elderly voter was escorted away by a security guard.
Local legislators warned that those who fail to comply could go to the city council, ‘determine and declare the need to expropriate property for public purposes, describe the property and indicate the uses to which it will be used.’
Rapoza said the Anini Beach landowner has since removed the patio furniture that was blocking the beach.
“There’s no guarantee he won’t do it again,” he warned.
