Fifth Circuit Court Judge Stephanie Char on Tuesday denied a request by Starwood Capital Group to resume certain ground-disturbing work at the abandoned Makai Woods Golf Course in Princeville, keeping an existing injunction in place while the case remains on appeal.
The dispute stems from a 2025 lawsuit filed by Princeville residents seeking to block development plans at the golf course.
Plaintiffs argued that the property contains burial sites of cattle infected with anthrax decades ago and added that continued development could pose public health risks. In August 2025, the court denied development and ground-disturbing activity on the property.
Starwood filed an appeal of the August 2025 ruling in September 2025, seeking court approval to resume maintenance work and implement a safety plan for utility access and emergency repairs at the site.
During a hearing on May 19 in Līhuʻe, Char granted a motion by the plaintiffs who were represented by Attorney Sunny Lee to strike supplemental documents filed by the defendants, ruling they were submitted too late under court rules.
The filing included utility maps and state Department of Health information tied to the defendants’ request.
The Makai Woods Golf Course, which Starwood abandoned in 2021, is located adjacent to more than 130 residential properties in Princeville.
Char said there was not enough evidence to justify changing the original injunction and noted the request appeared to seek a modification of the order rather than enforcement of it.
The court also clarified that routine lawn mowing, landscaping and general maintenance are still allowed on the property.
