An aerial view of the Turtle Bay resort on the North Shore of Oahu. The new hotel will be to the right side of the Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay.

On the North Shore of Oahu, where its residents live by the phrase “Keep the country, country” and the number of hotels can be counted on one hand, a new development is being planned.

Host Hotels & Resorts, the owner of the Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay, wants to build a new hotel located on about 50 acres between Kawela Bay and Kuilima Point, next to the Ritz-Carlton. The proposed 375-room hotel would include a fitness center, spa, retail shops and restaurants.

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But Hawaii community and environmental groups are suing to stop it. “I think there’s a general sense of the community that enough is enough and we need to protect what we love, and we love this place,” North Shore resident Jessica dos Santos told Hawaii News Now. Her nonprofit Kupaa Kuilima is a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit challenges the determination of the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting that the proposed development project does not require additional environmental review. The groups argue that environmental conditions have changed substantially since the last review was completed in 2013, including new endangered species, altered ecosystems and greater development pressures.

“It’s terrible,” Maxx Phillips told SFGATE. Phillips is the Hawaii and Pacific Islands director and senior attorney for the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, also a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit. “It’s really sad, and especially for our endangered Native Hawaiian bees, which two of those species have been found on site, where the development is slated.”

Don't let Google decide who you trust.

Since the 2013 environmental impact statement, Hawaiian yellow-faced bees were listed as endangered in 2016. The lawsuit also said that protected Laysan albatross are breeding within the project area and that endangered Hawaiian monk seals are resting and pupping there.

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A Hawaiian monk seal lies in the sand on the beach.

The proposed hotel could also affect the local residents who frequent the beaches, Phillips said. She pointed out that beachfront developments can effectively limit public access, even though Hawaii law prohibits the privatization of public beaches.

“A lot of times, these developments can create kind of the illusion of private beaches only for the rich visitors, that effectively, you know, keeps the public out,” Phillips said.

She also raised concerns about increased traffic along the already busy Kamehameha Highway, which only has one way in and one way out along that stretch of the North Shore. It’s a heavily touristed road, as it fronts many of the area’s beaches.

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The resort project has a long history, tracing back many years to a 1985 environmental impact statement that was prepared for a much larger expansion, including three new hotels and more than 2,000 condo units, Phillips explained. However, no new hotels have been built under that plan.

In 2010, a subsequent owner wanted to use the 1985 EIS for a new development, prompting legal opposition. Then, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled “that the 1985 EIS was no longer valid and required a supplemental review,” Phillips said, adding that the “2013 supplemental EIS proposed two new hotels totaling 625 units.”

So in January, when the Department of Planning and Permitting looked at the proposal from current owner Host Hotels & Resorts, it reasoned that no further environmental review was necessary, as the current building proposal with 375 units is far less substantial than the 2013 EIS’s “full build-out alternative” of 530 units.

SFGATE reached out to the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting, but it declined to respond because of the pending litigation.

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Host Hotels & Resorts, a real estate investment trust, acquired Turtle Bay Resort in 2024 from Blackstone Real Estate for $680 million. The storied hotel, featured in films and television shows, was then rebranded as Ritz-Carlton Oahu, Turtle Bay. Blackstone also sold 65 acres to Utah-based developer Areté Collective, which is currently moving forward with construction of 100 residential units and 250 hotel units just east of the Ritz-Carlton near Kahuku Point, despite community pushback.

“Host Hotels & Resorts is aware of the lawsuit challenging the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting’s decision regarding Turtle Bay Resort. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, Host believes it has acted in compliance with all applicable laws, permits, and established agreements governing the property,” Host Hotels & Resorts told SFGATE in an email.

“The current proposed development has been significantly reduced through conservation easements, settlement agreements, and adopted community plans from previous approved plans for this area,” it continued. “Our focus remains on environmental stewardship, public shoreline access, and continued community engagement while we work through the legal process.”

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The lawsuit comes as tensions over new developments on the North Shore continue to rise. This is the second development this community is facing, and there may be another. Phillips said if this hotel project proceeds without any additional environmental review, another hotel and condo development, previously approved in the 2013 supplemental EIS, could also possibly move forward.

“Now it’s with the courts. It will give DPP, who the lawsuit is against, the opportunity to respond, and then we’ll go from there,” Phillips said. “We feel like our arguments are very strong.”

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