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.

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.

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.