Lanai Co., Inc. v. Land Use Com'n

97 P.3d 372, 105 Haw. 296, 2004 Haw. LEXIS 621
CourtHawaii Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 17, 2004
Docket22564
StatusPublished
Cited by64 cases

This text of 97 P.3d 372 (Lanai Co., Inc. v. Land Use Com'n) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lanai Co., Inc. v. Land Use Com'n, 97 P.3d 372, 105 Haw. 296, 2004 Haw. LEXIS 621 (haw 2004).

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by

ACOBA, J.

In this appeal, Appellees-Appellants Land Use Commission (the LUC) and Lanaians for *298 Sensible Growth (Sensible Growth) contest the April 26, 1997 order of the Circuit Court of the Second Circuit (the court) 1 reversing the LUC’s May 17, 1996 order (1996 Order) which, inter alia, required Appellant-Appel-lee Lanai Company, Inc. (LCI)(1) to immediately cease and desist any use of water from the high level aquifer for irrigation of the Manele golf course on the island of Lanai pursuant to Condition 10 of its April 6, 1991 Order (1991 Order) and (2) to file a detailed plan with the LUC within sixty days, specifying how it will comply with the LUC’s 1991 Order requiring water use from alternative non-potable water sources outside of the high level aquifer. For the reasons set forth herein, we (1) hold that Hawai'i Rules of Civil Procedure (HRCP) Rule 52(a) does not apply to a circuit court’s review in an appeal from an agency decision; (2) affirm the court’s conclusion that the LUC’s 1996 Order was clearly erroneous to the extent it interpreted Condition No. 10 of its 1991 Order as precluding the use by LCI of “any” or all water from the high level aquifer; and (3) remand the ease to the court, with instructions that the court remand this case to the LUC for clarification of its findings, or for further hearings if necessary, on the issue of whether LCI used potable water from the high level aquifer in violation of Condition No. 10.

I.

On November 29, 1989, LCI’s predecessor in interest, Lanai Resort Partners, 2 petitioned the LUC to amend the land use district boundary at Manele, on the island of Lanai, from rural and agricultural districts to an urban district. 3 LCI planned to develop an eighteen-hole golf course as an amenity of the Manele Bay Hotel. On October 10,1990, Sensible Growth, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), and LCI signed a memorandum of agreement (the Agreement). 4 It appears from the record that the Agreement was included as Appendix K of the Manele Golf Course and Golf Residential Project Environmental Impact Statement (Environmental Impact Statement or EIS), “accepted by the Maui Planning Commission as an accurate environmental disclosure document.” 5 The Agreement provided in relevant part that LCI, in “consideration of the mutual promises and agreements” between the parties, agreed to “[ejnsure that no high level ground water aquifer[ 6 ] will be used for golf course maintenance or operation (other than as water for human consumption) and that all irrigation of the golf course shall be through alternative non-potable water sources.”

Sensible Growth and LCI submitted proposed findings of fact (findings), conclusions of law (conclusions), and orders, in February of 1991. 7 Sensible Growth’s proposed order recommended that the LUC impose a condition that “no high level ground water aquifer will be used for golf course maintenance or operation (other than water for human consumption) and that all irrigation of the golf course shall be through alternative non-potable water sources.”

By the 1991 Order, the LUC granted LCI’s petition. The LUC made the following relevant findings, conclusions, and Decision and Order (order), describing, inter alia, the *299 sources of water for golf course irrigation and granting reclassification of the land:

FINDINGS OF FACT
IMPACT UPON RESOURCES OF THE AREA
[[Image here]]
Water Resources
45. Lanai draws its domestic water and pineapple irrigation supply from the high level aquifer which has a sustainable yield of [six million gallons per day (mgd) ].
46. The proposed golf course at Manele of which the Property is to be a part, will be irrigated with nonpotable water from sources other than potable water from the high level aquifer.[ 8 ]
47. [LCI’s] golf course design consultant ... is projecting that 624,000 [gallons per day (gpd) ] will be required for irrigation of a “target” golf course,[ 9 ] but [LCI] is conservatively projecting 800,000 gpd for irrigation of the golf course.
48. [LCI] proposes to provide alternate sources of water for golf course irrigation by developing the brackish water supply.[ 10 ] According to [LCI], Wells Nos. 9 and 12 which have capacities of about 300,000 gpd and 200,000 gpd, respectively, have been tested but are not yet operational. Well No. 10 which has a capacity of approximately 100,000 gpd with a possible potential of 150,000 gpd has also been tested and will be available. Currently available also is brackish water from Well No. 1 which is operational and which has a capacity of about 600,000 gpd.
49.[LCI’s] civil, sanitary and environmental engineering consultant, James Ku-magai [ (Kumagai) ], stated that it is only a matter of cost to develop wells for brackish water sources that are already there. The consultant also state[d] that the brackish water sources necessary to supply enough water for golf course irrigation could be developed and be operational within a year.
[[Image here]]
Water Service
89. [LCI] is now in the process of developing the brackish ivater supply for irrigation of the proposed golf course. According to [LCI], Well No. 1, which is operational and available, and Well Nos. 9, 10 and 12, which have been subjected to full testing, have aggregate brackish source capacity in excess of the projected requirements of 624,000 gpd to 800,000 gpd for the Manele golf course.
[[Image here]]
91. [LCI] intends to irrigate the golf course with nonpotable ivater, leaving only the clubhouse which will use potable water, the requirement for which should be insignificant.
CONFORMANCE WITH THE HAWAII STATE PLAN
[[Image here]]
*300 117. [LCI] has stated that the Manele golf course will be irrigated with nonpota-ble water from sources other than the potable water from the high level aquifer.
[[Image here]]

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Fears v. Administrative Director of the Courts
Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2025
Eichelberger v. Spear
Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2025
Abello v. Kopitke
Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2025
Hearn v. Association of Apartment Owners of Sun Village-Kauai
Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2024
Li v. Kyo-Ya Ohana, LLC
Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2024
SHOPO v. HLRB
153 Haw. 431 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2023)
Scarlett v. Macy's West Stores, Inc.
153 Haw. 261 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2023)
Lytle v. Airborne Aviation, Inc.
528 P.3d 254 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2023)
RQ v. KQ
525 P.3d 707 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2023)
State v. Paulich
524 P.3d 1267 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2023)
Adkins v. Fischer.
520 P.3d 277 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2022)
Jones v. Brady
508 P.3d 1220 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2022)
In re: JB
506 P.3d 881 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2022)
Lana'ians for Sensible Growth v. Land Use Commission.
463 P.3d 1153 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2020)
Robert D. Ferris Trust v. Planning Commission of Kaua'i
378 P.3d 1023 (Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, 2016)
DW Aina Le'a Development, LLC v. Bridge Aina Le'a, LLC.
339 P.3d 685 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2014)
Diamond v. Dobbin.
319 P.3d 1017 (Hawaii Supreme Court, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
97 P.3d 372, 105 Haw. 296, 2004 Haw. LEXIS 621, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lanai-co-inc-v-land-use-comn-haw-2004.