Several Hawaii residents are suing the property owners of a North Shore restaurant for allegedly violating permitting law and polluting Haleiwa by using an improper septic system.
The plaintiffs include a community group called Save Haleiwa Beach Park, Haleiwa resident Cora Sanchez and Abigail Kawananakoa, a descendant of Hawaiian royalty and millionaire heiress to the James Campbell estate.
The defendants include Dominis “Andy” and Jean Anderson, who own the land beneath Haleiwa Beach House Restaurant, as well as the both the city and state.

The plaintiffs want an injunction to force the restaurant to close until sewage pollution is addressed and permits are received.
“Draining human sewage into the vicinity of an ancient fishpond by Andy Anderson was not an accident; it was the inevitable result of ignoring the law,” Kawananakoa said in a statement. “It was deliberately done knowing full well that children were using this pond to study important Hawaiian traditions and culture.”
In June, the state Department of Health fined the restaurant $5,000 for ignoring seating capacity limitations imposed to address wastewater concerns. The agency forced the restaurant to shut down for several days.
Hawaii News Now reported that the city cited the same restaurant earlier this year for undergoing construction without obtaining the necessary building permits.
GET IN-DEPTH
REPORTING ON HAWAII’S BIGGEST ISSUES
It's our job to make sense of it all.
The decisions shaping Hawaiʻi are happening right now, which is why it’s so important that everyone has access to the facts behind them.
By giving to our spring campaign TODAY, your gift will help support our vital work, including today’s legislative reporting and upcoming elections coverage.
About the Author
-
Anita Hofschneider is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach her by email at anita@civilbeat.org or follow her on Twitter at @ahofschneider.