Water Improvements And Traffic Interruptions Are Discussed At Neighborhood Board Meeting

A project that would bring long-term improvement in water service but short-term problems with traffic is coming to Kaneohe.

We learned at our March meeting that the Board of Water Supply plans to replace more than a mile of waterlines along four streets, including Kamehameha Highway. A Water Supply representative said the work could start this summer and is expected to last 18 months to two years.

Bryan Gallagher
Board of Water Supply

Called the Anoi Road Water System Improvement Project, the work will replace pipes that are as much as 80 years old in an effort to improve fire protection and water service reliability. Bryan Gallagher, an engineer with the Water Supply agency, said the targeted area has had 54 water main breaks in recent years.

The affected roadways are listed below. Click on this link to see a map of the affected roadways:

Anoi Road from Kapunahala Road to the end of Anoi Road.

Keaahala Road from Keaahala Place to Kamehameha Highway.

Kamehameha Highway from Kahuhipa Street to Keole Street.

Luana Place.

The planned working hours for the project are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Mr. Gallagher said that crews would strive to keep traffic flowing, including holding at least two lanes of traffic open on Kamehameha Highway. However, he said there will be some traffic delays as well as water service interruptions of up to 2 hours. He said affected property owners will be alerted to water outages two weeks in advance.

Mr. Gallagher said that while the interruptions will be inconvenient, a water main break could be much worse.

Both Neighborhood Board and community members raised concerns about the effect on traffic, especially on the heavily travelled Kam Highway. Board Member Warren Ditch urged that the water agency use police officers to direct traffic during lane closures. Board Member Deborah Collins urged the agency to obtain a permit to work at night and limit its work to those hours.

A resident said the water agency should coordinate with other departments to ensure that its work isn’t going on at the same time as big road projects, such as the current widening of the Kahekili Highway.

Mr. Gallagher said he would follow up on the suggestions.

Additional information is available by contacting the Water Supply Construction Section at 808-748-5730 or by emailing contactus@hbws.org.

We welcome your comments, in person and online

Please join us for all of our meetings. If you are unable to attend, you may provide testimony online and contact Neighborhood Board members directly. Comments on this blog are welcomed. To add a comment, please click on the link below. Also, please like us on Facebook and comment there.

Pump Stations, Research Reserve, Traffic Risks Are On Kaneohe Neighborhood Board Agenda

The agenda is set for our meeting on Thursday, February 16, and we hope you will join us. Details are below. To review the complete agenda online, click on this link.

Pump Stations Upgrade: Representatives of the engineering firm Okahara and Associates Inc. are scheduled to provide information about plans to upgrade wastewater pump stations in the Kahanahou and Walkalua Road areas. A map showing the location of both stations is available by clicking on this link.

He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve: A representative of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology is scheduled to brief us on plans for the new reserve. It will encompass 1,385 acres in Kaneohe Bay, including the He’eia Fishpond, forests, grasslands, reefs and Coconut Island. The institute will manage the reserve.

Board Resolution: Our vice-chairman, Bill Sager, will introduce a resolution about the He’eia National Estuarine Research Reserve for consideration and decision-making.

Speeding On Pua Alowalo St.: Board member Deborah Collins is scheduled to lead a discussion of residents’ concerns about dangerous traffic. Residents say speeding drivers threaten pedestrians and crash on the road. They believe drivers are using the road as a thrill ride and shortcut from Windward City Shopping Center back to Kamehameha Highway. Police have monitored the street, and city officials have concluded that there is no need for additional safety measures.

Other Business: Our agenda always includes time for reports from the Fire and Police Departments, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, elected officials from the state and local levels, community organizations, and our Board committees.

Details: The Board meeting will take place in the cafeteria of Benjamin Parker Elementary School, 45-259 Waikalua Road, starting at 7 p.m. 

Click on the highlighted links above to read the full agenda and find more information about agenda topics. The minutes of our January meeting also are now available. Click on the highlighted link to read them.

We welcome your comments, in person and online

Please join us for all of our meetings. If you are unable to attend, you may provide testimony online and contact Neighborhood Board members directly.

Comments on this blog are welcomed. To add a comment, please click on the link below. Also, please like us on Facebook and comment there.

Kaneohe Neighborhood Board Meeting Touches On Needs And Challenges Of The Homeless

The annual count of Hawaii’s homeless has concluded. As we await the results, our community continues to deal with the needs and challenges of this vulnerable population.

During our January meeting, the chairwoman of our Homelessness Committee, Deborah Collins, noted that there is a one-stop service for those seeking help for homeless people. 

The service, which is operated by Aloha United Way, can be reached in multiple ways:

By calling 2-1-1.

By texting 877-275-6569.

By using the United Way website to send an e-mail, live-chat or explore a list of services.

Ms. Collins said that for improper behavior involving homeless individuals, residents should call 9-1-1.

The Board also discussed possible remedies for problems with homeless people setting up camps and harassing transit users at bus shelters.

Board Member Warren Ditch asked what the city can do to redesign shelters so they are less attractive for camping. He mentioned replacing benches with stools that can’t be used for sleeping.

A representative of City Councilman Ikaika Anderson told the Board that his office was open to asking the Department of Transportation Services about the idea.

We Welcome Your Comments, In Person And Online

Comments on this blog are welcomed. To add a comment, please click on the link below. Also, please like us on Facebook and comment there.

Please join us for all of our meetings. If you are unable to attend, you may provide testimony online and contact Neighborhood Board members directly.  

Residents Approach Kaneohe Neighborhood Board For Assistance With Dangerous Traffic

Speeding cars and narrow streets don’t mix. That was the message our Board received at its August 18 business meeting.

Residents of the Puohala neighborhood shared their concerns about an increasing number of drivers using Pua Alowalo Street as a shortcut and thrill ride. Resident Carol Lee said the street has a dangerous curve and hill, and has been the site of at least 5 accidents recently.

She said the speeding cars are a threat to the neighborhood’s numerous pedestrians, who walk on the roadway because it has no sidewalks. The walkers include senior citizens, residents in wheelchairs and schoolchildren.

Ms. Lee asked that police increase enforcement on the street, and a police representative at the meeting said he would have officers monitor the area. Ms. Lee also asked that the city add a traffic calming installation such as speed bumps on the street. She said a neighborhood petition shows that 90 percent of residents support those actions.

In response to a question, Ms. Lee said most of the speeding occurs after school lets out. She said that some of the traffic is coming from the Windward City Shopping Center, as drivers seek a quick route back to the Kamehameha Highway. The center has an entrance from the highway but no direct exit. Drivers leaving the center must navigate long lines, u-turns or backtracking through potholed streets to get back on the Kam. Pua Alowalo Street offers a convenient shortcut.

Board members talked at the meeting about forming a work group to investigate long-term solutions for the traffic issue. Board Chairman Mo Radke, member Deborah Collins and several Puohala residents said they would like to be members of the group. The Board plans to consider forming the group at its next meeting on September 15.

More To Come: Our August meeting also included discussion of legislation, the Kaneohe Community Garden, homelessness and more. Watch this blog for updates soon.

Meeting Minutes are available by clicking on this link.

Vacant Seats: Two seats are currently open on the Board. They represent Sub-District 8, Kapunahala; and Sub-District 12, Pikoiloa.The Board is authorized to fill vacancies by appointment. Community members may indicate their interest by contacting Board Chairman Mo Radke or by attending a Board meeting. A map of the district is available online, as is a street index that is organized by sub-district (search for District 30 in the index, then find the sub-district).

Comments Welcome: Please join us for all of our meetings. If you are unable to attend, you may provide testimony online and contact Neighborhood Board members directly. Comments on this blog are welcomed. To add a comment, please click on the link below. Also, please like us on Facebook and comment there.

Neighborhood Board Takes Stand On Voter Eligibility At June Meeting

The Kaneohe Neighborhood Board took action on several fronts at its June 16 meeting. Here’s a quick summary:

Deborah Collins

Voter Eligibility. Acting on a resolution by member Deborah Collins, the Board voted unanimously to oppose a proposed amendment to the Honolulu Neighborhood Plan.  The amendment, to section 2-17-202, would limit eligibility to vote for board candidates to those who had voted in the most recent state primary or general election. That change in turn would limit those who could run for board seats because the city code requires candidates to be registered voters for the board election. Kaneohe Board members said the amendment would limit participation in neighborhood boards instead of encouraging it.

Mahealani Cypher

Board of Water Supply.  Acting on a suggestion by member Mahealani Cypher, the Board voted 13-0, with two abstentions, to create a resolution for presentation at a future meeting to oppose a proposed amendment to the City Charter that would increase City Council oversight of the Board of Water Supply. The amendment would give the City Council control of the Water Supply capital and operating budgets, and allow the City Council to veto property acquisitions. Neighborhood Board members said the changes would unnecessarily politicize the work of the water agency. The resolution will be presented to the Board for decision-making at a future meeting.

Sustainable Communities Plan.  Acting on a request by Ms. Cypher, the Board voted unanimously to seek a one-month extension to the deadline for submitting testimony on the Koolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan. The Board has appointed a study group to examine parts of the plan affecting building heights around transit stations and expansion of cemeteries in the area. The city has scheduled a final public hearing on the document at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 6, at Pali Golf Course, 45-050 Kamehameha Hwy. However, the study group did not receive a working draft of the document until the night of the Board meeting. The study group plans to meet on Wednesday, June 29, to continue its work.

Other Developments.

• The Board expressed support for residents of the Puohala neighborhood, who have raised concerns about noise disruptions and health risks from farm animals on their street. Neighborhood residents had told the Board previously that they were having trouble getting any enforcement agencies to take an interest in their concerns. However, at the June 16 meeting, the Board learned that a court hearing on a noise citation over the animals has been scheduled for June 29.
• The Board also reappointed Nancy Davlantes to the seat for Sub-District 9, Keapuka. She had asked to step aside because of attendance issues but later reconsidered.

Please join us for all of our meetings. If you are unable to attend, you may provide testimony online and contact Neighborhood Board members directly.

Comments on this blog are welcomed. To add a comment, please click on the link below. Also, please like us on Facebook and comment there.

Neighborhood Board Committee To Study Homelessness In Kaneohe

The Kaneohe Neighborhood Board has formed a committee to study homelessness in the area.

Deborah Collins
Chairwoman of
new committee
on homelessness.

At its May 19 meeting, the Board appointed members Mahealani Cypher, Deborah Collins and Mo Radke to the group. Ms. Collins will be the chairwoman.

The decision came in response to a community member’s concerns about funding to address homelessness issues in Windward Oahu. The community member, K. C. Connors, alerted the Board that an official survey in January found only a handful of homeless people in Kaneohe. The low count was related to a lack of volunteers to conduct the survey.

Board members are concerned that the low count could lead to reduced funding from the federal government.

A count in 2015 found 330 homeless people in the area from Kaneohe to Waimanalo. That included 48 chronically homeless people living without shelter.

The Neighborhood Board has heard concerns about homelessness off and on for several years. In 2010, residents reported problems with homeless people living in brush around the Kaneohe Stream Bridge on the Kamehameha Highway. In late 2014, officials cleared a homeless encampment next to the Kaneohe Police Station and Library. And a year ago, the Board reported concerns about homeless people around businesses on Kahuhipa Street and at Pahia Road.

The new committee is expected to report to the full Board at a future meeting.

Please join us for all of our meetings. If you are unable to attend, you may provide testimony online and contact Neighborhood Board members directly.

Comments on this blog are welcomed. To add a comment, please click on the link below. Also, please like us on Facebook and comment there.