Kailua depends on Tourism, not the Neighborhood Board

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Kailua's community gets together every year for the "I Love Kailua Town Party"
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Kailua’s community gets together every year for the “I Love Kailua Town Party”

BY WILL PAGE – Whereas lies and unsubstantiated claims have no place in good governance…

Last Thursday, September 5, the Kailua Neighborhood Board passed a resolution calling upon the Hawaii Tourism Authority to stop promoting Kailua as a visitor destination with “whereas” that are NOT statements of facts.

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Not a single member of the community spoke in favor of that resolution. Three Kailua residents spoke against the measure.

Now therefore, we the Kailua community challenges the Kailua Neighborhood Board 31 to show us a single report where short-term rentals take housing away from local residents.

Show us any statistic that relates the impact of short-term rentals to local rents and home prices.

Show us a sociological survey that correlates an increase in crime associated with B&Bs and vacation rentals.  Show us the police reports.  Show us the insurance claims. Do they have a scrap of proof?

Show us any newspaper article that reports the negative impact of short-stay rentals on the social, economic, and cultural character of our neighborhoods. Especially the economics. Show us the negative impact of tourism on the economy of Kailua.

Show us the negative impact of taxed paid by tourism businesses and its negative impact on the State and City budgets.

In other words, show us any shred of evidence they have to substantiate any of this shibai presented whereas facts against tourism.

Be it resolved that the Kailua Neighborhood Board 31 has no honest place in the good governance of Kailua.

Kailua shops, restaurants, and activity operators depend upon tourism as does the entire State of Hawaii.

We would like to see the Hawaii Tourism Authority increase its promotion of Kailua as a visitor destination and an alternative to lively Waikiki.

Will Page is the President of Page Marketing, Inc. in Kailua, Hawaii.

 

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35 COMMENTS

  1. I attended the KNB meeting Mr Page wrote about. The resolution passed by a large majority and judging by the applause afterwards, it seems reasonable to suggest that a large majority of those in attendance were in support of the resolution.

  2. If Will Page wants facts, we should start with the fact that Will Page’s company promotes “non-permitted” vacation rentals. I wonder why he forgot to mention that? In regards to the Kailua Neighborhood Boards resolution that was passed by a vast majority, Mr. Page claims it’s an attack on tourism. The truth is it’s a reasonable request to the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to stop promoting illegal vacation rentals in Kailua. After all, they are ILLEGAL! The HTA fails to inform visitors in its marketing material that vacation rentals are “non-conforming” in residential zoning and are only conforming in resort zoning. Over 80% of the vacation rentals in Kailua are illegal and HTA does not instruct visitors on how to tell if their selected accommodations are legitimate or not. Anyone who is breaking the law or profits from it wants the HTA to turn a blind eye to the issue, but the community has had enough and has asked their representative (Kailua Neighborhood Board) to do something about it. Page’s rant has as much credibility as he does in the community – zero!

  3. Leilani

    It would seems that Will Page is operating a commercial business in the residential zoned neighborhood.
    Perhaps he also has an illegal vacation rental?

  4. Having been born and raised in Kailua, I can tell you this, KAILUA DOES NOT DEPEND ON TOURISM TO SURVIVE!!! The Kailua Neighborhood Board should be lauded for protecting the interests of the people and the community they've been appointed to serve – the business part of that community is but a SMALL interest – the majority of the those represented by the Board are residents in this RESIDENTIAL area that has been transformed, much to the dismay of old-timers like myself…. Unfettered growth of business without care or concern for the infrastructure required to support that growth, read wider roads and sidewalks, appropriate stop signs/lights to manage the overwhelming traffic flow in the heart of our beloved town, and numerous other issues have all transformed our sleepy residential community into an entity that is all about 'SELLING' the beauty and tranquility of Kailua, not preserving it. Shame on you for writing such an off-kilter article. SHAME ON YOU!!

    • Another resident who wants it all for himself. I'm from Kailua too. I think the town needs to get over it. It's going to grow whether you like it or not.

      • Grow to where? Increasing density and exceeding carrying capacity benefits nobody. Beach Park cleanups have already become HAZMAT activities due to all of the human waste in the naupaka. Those interested in a sustainable visitor industry should take notice. The consequences of overcrowding is also compromising visitor experience quality. Local business should be concerned too, some say the party is over and we don't know it. Waikiki occupancy rates are almost maxed out, so why isn't anybody building hotels? Think about, smart investors know, the bubble is getting ready to pop.

      • IT IS SO SAD AND WRONG. ALL IT TAKES IS SOME VACATION RENTER WHO COULD BE A MURDERER, CHILD MOLESTER AND MORE RUNNING FROM THE LAW FROM MAINLAND TO MAYBE KILL YOU OR YOUR FAMILY THEN WILL U WAKE UP!!!!!!
        KAILUA HAS JUST DONE FINE WITHOUT ALL THE TOURISTS! THAT IS WHY WAIKIKI WAS BUILT IN THE LATE 60'S THROUGH THE 70'S. KEEP THE VISITORS IN WAIKIKI!!!!!!
        AND WHOEVER YOU ARE I WAS ALSO BORN AND RAISED IN KAILUA!!!! MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING TO SPOIL OUR TOWN…………….

      • Yes, keep the visitors in Waikiki. And I suppose your family has been on the east side of Oahu since the beginning of time.

      • My guess is that they've been in Kailua long enough to call it their home. You should try to respect that.

  5. Tourism benefits the entire island and the entire state. Don't be narrow minded. We need to invest in the future by expanding the infrastructure now. The extremely small minority of the filthy rich that own multi gazillion dollar houses from Lanikai to the MCBH need to stop obstructing economic progress. It's childish, selfish, and embarrassing. If you or your parents bought homes in Kailua years ago because of the lack of tourism, perhaps it's time to sell it and get out of the way. I bought my home in Kailua (years ago) because it was the best value on the island and I knew Kailua would be the destination town for visitors. I knew the value of my home would change for the better. It was an investment for me. If I get tired of the traffic, people, and the vacationers next door, I have the option to sell and move just like you do.

    • Some say that it's not reasonable that one neighbor makes money while the other loses money because of it. Does it bother you that your house will sell for less $$$ if you have a short term vacation rental next door? I'm also confused by your suggestion that people should get out of the way of capitalism. Don't you think that would set a horrible prescience for the entire state? I think having separate business and residential districts is a better idea.

    • I agree with EXPANDING INFRASTRUCTURE, but any intelligent urban/regional planner will tell you that infrastructure expansion must come before development….planned growth within the limits of the LAW can be good for the community but unconstrained growth without the needed infrastracture is destined to fail. The very attributes that cause folks to flock to the Kailua we know and love will ultimately not be enough to keep them here as traffic congestion and crime increase and our beaches fall victim to litter and feces….

      • I agree although you are being pessamistic regarding "traffic congestion and crime", causing a drop off in tourism to Kailua. Waikiki still has a record number of visitors every year and it has been constantly developed beyond its infrastructure capacity. Crime, homeless people, feces, vomit, and prostitutes do not deter visitors. The Kailua you loved has changed and it will continue to change. In a perfect world of rainbows and unicorns everything would be frozen in time, just how you always want to remember it. But, this is reality and the plantaiton days have long since gone. Pick another place in the world that could be your ideal happy place and go there. Unfortunately, it will eventually change also because the world continues to turn even if the neighborhood board wants it to halt.

      • Kailuanative said "… infrastructure expansion must come before development" – Agreed! I do not understand why business continues to push for more growth. This makes no sense. Any business or industry that outruns its infrastructure is doomed for failure. More, more, more… It is so very hard to scale any operation, especially if the infrastructure isn't in place. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the community stepped aside and let business have its way. How long would it take until the whole greedy mess cannibalizes itself?

    • So what you are saying is that you are nothing more than a speculator whose intentions from the start were never to become a part of the community,but to profit of your neighbors and the small beach community culture. It's nice to know that your goal is to become one of the "filthy rich" and that once YOU get rich enough off of your investment you will have the option to inflict your greed upon another community.

  6. I do not believe that your neighbor's vacation rental devalues your home. I believe that your home and land has continued to increase in value over the years no matter who rents next door. Yes, the state must capitalize on the tourism trade. Our economy depends on it. No it's not horrible. We should capitalize on that fact that we are fortunate enough to have more visitors flocking to Kailua to give us their money. It benefits the entire State and the town. The only people that could possibly be against this are the people that have enough money already. Money is not an issue for these people. The overall economy of the state is not their concern. Their only concern is with themselves and their possessions. We have a few people that want control of matters that concern everyone in the State.

    • Agree that we must capitalize on tourism. However, we must also nurture it and protect it from shortsighted greed. Remember the days when we focused on visitor spending instead of how many people we could pack onto the island every year? That measurement of success seems more compatible and sustainable.

  7. let's get these vacation-rentals cranking in Kauai,maui, big island,molokai.the potential is mouth-watering.lots of money.

  8. Kailua Resident is correct when he said “having separate business and residential districts is a better idea”. That’s the purpose of zoning. Retail businesses belong in commercial zoning, residences belong in residential zoning and visitor lodging belongs in resort zoning. Problems arise when you start placing lodging businesses in residential zoning. It’s not compatible and its why the community is up in arms over the illegal vacation rentals. If the wanabe “Kimo” and other illegal vacation rental owners want Kailua to be the Windward Waikiki, than petition the City to changing the zoning from residential to resort, but don’t tell us that mini-hotels are compatible in residential neighborhoods-They are not and that is why the Kailua community has opposed them for over 25 years.

  9. Don’t be surprised if Hawaii history considers Kaneohe Ranch’s Kailua commercial property sale to be one of the smartest, most timely moves ever. Many Scientists are saying that Fukashima’s radiation is on its way and that it may not be safe to go in the ocean when it gets here. How many of Kailua’s booming tourist based businesses will have the money put aside to survive a drop in revenues? Most are in growth mode right now which means that they are busy increasing overhead and debt, few if any are saving money for a "radioactive day"… My guess is that the Kailua Tourism bubble is going to pop hard in 2015.

  10. Capitalize on tourism? Wake up Hawaii. Tourism sucks! It's a terrible industry. It raises rents, cost of housing and other necessities. Its destroys communities with transient residents. It helps out a few business owners but at the expense of the rest of the community. It provides jobs yes, but most are crappy service jobs that don't pay enough to enable those workers to have a decent living with the cost of living rises that it brings. We cling to tourism because we feel we have nothing else. We need to find other industries that will provide real jobs for real people. It won't be easy but it's necessary because pimping out Kailua and the rest of Hawaii to tourists is just not sustainable. Kailua doesn't need tourists. My family and friends have lived perfectly fine here with jobs that have no relation to tourism (teacher, bank teller, etc). I was born and raised here, as was my mom. Kailua has done just fine for many years without tourists. Stop selling out Kailua and the rest of Hawaii. We deserve better.

      • I suggest that the existing laws need to be enforced and that the HTA should join the Kailua community in condemning illegal residential visitor industry businesses. Working together, we can get lawlessness out of neighborhoods. I also suggest that a legal visitor experience is preferred over an illegal visitor experience.

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