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City Must Step Up and Accept Responsibility to Maintain Kapolei Roads

In our growing community, new homes, roads and infrastructure are emerging and providing places to live for our Leeward families. For years, members of District One suffered because when these roads and infrastructure were built because the City did not accept them in a timely manner, causing them to deteriorate without maintenance or repair.   “Leeward communities have waited too long for these basic city services, and because the City did not streamline its road acceptance process earlier, that wait turned from months to years, and was unacceptable,” said Councilmember Pine.   Responding to the community’s concerns, Councilmember Pine introduced Resolution 15-11 and 15-12 which shined light on long-delayed road safety and maintenance improvements in the Villages of Kapolei, the Mehana Subdivision and the Kahiwelo Subdivision in Makakilo, forcing the City to reevaluate how quickly it processes and accepts road improvements, now bringing about change to our communities that has waited for years for the city to take ownership of its roads.

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After Nearly a Decade, City to Take Ownership of Roads in Sea Country, Maili

A City Council resolution, which shined light on long-delayed road safety and maintenance improvements in the Villages of Kapolei and Sea Country Maili, and forced the City to reevaluate how quickly it processes and accepts road improvements, has now brought about change to Sea Country, Maili, a community that has waited for years for the city to take ownership of its roads.

 

The Maili subdivision of Sea Country needs road repaving and street light replacement. However, the City had delayed acceptance of these roads into its inventory until Councilmember Pine’s Resolution 15-11, Requesting the City Administration to Set Forth Specific Requirements for Dedications of Roadway Improvements Constructed Pursuant to Conditional Zoning Agreements, was adopted in February.

 

“Leeward communities have waited too long for these basic City services, and because the City did not streamline its road acceptance process earlier, that wait turned from months to years, and this is unacceptable,” said Councilmember Pine.

 

Since adoption, the City has streamlined the acceptance of roads in Sea Country, Maili, with five Sea Country streets coming under City ownership with Council’s approval of Department Communication 190 in the April 29th 1:00 p.m. meeting of the Committee on Public Works, Infrastructure and Sustainability.

 

The City Council finalized acceptance on Wednesday’s full Council meeting.

 

Ed Lauer, General Manager of the Sea Country Community Association, expressed his happiness about the road dedication.  “We can’t tell you how happy we are at Sea Country.  Over the past 15 years, the process had taken far too long but the recent Honolulu City Council has fixed the process.”

 

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Councilmember Pine with Ed Lauer, General Manager of the Sea Country Community Association

 

 

Roads to be accepted for ownership by the City are:

  1. Anaha Street
  2. Owelo Place
  3. Pii Street
  4. Konini Street
  5. Kaipoi Street
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City to Consider Councilmember Pine’s New Procedures and Expanded Use of the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road

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After all lanes on Farrington Highway were closed following a fatal crash near the intersection of Milikami Street and Farrington Highway, and traffic continued to back up past Kahe Point last month, Waianae residents sat in traffic for hours. Without a secondary emergency access road open, residents faced yet another overly burdensome commute and dangerous commute.

 

“It is unacceptable that taxpayers paid to have these roads built, but can’t use them in an emergency that closes all lanes of traffic on the only road in and out of the Leeward Coast. The City Administration needs to come up with solutions to this problem.” Councilmember Pine said.

 

However, community, City and State officials had planned a Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road (WCEAR), a traffic mitigation tool to be utilized during emergencies when there would be long delays of transit along Farrington Highway.  Councilmember Kymberly Marcos Pine, in response, introduced Resolution 15-108, which requests the City Administration to set forth and inform the public on those conditions under which the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road will be opened and identify and implement improvements to more efficiently open the road during emergencies.

 

“We the Residents of the Coast need the support on this issue and we hope the parties involved will help us and agree to open and keep these roads to assist us,” said Richard Landford, Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board Member and Chair of the Neighborhood Board’s Transportation Committee.

 

Councilmember Pine’s Resolution was adopted at the May 6th Council meeting and also calls upon the City to be introducing a resolution calling for the City Administration to develop signage along the route and renegotiate the terms of licenses with private landowners upon whose land the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road lies, to include the use of the road during peak traffic delays. The recommended deadline for the City to produce this comprehensive plan is July 31, 2015.

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