HONOULIULI — The fate of Punaluu Black Sand Beach Park, a 6.8-acre site on Hawaii Island known for its dramatic black sand and frequent sea turtle sightings, will change at the end of this month when a decades-long lease held by Hawaii County lapses.
Lease ends after more than 50 years
For more than half a century the county has operated the park under agreements with private landowners. The current lease, signed in 1998 with then-owner SM Investments, covered the park’s parking area, pavilions, restrooms and campgrounds and was entered into for a nominal sum of $1.
That arrangement is set to end on Aug. 29 after county officials and the present landowner, Black Sand Beach LLC, were unable to agree on a new deal. Black Sand Beach LLC acquired the broader Punaluu property in 2020, and has since been in control of the land under the existing lease.
What will change — and what won’t
County spokesperson Tom Callis told SFGATE the facilities covered by the lease — including the parking area, pavilions, bathrooms and campgrounds — will "revert to the landowner." The county said the beach and shoreline themselves will remain accessible from the road.
"We know how important Punaluu Black Sand Beach Park is to Kau and the entire island," Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said in a news release. "During negotiations with the landowner, we made multiple good faith offers that would protect the public interest but unfortunately were unable to reach a solution that is acceptable to the community."
Alameda added the county will "continue to coordinate across County departments and with other partners to minimize the disruption this will cause and address impacts," though the county has not released a detailed contingency plan for how day-to-day operations will be handled once the lease terminates.
Negotiations, offers and a declined sale
The county said it proposed a new 10-year lease that would have begun with an annual payment of $159,300 and included 3 percent annual increases. According to the county, the landowner declined that offer, terminated the lease and extended the negotiation window by two months before the current deadline.
Officials also explored purchasing the property through the county’s Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC) program. The county says Black Sand Beach LLC declined to sell.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Park size | 6.8 acres |
| Current lease start | 1998 (with SM Investments) |
| Landowner since | Black Sand Beach LLC (2020) |
| County proposed lease | 10 years; $159,300 initial annual payment; 3% annual increases |
| Lease expiration | Aug. 29 |
Community concerns and likely impacts
Residents, frequent visitors and community groups have long viewed Punaluu as both a cultural and natural resource. The park’s amenities — particularly the designated parking, picnic areas and restrooms — support tourism and local use. With those facilities slated to revert to private ownership, users may face changes in maintenance, access points and possibly fees depending on the landowner’s plans.
County leaders emphasized their role as a steward of shoreline access. State and county law generally protect public access to the shoreline, but management of upland facilities can be controlled by private owners. The county’s statement stressed that it will act "within the law to preserve Punaluu for current and future generations," but provided no timetable for further action.
Questions remain
Key details are still unsettled: whether the landowner will allow continued public use of the parking areas and facilities, whether the county will pursue legal or legislative avenues to secure public access, and whether community groups or private donors might intervene to preserve the park’s services.
The county’s attempt to buy the property through PONC failed when the landowner declined to sell. County officials have not indicated whether they will reopen negotiations or pursue alternative purchases or conservation easements.
What visitors should know
At minimum, visitors can expect that the shoreline will remain reachable by public road access. However, the status of developed park features — bathrooms, picnic shelters, parking and campsites — is likely to change when control of those improvements transfers to the private owner.
- Beach and shoreline: expected to remain publicly accessible from the road.
- Parking, pavilions, bathrooms, campgrounds: will revert to the landowner when the lease ends.
- Future charges, rules or restricted access: depend on decisions by Black Sand Beach LLC.
County officials did not provide a point-by-point contingency timeline and encouraged residents to monitor official county releases for updates. Any changes could affect local tourism and the daily routines of residents in Ka‘u and the surrounding communities.
Further reporting will focus on the landowner’s announced plans, any new county actions, and community responses as the Aug. 29 expiration approaches.
