2007-05-24 TWAIKOLOAMAUKA - Laserfiche WebLink

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SIRACUSA: Yes. My question was about this roundabout, so I’ll ask you, Sidney, but I have a feeling that I’m going to have to ask Ki to come back up again. Because the question was if the community seems to want a roundabout and the ball is now, the decision- making ball is now on the hands of the Public Works, what is Public Works’ position about that? Have they had a chance to look at it yet, are they in general in favor or not in favor of roundabouts, you know, philosophically or whatever? I know in some cases there have been situations where the Department just did not approve something in general, and not necessarily here but elsewhere where engineers did not like the idea of roundabouts. I went to a workshop about roundabouts that some guy from Federal Highways gave in Puna several months ago, and it was very enlightening. So I know that there are certain places where you can’t; there are definitive criteria. So, Ki, could you give me some kind of indication as to whether the Department would approve a roundabout in this particular situation, whether it meets the criteria of what we’re talking about in terms of ample space and sight distance and all those goodies? EMLER: I personally have not studied the intersection myself. From speaking with the Traffic Division chief, it does seem like they are leaning toward a roundabout. But I can’t say that for sure. I’m not the last word; and part of the reason for that is because the County Council was asked, for new intersections, that roundabouts be considered, so -. SIRACUSA: So then would you say that if we leave the door open in the rewording of the conditions, then we are covering all basis? EMLER: I think so. SIRACUSA: Okay. GRAHAM: Thank you, Commissioner Siracusa. SIRACUSA: You have no problem with that, Sidney? FUKE: On hindsight. But you know, we didn’t suggest this, but -. SIRACUSA: You know like i.e. signalized or a roundabout. FUKE: Well, on hindsight, we would want to have like the County make a decision sooner than later ’cause it’s going to take us some time to develop the appropriate construction plans; and until this is done, we can’t get subdivision approval. And we’ve been held up really because the County is not telling us what they want. So the quicker the County can tell us what they want, then it will be better; I think that’s fair for the developer. SIRACUSA: Yeah, so we are Step One here; and as long as we leave the door open in terms of wording, then it won’t create an extra time constraint or obstacle for you. Is that right? FUKE: Generally correct. What it just says, when I kind of like re-read it further, just says, “plans for the roundabout”, or whatever, “no later than six months after a determination of the type of improvements is made by the Director of the Department of Public Works”; I mean what it does is gives the Public Works an open-ended window. That’s what -. When I re- read it, I was thinking, oh yeah, conceivably they could make up their mind like five years from EXHIBIT C 11