By Hawaii News Now

KO OLINA, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) – Ko Olina Resorts will be opening all of its private lagoon parking stalls Monday, according to its director of destination marketing.

Sweetie Nelson said Monday’s reopening is part of its phased reopening plan.

“We’ve expended a substantial amount of resources to monitor and manage COVID-safe protocols on Ko Olina’s beaches and lagoons and to comply with public access requirements,” Nelson said, in an email.

Ko Olina’s parking lots for public use remained closed after beaches reopened until mid-October.

Free access advocates say this violated a long-standing agreement with the city.

“We’ve had letters to the editor, we’ve had e-petitions,” said John Shockley, co-founder of the Free Access Coalition. “And all of this is from the various activists that wanted to get Ko Olina just to reopen their parking so that people could reach the beach. We’re talking about families, we’re talking about people who have kupuna, who will need still water.”

Ko Olina did receive a notice of violation from Honolulu’s Department of Planning and Permitting on Oct. 8 for its current restrictions, but Ko Olina reached an agreement with the city to have 111 parking stalls throughout the four free parking lots available to the public.

“The bottom line is, the public interest is going to be served,” Shockley said. ” And thank God, we’re going to have open access for everyone at 100 percent.”