State and county officials have put a Kahala Avenue property owner on notice of potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines due to multiple violations of shoreline laws.
According to a news release from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, notices of these violations have been sent to the Asagami Corp. of Japan, owner of the property at 4623 Kahala Ave., dating back to August 2005.
The violations include the unauthorized use of various structures, including a chain-link fence, that are encroaching on the public beach due to erosion.
A joint investigation was recently conducted by the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting and the DLNR Land Division and Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands in response to complaints.
The team found that a fence, as well as “unauthorized structures and material” that used to be on the edge of the property, had collapsed into the ocean.
From the ocean, it appears to be a jumbled mess of tree roots with wire, poles, boards, sandbags and tarp that are about to fall apart as waves continue to lap at its border.
Under state law, DLNR said, it is illegal to obstruct access to public property and the beach transit corridor, which in this case is the shoreline.
Both agencies Friday sent notices of violations to the Asagami Corp. and its chair, Tomomi Kimura.
DLNR said modifications appear to have been made to the fence, with the addition of wooden posts and metal wiring — and that the collapsed fence and modifications are being used “as a component in an alleged unauthorized erosion control device” in the conservation district.
DLNR recommended the removal of the encroachments within 21 days, saying the Board of Land and Natural Resources could bring action to remove them.