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One mile, two beach parks and 48 cabins

By Lee Cataluna

There's the beach park at Waimanalo and, just down the road, Bellows Beach. They are separated by a mile, but they are worlds apart.

Bellows is under the control of the military, with limited public access on weekends. Waimanalo is public and open, a free-for-all with minimal control and upkeep by the city.

The big difference between the two is that Bellows is clean and, for the most part, orderly. It's not pristine, but it's pretty good even after a weekend of hundreds of sunbathers, bodysurfers, shore fishers, hibachi-cookers, pickup truck picnic parties and dog walkers.

Waimanalo is home to an ever-changing but always present blue-tarp commune. There's trash spilling out of Dumpsters, dirty bathrooms and, to be honest, not always the family-friendly vibe that Sherwood Forest suggests.

And some in Waimanalo are actually arguing for the military to give back the land at Bellows? Yikes. Two words: Barbers Point. Been out there lately to experience the excellent stewardship of the state after the Navy gave it up? This is where plastic bags, old tires and discarded appliances go on vacation.

The plan to build 48 more cabins for recreational use by military families set off the reaction. There are already cabins there, but the very idea of building dozens of ANYTHING on nice beachfront land gets keiki o ka 'aina worried (and not without good reason). It's a prudent thing to ask questions and demand answers.

But it's a big jump from asking questions about 48 cabins to "Give us the land back," especially when there is no money to take care of that land as well as the military has. It's odd that the argument is the opposite of the fight to return Kaho'olawe to the state. That was: "You guys have no business bombing that island. Give it back." This is: "You guys aren't even using the land for training. Give it back."

The military would be wise to recognize the sensitivity in the community to any project of this type. A statement from the Air Force categorized the proposed cabins as "... an obligation to provide recreational opportunities for our war fighters when they return from defending the nation." This isn't about a nation's obligation to its soldiers. It's about development, and specifically, shoreline development for an exclusive group, the most sensitive of all in these islands. Maybe they don't need to build 48 more cabins right now. There are plenty of empty rooms in Waikiki and hotels dying to give deals to servicemembers.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172.