Shifting tale
Shifting tale
Do I hear $26.5 million? Don’t know about the money, but I do know we are hearing a story from Scott Watson. In Tribune-Herald’s March 11 article covering the expensive Ninole estate up for auction, developer Watson says he “discovered” the property while jet skiing, and the “second he saw” it … “knew it was the perfect location for a home for the ultra-rich.” Then, his story changes.
Articles in “Environment Hawaii,” December 2012 and January 2013, state when Watson submitted the Special Management Area use permit assessment application in April 2008, it was to develop a “sod farm.” In August 2008, he submitted a second application for “a turf farm with a single-family residence … to raise sod and live on the farm.”
On August 29, 2013, thanks to the front-page of the Tribune-Herald, we discovered his farm house story had morphed into a $26 million “opulent” home. Soon, there will be an auction on this farm house with helipad.
Watson says he has “butted heads with the county.” Well, of course he has, because his story to the county wasn’t accurate as to what was being built, and permit violations were numerous. What about helipad permits?
Ninole once had a macnut farm. Now it has a concrete building for the rich 1 percent. The rest of us wait to discover what happens to our property taxes. Wonder if Watson has mentioned anything about landslides to the potential buyers? Several years ago, about 700 yards away along the coast line, there was a big one. With Watson’s tons of concrete sitting on the edge of the cliff, it could be the start of a different new story.
Ingrid Nishimoto
Ninole