Adding himself to the list of billionaires who are investing in Kauai property, Oakley founder, James Jannard, is purchasing several properties located on Hanalei's beachfront. Jannard's Waioli Surf Shack Holdings has closed on 3 properties at the end of Weke Rd totaling $30M.

On Thursday, the Coconut Palms Plantation Resort land sold at auction for $3.66M.  The winning bid for the 11.78-acres located went to Gary Oda and his partners who own the adjacent properties, the Bull Shed Restaurant, Mokihana Lodge, and the Kauai Kailani condominium complex.

The Garden Island adds some clarification to current permits for the property:

"Current permits for the property, approved by the county Planning Commission in 2007, also allow the new buyers to construct the previously planned Coconut Plantation Resort that included 192 multi-family units, six hotel rooms, associated amenities, 399 on-site parking spaces, a cultural preserve area, and vertical and lateral beach access paths. "

While some residents are concerned about the environmental and cultural impact of developing the property, Gary Oda and his partners have not yet determined what kind of development they wish to pursue.

Marriott recently sold Kauai Lagoons to Developer Ed Bushor for $60M.  $40M has already been paid and Marriott is seeking the remaining $20M by April 30th.  Though, according to Pacific Business News, an alternative arrangement may be in the works where Ed Bushor develops the rest of the property with time-share units and Marriott purchases them.  If the deadline to reach an alternative arrangement is not reached by March 31, Mr. Bushor will be obligated to pay the rest.  Reside Kauai will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

For more information on the sale view our previous story: http://www.residekauai.com/blog/develeoper-ed-bushor-acquires-kauai-lagoons-marriott-60m/

The Garden Island reports that officials at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge are considering restrictions on access to Kahili Quarry ("Rock Quarry").  The concern is that the environment of the area has been negatively impacted by people for many years.  24-hour access would be restricted to fisherman.  All other activities will be limited to between 6 A.M. and 5 P.M.  If the changes go into place, consider timing your visit between the mentioned period.

It's been a little cold on Kauai.  A combination of a little rain, wind, and lower than normal temperatures has kept our tropical paradise under the weather.  On the 11th the Garden Island Reported that Lihue airport had a temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit which tied a record set in 1962.  The cold has seemingly been lingering and the weather experts are calling for more of the same.  Some contend that the weather is a result of El Nino.  Though, good weather can almost always be found somewhere on the island.  It is inevitable that the weather will normalize as winter comes to a close.

Hawaiian Chef and Restaurateur, Roy Yamaguchi, opened a new restaurant on Kauai this past Monday. Known as Eating House 1849, the name pays homage to one of the first restauranteurs in Hawaii, Peter Fernandez. Unlike Chef Yamaguchi's Roy's restaurants, the food you will find at Eating House 1849 will focus on Portuguese and Filipino styles of cuisine.  This restaurant is sure to be a hit and enhances Kauai's culinary culture. The new restaurant is located on the south side of Kauai at The Shops at Kukuiula at 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka Road.

Photo by eatinghouse1849