THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	131
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting the Department of land and natural resources, with the assistance of the Department of Transportation, to study the feasibility of a private-public partnership to develop a boat marina near Keehi Lagoon.

     WHEREAS, small boat harbors, as centers of economic and recreational activity, constitute significant assets of the State, and their proper maintenance and operation allow Hawaii residents to benefit from the State's natural resources by engaging in recreational boating, commercial and personal fishing, and small business operations; and

     WHEREAS, in addition, visitors and residents alike use small boat harbors and launch ramps to participate in local, regional, and international yacht races, fishing tournaments, canoe regattas, surfing, and other water sports contests; and

     WHEREAS, in 1992, the Legislature transferred the operation of small boat harbors and boat ramps from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, reasoning that all recreational programs of the State should be administered by one department and that the needs of the boating community would be better served by the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Audit of the Management of Small Boat Harbors and Boat Ramps, conducted by the Auditor in 1998, the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation administers twenty-one small boat harbors; and

     WHEREAS, of particular interest and importance on Oahu is Keehi Harbor and Lagoon, which holds the promise of becoming the preeminent marina of the Pacific; and

     WHEREAS, its potential has been studied and well documented, including a study by Edward K. Noda and Associates and Eugene P. Dashiell, AICP in 1987, which recommended a plan for Keehi Harbor and Lagoon that benefits both ocean recreation and commercial development and that provides extensive opportunities for the greatest variety of ocean recreation facilities in any single location in the State; and

     WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation's Commercial Harbors 2020 Master Plan also cited the importance of Keehi Harbor and Lagoon; and

     WHEREAS, Keehi Harbor and Lagoon is located on the south coast of Oahu, approximately five miles from Waikiki Beach, with three hundred eighty-nine berths, and amenities including a boat ramp and fish hoist, vessel washdown, a harbor office, restrooms, and showers; and

     WHEREAS, Keehi Lagoon also has two hundred and two moorings and dingy docks; and

     WHEREAS, Keehi Harbor and Lagoon will need additional financial and other resources if further development is to occur; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources, with the assistance of the Department of Transportation, is requested to study the feasibility of a private-public partnership to develop a boat marina near Keehi Lagoon, with a portion of the revenue from any such facility to be reserved for improvements of the small boat harbor at Keehi Lagoon, and a portion reserved for deposit in the Boating Special Fund, under section 248-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for improvements to small boat harbors throughout the State; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department is requested to consult with the Keehi Boat Club and any other interested parties as deemed appropriate; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department is requested to report on the findings and recommendations no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, the Director of Transportation, and the Keehi Boat Club.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Keehi Harbor and Lagoon; Private-Public Partnership; Feasibility Study