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.

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.  

Homelessness, Vacation Rentals, Charter Changes Topics At Kaneohe Neighborhood Board Meeting

Our September 15 meeting was busy. Here’s a quick look at some important developments. To see our earlier reports from the meeting, click here and here.

Windward Homelessness: City Councilman Ikaika Anderson talked with us about options that are being considered for housing Oahu’s homeless. He said the city sees promise in a “housing first” approach, in which homeless people are provided with housing before they begin receiving medical, psychiatric, legal and other services. Many current programs for the homeless require that they receive treatment before they are housed.

One housing first option is opening a multi-unit shelter to provide both housing and services. Councilman Anderson asked the Neighborhood Board what it would think of the city locating a multi-unit shelter for the homeless in Kaneohe. Board member Deborah Collins asked the councilman to provide a map of city-owned properties that might be used for the project.

Councilman Anderson also said he would consider an approach in which the city would provide financial support to landlords to open individual properties for homeless clients. He said this might enable Windward residents to help homeless people who are family members or friends.

Unpermitted Vacation Rentals: Mayors’ representative Lori Kahikina said that funds are running short for the city to investigate vacation rentals to determine if they meet city requirements. She urged residents to provide detailed information about possible violations to help inspectors be more efficient. An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 unpermitted vacation rentals operate on Oahu.

City Charter Amendments: We voted 12-0 on a resolution asking the City Charter Commission to inform the public about each of the 20 Charter amendments that it has put on the November election ballot. The vote came after we voted to add the topic to our agenda. The commission has the language of each measure and a description on its website at http://honoluluchartercommission.org/.

NEW BANNERS: Board Chairman Mo Radke and Board Member Warren Ditch display one of two new banners promoting our monthly meetings. Watch for the banners at Benjamin Parker Elementary School and the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Keaahala Road. 

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.

Study Group To Look At Plan For Building Heights, Cemetery Expansion In Kaneohe

Facing an important deadline, the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board has appointed a group to study a city plan to guide growth in the area.

The group will focus on how the plan regulates high-rise buildings and the development of designated open space by cemeteries.

Called a permitted interaction group, the panel will meet 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Koolaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club office, 46-005 Kawa St # 104, in the Yim’s Kaneohe Atrium building. The meeting is open to the public.

The meeting comes six weeks before the city is scheduled to hold the final public hearing on a revised version of the growth plan, also known as the Koolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan. That meeting is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 6, at Pali Golf Course, 45-050 Kamehameha Hwy.

Board members Mahealani Cypher and Bill Sager will co-chair the permitted interaction group. Board member Warren Ditch also is a member.

The permitted interaction group will study whether the revised plan would relax height limits on buildings in areas around transit hubs, such as the one in Kaneohe, and what position to take on the issue. Some interpret this section of the plan as affecting only hubs along the Honolulu Rail Transit Project. Others say it would apply to all hubs, including those like Kaneohe where building heights are more restricted.

The group also will study how the revised plan would affect construction on preservation land owned by cemeteries. Preservation land is set aside under city rules to save open space. A proposed change to the plan would allow expansion of the cemetery at Hawaiian Memorial Park onto 56.5 acres of preservation land that the park owns. The Department of Planning and Permitting supports the change. The group savekaneohe.org has asked the Board to oppose the expansion.

The permitted interaction group is expected to report its findings to the full Board at its next business meeting, Thursday, June 16. That meeting will be held in the cafeteria of Benjamin Parker Elementary School, 45-259 Waikalua Road, starting at 7 p.m.

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.