Research Reserve, Dog Park And Traffic Study Earn Support From Kaneohe Neighborhood Board

We approved resolutions supporting three Kaneohe-area projects during our March meeting. The projects focus on the environment of Kaneohe Bay, providing off-leash space for dogs and combatting speeding through a residential neighborhood. All three resolutions passed on 9-0 votes.

Here are highlights of the resolutions:

Kaneohe Bay Environment: This resolution, offered by Vice Chairman Bill Sager, supports the He’eia National Estuarine Research Reserve and state funding to match federal funding for the project. The new reserve will provide research and a mix of traditional and scientific practices to keep the 1,385 acre He’eia estuary healthy. The Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology is to manage the reserve.

The federal government has committed approximately $700,000 to the project, and the state needs to provide approximately $400,000. The resolution includes a provision that the manager of the reserve make twice-yearly reports to the Neighborhood Board. The provision was added at the request of Board Member Felipe San Nicolas, who wants assurances the project is meeting its goals.

Legislation to provide the state funding (Senate Bill 1178) passed the Senate on a 25-0 vote and is in the House.

Off-Leash Space For Dogs: Offered by Vice Chairman Sager, this resolution supports the work of the Windward Dog Park Hui to build a fenced enclosure where dog owners can let their pets roam. The facility would cover about an acre and would have separate areas for large and small dogs.

Janine Tully (left) and Emily Vergara presented the
case for an off-leash dog park on the Windward side

The Hui’s president, Janine Tully, and vice president, Emily Vergara, told us that 56 percent of Windward residents own dogs. They said area residents have been trying to open an off-lease park for 20 years. The Hui leaders said their group picked up the effort three years ago and has been working with legislators and city officials to move the project forward.

In response to a question from Board Secretary Jonathan Hanks, Ms. Tully said that cost of the project has not been determined. She said Hui members hope to secure donations and city funding, as a similar group in Hawaii Kai did in 2008.

Residential Speeding: Introduced by Board Member Deborah Collins, this resolution asks the city Department of Transportation to reconsider a request to install traffic calming measures on Pua Alowalo Street between Pua Inia and Makalani Streets.

The resolution says residents feel threatened by an unusually high volume of traffic on Pua Alowalo, tied to cars seeking a fast way to return to the Kamehameha Highway from the Windward City Shopping Center. The resolution also says speeding is a problem shortly after school lets out and in the evening.

The resolution notes that the Transportation Department studied the issue briefly a few months ago but recommended no action. The resolution asks that the department return for more in-depth study and that it consider traffic-calming measures that are “effective and self-enforcing.”

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.

Construction, Research Reserve, Dog Park, Traffic On Agenda For Neighborhood Board Meeting

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

Anoi Road Water System Improvement Project: Bryan Gallagher and Sean Shigenaga of the Honolulu Board of Water Supply are scheduled to give a presentation of the upcoming work. The project will replace more than a mile of pipe that was laid from the 1930s to 1950s.  It will involve daytime lane closures on roads including the Kamehameha Highway.

Ahuimanu Wastewater Pretreatment Facility Improvements: James Nearman of the City and County of Honolulu is scheduled to give an update on this project. It is part of the Kaneohe-Kailua Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment Facilities Project, which is designed to reduce sewage pollution in Kaneohe Bay. A map of the Ahuimanu facility is available by clicking on this link  and scrolling to Page 4.

Board Resolution: Our vice-chairman, Bill Sager, is scheduled to introduce a resolution about the He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve for consideration and decision-making. The new reserve will encompass 1,385 acres of Kaneohe Bay. The Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology will manage the reserve.

Windward Dog Park Hui: Janine Tully and Emily Vegara are scheduled to present information about establishing a fenced area as an off-leash dog park on the Windward side. Mr. Sager is scheduled to present a resolution about the issue for consideration and discussion.

Pua Alowalo Street Resolution: Board member Deborah Collins is scheduled to present the resolution for discussion. 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.

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 February meeting also are now available. Click on the highlighted link to read them.

Board Vacancies: There are three vacancies on the Board. They represent Sub-District 2 (Windward Mall area), Sub-District 6 (Waikalua) and Sub-District 12 (Mokulele). 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).

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 Learns More About He’eia Wetlands Research Reserve Project

Conserving Kaneohe Bay was a key topic at our February meeting. Speakers told us that the federal government stands ready to work with local groups and the state to improve management of the state’s largest sheltered body of water.

The presentations came on the heels of federal designation of 1,385 acres around the He’eia Wetlands in the bay as a National Estuarine Research Reserve. The designation, announced in January, said the federal government will provide 70 percent of the project’s funding, about $700,000, with the state expected to pay the rest. The Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, based on Coconut Island in the bay, is to manage the project.

Rob Toonen

Rob Toonen, a researcher at the institute, told our meeting that the project will integrate traditional management practices with modern science to manage the area. He said local nonprofit groups that are dedicated to those management practices initiated the process which led to the research reserve designation.

Board Member Mahealani Cypher told the meeting that the project will include educational programs for students in Grades K-12. And she said the project will develop facilities that will provide a long-term economic benefit to the Kaneohe Bay area.

Both speakers noted that the Legislature is considering two measures that would provide the state’s 30 percent share of funding for the reserve. The measures are House Bill 588 and Senate Bill 1178.

In addition to the funding, the bills would authorize four staff positions, all through the University of Hawaii. Those positions would be a reserve manager, education coordinator, research coordinator and cultural resources coordinator.

The text and status of House Bill 588 and Senate Bill 1178 are available online (click on the highlighted items for details).

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.  

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.

Notes Of Community Interest From Kaneohe Neighborhood Board’s January Meeting

He`eia Community Development District: We learned that the federal government has designated 1,385 acres in Kaneohe Bay as a National Estuarine Research Reserve. The government’s announcement of the designation says the area “encompasses upland forests and grasslands, wetlands, reefs and seagrass beds, as well as the largest sheltered body of water in the Hawaiian Island chain.” The new designation will protect the area and fund research into ways to conserve its resources. The Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology will manage the reserve. The federal government will provide 70 percent of the funding, with the state funding the rest. The new reserve is the 29th in the country and the only one in Hawaii.

The He'eia Fishpond is a key part of the new
He'eia National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Hawaii State Hospital: Administrator William May told us that the state is developing a list of bidder qualifications to build a major new treatment facility. The facility will provide 144 beds for high-risk patients, and is expected to cost $160 million. Mr. May said the state hopes to choose a winning bidder this summer, start building in 2018 and finish in 2020. The new structure will replace the Goddard Building, a 69-year-old treatment facility that was torn down in 2016 after going unused for more than two decades.

New Edition Of Kaneohe History Book: We learned that a second edition has been published of the book Partial History of the Japanese in Kaneohe 1898-1959. The author is Florence Chizuko (Iida) Fanning. Information about the author and the first edition of the book is available by clicking on this link to an archived article from Honolulu MidWeek. To obtain a copy of the new book, call 247-4241 or visit the office of T. Iida Contracting at 45-558 Kamehameha Highway (drive past Kokokahi Gymnastics to reach the entrance).

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.  

Funding For He’eia Research Reserve Is Urged At Kaneohe Neighborhood Board Meeting

The health of Kaneohe Bay was on our minds during our December meeting. Details are below. Click on the highlighted links for more information.

Research Funding Encouraged: During the meeting, our Board Chairman, Mo Radke, urged the Governor’s Office to seek state funding for the proposed He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve. The reserve would encompass approximately 1,385 acres of Kaneohe Bay around He’eia State Park, as well as Moku o Lo’e (Coconut Island). It would join 28 other estuarine research reserves nationwide and would be the only one in Hawaii.

The federal government has proposed funding the majority of the project, but the state must match at least 30 percent of the federal dollars. Funds would pay to assess environmental conditions and possible conservation steps in the research area.

Rod Becker, director of the state Department of Accounting and General Services under Governor David Ige, said he would relay the request to the governor.

He'eia Fishpond and He'eia State Park fill the foreground in this photo.

A Diverse Environment: The management plan for the reserve describes a diverse environment. In addition to the state park and Coconut Island, it includes He‘eia Fishpond, He‘eia wetlands and “a large expanse of marine waters with patch and fringing reefs.” Also included are taro patches and gardens, and He‘eia Stream.

The area is actively used for traditional agriculture, fishing, tourism, recreational boating and education.

A Top Priority – Gathering Information:  The management plan says the project will focus on gathering information about past sustainable practices in the area, as well as current conditions such as water quality, coral habitats, and plants and animals living in the bay.

The plan envisions using the information to assess human impacts on the area and improve management strategies there.

Learn More: Besides the management plan, the final environmental impact statement for the project is available online.