North Shore Homeowners Hit with $1M Fines for Violations at Sunset Beach
Oahu's North Shore is home to world-class surf spots and beautiful beaches lined with beachfront homes.
But there's been trouble in paradise for years as growing coastal erosion threatens its homes, beaches, and iconic bike bath.
After a long battle against nature and the law, two property owners with homes at Kammieland, a surf break at Sunset Beach, have been slapped with nearly $1 million fines by the Board of Land and Natural Resources for shoreline violations.
KHON2 posted the news segment above on Sunday and captioned it:
"North Shore property owners ordered to pay $1M in fines"
According to the report above, the owners of Sunset Oasis LLC were fined $948,000 for "unauthorized work on public lands within the State Land Use Conservation District."
Meanwhile, Zhungo LLC managing member Rodney Youman, was fined $993,000 for violations at the property next door.
Each fine includes a multitude of smaller fines for various violations at each property including installation of—and failure to remove—sandbags and seawalls installed to prevent erosion.
While the methods used to be legal, they've been banned because they don't work. Instead, they "actually accelerate erosion on neighboring properties."
The board offered to offset the fines if the homeowners relocate the homes. Costs incurred in the removal process would go against the fines.
“It is at a crisis point in terms of how that shoreline is eroding,” explained North Shore resident and environmental attorney Denise Antolini.
Relocation is the only hope.
“Because eventually this property is going to fall into the ocean,” explained DLNR Chair Dawn Chang. “All of that is going to become debris and it's going to impact the nearshore waters.”
UH Manoa climate expert Chip Fletcher agreed, saying, "In the end, Mother Nature always wins."
Press play above for details.
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