The SEIS Lands are located on the relatively flat Kahuku coastal plain. The vast majority of the site is between five and ten feet above mean sea level. The only topographic relief is provided by sand dunes along the shoreline.
Valued scenic resources within the SEIS Lands include: Kawela Bay, Turtle Bay, Kahuku Point, and inland sand dunes, the sandy crescent beaches between the points, and Punaho‘olapa Marsh. However, as the coastline lies between 1,000 and 6,750 feet seaward of Kamehameha Highway, these scenic resources are not visible to the general public traveling on the highway. From that vantage point, the predominant features are the resort golf courses and landscaping on the north side of the highway.
The Resort Master Plan includes reduced density and increased shoreline setbacks to reduce the visual impact of buildings. The height of buildings constructed in the vicinity of Kawela Bay will be reduced from that permitted under the Unilateral Agreement. The Resort Master Plan also includes a shoreline trail, four oceanfront parks and a Gathering Place core that collectively provide much better public access to the ocean views than exists today. Significant view corridors will be maintained at Kawela Bay, the restored Kawela Stream, the East Main Drain, and across the golf course to Kahuku Point. The Draft supplemental environmental impact study (SEIS) will include a visual analysis to determine the extent to which proposed structures may be visible to the general public, both from the highway and the shoreline.