HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0422.000 1996-1998
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COUNTY COUNCIL
Counh~o(H~iumii ~ i
Hawaii County Buil~~in~ CC;'. ~ ~ ~ ~ "
25 Auyuni Strect
Hila, Hawaii 96720
Juiy 29, 1997
MEMO T0: James Y. Arakaki, Chair
Hawaii County Council
FROM: AI Smith, vice-Chair
Hawaii County Council
RE: Wa'a Wa'a Subdivision & Government Beach Road
Earlier this week I met with the Pakaka Road Association. As you may know, the
members of this Association live in the Wa'a Wa'a Subdivision off the Old Government
Beach Road in Puna. I am presently working with the Public Works Department to
resolve some of the concerns they have regarding maintenance of this road. However,
they have requested that the attached letter be numbered.
Thank you.
AS/ctd
cc: Donna Kiyosaki, Chief Engineer
Jiro Sumada, Deputy Chief Engineer
Stanley Nakasone, Roads Division
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PAK4KA ROAD ASSOCIATION
COMPANY 10 BRAVO
P.O. Box 1786, Pahoa, Hl 96778. Phone # (808) 965-9206.
Correspondence to the Hawaii County Council
July 22, 1997
Dear Council Members:
Introduction
This correspondence relates to the 3.8 miles of the Govemment Beach Road which connects Kapoho
Point and Kahakai Boulevazd. The road serves as the only access to the County-permitted Wa'a
Wa'a Subdivision. It also serves as the only emergency escape route for the densely populated
Hawaiian Beaches Subdivision if Kahakai Boulevard should be closed, and for the population of
Kapoho should Route 132 or the Red Road be closed. A serious brush fire close to Keonepoko
School in 1995 caused Kahakai Boulevard to be blocked for eight hours and highlighted the
importance of Government Beach Road for emergency passage.
Backeround
Prior to 1990, this section of the old territorial road system was regularly maintained by Public
Works of the County of Hawaii. During the 1980's, semi-annual maintenance consisted of cutting
back overhanging branches and mowing the elephant grass on the road shoulders. Cinder was
brought in and the road surface was amended, graded, and rolled. In the late eighties, some of the
steepest sections were paved with asphalt to stabilize the road surface. Since 1990 very little
maintenance has been performed on this section of the road, although residents of Wa'a Wa'a, along
with other affected individuals, have repeatedly met with Public Works and the County
administration to seek a correction to the problem.
Resolution #289-94
The County has addressed and acknowledged its legal responsibility to maintain this portion of
roadway. The Wa'a Wa'a section of Government Beach Road meets the criteria defined in
Corporate Counsel Richard D. Wurdeman's written opinion (issued October 13, 1993) concerning
the County's obligation to maintain government roads which are:
o Not privately claimed,
o Not "paper" roads, and
o Are surveyed apart from state and adjoining properties.
In 1994 former Puna Council Representative Helene Hale introduced Resolution #289-94, which
committed the County to fund annual maintenance of this section of road. The resolution spelled
out the need to acquire material for amending the road surface.
Resolution #289-94 passed unanimously on November 17, 1994. Nevertheless, each year since then
local residents have had to plead with Public Works for even minunal maintenance efforts. Based
on figures provided by Deputy Chief Engineer Jiro Sumada in December 1995, 85-95% of the
money spent has been directed at paying county workers without providing them with road graders,
rollers or sufficient materials to amend the road surface.
Impact of Poor Road Condition. on the Wa'a Wa'a ~bdivi ion
The Wa'a Wa'a population has continued to grow. It faces daily hardship in order to travel the road
in order to get to work or to school. There are several nursery and flower growing operations,
market gazdeners, and home-based enterprises in Wa'a Wa'a, contributing an estimated $250,000
annually to the Big Island economy. Wa'a Wa'a employers have difficulty in recruiting and retaining
employees who are reluctant to travel on Government Beach Road. The current condition of the
road adds substantial costs to doing business and limits access by support services (Federal Express
will no longer service Wa'a Wa'a.)
The Wa'a Wa'a volunteer fire company has added a great service to this area of the island. But it
is severely restricted in its response time since the County-supplied fire truck can barely negotiate
the badly eroded ups and downs of the road surface. If an ambulance is needed by any subdivision
residents, many of whom are elderly, it would have great difficulty negotiating this roadway. On
several occasions, fishermen along this section of the coastline have required emergency rescue
services. Dana Ireland's death might have been prevented if the road conditions had been better.
Although the residents and lot owners of the Wa'a Wa'a Subdivision pay property taxes, the area
receives no school bus service and no regulaz police protection because of the condition of the road.
Because the condition of the road had so severely deteriorated by the 1990's, the area known as Sand
Hill became a dumping ground for old cars, appliances and bags of garbage. When the County
refused to respond, the community took action and, with the help of a few key players,
approximately 150 cars and much noxious garbage was removed. However, due to continued
County neglect, the situation is beginning to escalate once again. As long as the road is perceived
as abandoned, it will be used as a dumping ground.
The section of road that traverses Honolulu Landing has been severely undercut by wave action.
It is about to collapse, and is unsafe for vehicular traffic. The Hawaii Fire Department has strongly
advised the Wa'a Wa'a volunteer fire company not to drive the truck through this section of the road.
Summary
We direct this communication to the County Council because this is a problem which the
community cannot solve alone. We ask that the County Council take action to enforce the annual
maintenance funding as required by Resolution #289-94.
We further request the County Council to designate aone-time expenditure to bring this road up to
a standard usable by emergency access vehicles. To make the 3.8 miles safely accessible, the
following actions need to be undertaken:
o High spots on the road need to be lowered,
o The overhanging branches need to be removed,
o Potholes in the asphalt sections need to be repaired with new asphalt,
o Base course needs to be spread to stabilize the road's surface, and
o The section of road that traverses Honolulu Landing must be re-directed and
stabilized.
Thank you for kind attention to our concerns.
Respectfully submitted by,
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Dean Cevallos, President John Fowler, Deputy Chief
Pakaka Road Association Company 10-BRAVO
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COUNT ~ OF HAWAII STATE Ot~ HAWAII
1i
RESOLUTION N0. 289 94
(DRAFT 3)
WHEREAS, the section of the Government Heach Road, a
gravel/cinder/dirt roadway approzimately 3.75 m@les, eztending
from the end of the pavement on Papio Street in the Hawaiian
Shores Subdivision to the paved County road on the 1960 lava flow
in Kapoho, is a government road; and
WHEREAS, this Government Heach Road is the responsibility of
the County according to Corporation Counsel Richard Wurdeman's
written opinion rendered an October 13, 1993 and due to the
following cannot be disposed of: -
1) It is the only legal access to the County permitted
subdivision of Wa'a Wa'a which consists of 177 lots.
2) It is the designated Civil Defense emergency evacuation
route for the Kapoho area; and
3) It provides access to the Nanawale Forest Reserve.
WHEREAS, there is a Volunteer Fire Company, Hravo 10, in
Wa'a Wa'a, trained and recognized by the County, awaiting
delivery of a County truck. with which to respond to fires and
emergencies in that area; and
WHEREAS, cartographers can make the distinction between
4-wheel drive jeep trails, dirt roads, County roads and State
Highways and it should be within the scope of Hawaii County
personnel to define a maintenance standard for substandard roads;
and
WHEREAS, there is currently a commitment to clean up the
abandoned vehicles at the Sand Hill site, which is along this
roadway, as a resuit of efforts by Ho'onani Hawaii Nei. These
cars at this site have been the source of two reported fires in
the last pear and it would assist in prevention plans to keep
this section of the Government Beach Road maintained so that the
area can be patrolled; and
WHEREAS, there are approzimately 20 school age children that
are not being serviced by the public school transportation
department due to the current condition of this roadway; and
WHEREAS, the circumstances involved with this particular road
section are unusual and compelling.
i .
HOW, THEREFORE, HE IT RESOLVED HY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF
HAWAII, that the County maintain this roadway and fund annual
maintenance which may involve the hauling/spreading of at least
20 truck loads of cinder or crushed rock or atabilizinq with
pavement, brush clearing, aickle mowing and patching potholes.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of thin Resolution be sent
to the Mayor and the Chief Engineer of the Department of Public
Works.
Dated at Hilo, Hawaii, this 16th day of Novetber 1994.
INTROrD-UCnED HY:
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COUNCILMEMBER, COUHTSt OF HAWAII
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawaii AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo. Hawaii
ARAKAKI
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION wsa by the X
wte indicated to the right here~o~f adoptedby the COUNCIL of cHILDS X
the County of Hawaii on NoyellDet I6, 1994 DE LIMA
DOMINGO X
ATTEST:
RATH
SCFIl77TE X
I ll/-~ ~ ROSEHILL 0 0 0
I, Reference 3~~ /i:SfiF[~;C-135
COUNTY CLARK CHAIRMAN & PF'"CIDING OFFICER RESOLUTTC`" NO. 289 94 ~ DRAFT 3 )
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