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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0101.041 1998-2000 • Nancy Pisicchio yw, Tel: 808 961 -8273 Coundtmember % i/, Tel: ( 808) • M.t :. _ , Fax: (808) 969 -3291 FEB 26 11I1 8 29 COUNTY COUNCIL. County of Har(6i`i)Uiv Y Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 February 23, 1999 MEMORANDUM TO: James Y. Arakaki, Chairman Hawai'i County Council FROM: Council Member Nancy Pisicchio Hawai'i County Council RE: FEBRUARY 21, 1999 LETTER FROM BEN & ROBERTA SUPPES RE: PROPOSED ALII HWY. Please circulate copies of this letter with attachment to the other members of the Hawai'i County Council at your earliest convenience. Thank you. NP:sd Attachments I / Comm. No. File No. �No BN � Ref. T o: Presinted Co Ref. Date 77 -6399 Nalani St., Suite 1 -A Kailua -Kona, Hawaii 96740 Kona Telephone: (808) 326 -5684 Fax: (80S) 3'_(: -5697 Ben & Roberta Supper ' • O 76 - 6185 D MU Dr. Kai[ua Kona, HI 96740 -2314 CD C Feb. 21, 1999 Nancy Pisicchio Hawaii County Council Kailua -Kona, HI Re: Proposed Alii Hwy. Dear Nancy, Josephine Keliipio told us that you would like input from the property owners along the corridor of the proposed highway and what we can live with. Kailua =Kona definitely needs another drive parallel to Alii Drive. This we cannot dispute. What we can live with is a two -lane street with a planting strip separating bicycle traffic from automobile traffic and another planting strip separating bikes from pedestrian pathway. This two -lane street should have many mauka -makai intersections for connecting neighbor- hoods and to act as safe, efficient evacuation routes for tsunami, flood and other emergencies. How could a limited access highway alleviate an emergency evacuation route nightmare for all residents living makai of it in the event of imminent disaster If plans are still going forward for the 4 -lane highway then Federal guidelines must be followed to buy up all property on either side of its corridor within 200' of the roadway for noise abatement. Walls have been proposed for noise abatement but in our particular case where we have a 21 storey building 23' from the proposed roadway, even a 13' high wall would not block the noise from our living and master - bedroom areas on the 2nd floor. In fact walls would act as a sounding board. We have spoken with several other neighbors living along Kahakai School Road and they do not want walls because they would cut off breezes needed for cooling. If vegetation is used for noise abatement it must consist of more than a row of trees. O O Please look into Federal Funding for: - - enough safe evacuation routes in case of an imminent emergency. - -a 2 -lane road with bicycle and walking paths /eparated from each other and automobile traffic - - buying up properties along a 200' right of way along the proposed highway corridor - -a comparative cost study for widening the existing highway from Palani Road to King Kamehameha III (and using KKIII as a conduit to Alii Hwy heading south from that point) and also building a 2 lane road paralleling Alii Drive from Keauhou into Kailua -Kona. An absolute must is building the connecting links in Lako St. My husband and I absolutely cannot live with the 4 -lane proposed highway underneath our windows. Good luck to you and Curtis for your SUCCESSFUL trip! With our sincere Aloha, Roberta and Ben Suppes PS We believe Kahakai school should still build its own access road down from Kuakini as originally planned. This would alleviate a problem with school traffic no matter which road is built. cc; Curtis Tyler 0 o REFERENCE coP��s r'aM �.laA1�`� 5466TS 1/41_,+ To Special Management Permit Application ALII HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT Kailua to Keauhou, Island of Hawaii JUNE 1998 PREPARED FOR: Department of Public Works County of Hawaii 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 PREPARED BY: R. M. Towill Corporation 420 Waiakamilo Road, Suite 411 Honolulu, Hawaii 96817 JUNE 1998 1. 1 0 0 1 . 4.2.1.2 Air Quality Survey 1 An air quality survey was conducted in June 1983 by the State Department of Transportation, Materials Testing and Research Branch (State of Hawaii, October 1983). 1 Ambient CO levels were monitored continuously for two days at the Kahakai Elementary School in the Alii Kai Subdivision using an Interscan COtector portable CO analyzer. Ambient CO levels A averaged less than 0.5 milligrams per cubic meter during any one -hour period. 1 4.2.1.3 Air Quality Impacts Construction of the project is expected to reduce congestion on the existing roadway network, and any changes in air quality impacts as assessed in the 1988 EIS would not be significant. 1 4.2.2 Noise Impacts Due to changes in the traffic conditions since 1985, noise impacts were re- evaluated in 1 conjunction with the traffic projections and analyses completed in April 1996. Various agencies have established guidelines and standards for assessing environmental noise impact and set or recommended noise limits as a function of land use. U. S. Federal Highway Administration - The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has established design goals for traffic noise exposure. The FHWA defines four land use categories and assigns corresponding maximum hourly equivalent sound levels, Leq. For example, Category B, defined as picnic and recreation areas, parks, residences, motels, hotels, schools, churches, libraries, and hospitals, has a corresponding[maximum exterior Leq of 67 dBAland a maximum SEA interior Leq of 52 dBA. These limits are viewed as design goals, and all projects which are 5�}e.t_T -Ib developed to meet these limits are deemed in conformance with the FHWA noise standards. 1 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has established Site Acceptability Standards for interior and ■ exterior noise for housing. These standards are based on day -night equivalent sound levels, Ldn, and identify the need for noise abatement, either at the site property line or in the building construction. HUD Site Acceptability Criteria rank sites as Acceptable, Normally Unacceptable, or Unacceptable. "Acceptable" sites are those where exterior noise levels do not exceed an Ldn of 65 dBA. Housing on Acceptable sites do not require additional noise attenuation other than 1 4 -14 1 O 0 that provided in customary building techniques. "Normally Unacceptable" sites are those where the Ldn is above 65 dBA, but does not exceed 75 dBA. Housing on Normally Unacceptable sites requires some means of noise abatement, either at the property line or in the building construction, to ensure the interior noise levels are acceptable. "Unacceptable" sites are those where the Ldn is 75 dBA or higher. The term "unacceptable" does not necessarily mean that housing cannot be built on these sites, but rather that more sophisticated sound attenuation would likely be needed. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified a range of yearly day -night equivalent sound levels, Ldn, sufficient to protect public health and welfare from the effects of environmental noise. The EPA has established a goal to reduce exterior environmental noise to an Ldn(not exceeding 65 dBAjand a future goal to Sae_ further reduce exterior environmental noise to an Ldn not exceeding 55 dBA. Additionally, the Saul- `f• tb , -16 EPA states that these goals are not intended as regulations as it has no authority to regulate noise levels, but rather they are intended to be viewed as levels below which the general population will not be at risk from any of the identified effects of noise. 4.2.2.1 Potential Noise Impacts and Noise Mitigation The FHWA Traffic Noise Prediction Model together with the traffic data provided, were used to calculate the existing (1992) traffic noise levels along the existing Alii Drive. The projected future (2020) traffic noise levels along this roadway, with and without the proposed Alii Highway, were also calculated and the resulting noise levels are presented in Table 4 -4. The traffic noise levels along Alii Drive are projected to decrease with the development of the proposed Alii Highway. While the development of the proposed Alii Highway would result in lower noise levels along Alii Drive, projected future traffic noise levels along the new Alii Highway could impact the existing noise sensitive areas in the immediate vicinity of the new highway. Existing noise sensitive areas include the Kona Hillcrest Subdivision, Kahakai Elementary School, Alii Kai Subdivision, White Sands Subdivision and Kauhale Kahaluu Housing (see Figure 9). Projected future (2020) traffic noise levels at various locations within or near these noise sensitive areas where noise measurements were obtained in 1983, were calculated. Results are shown in Table 4 -5. 4 -15 Y N _ 0 oM c C1 ry 1.1 4 0 1/40 V * 8 n k N o (f) o o 0 rn to in CA (si r pi tri 9 2 Z r . r s r' `� �� \o ►3 i s 1 Y- t o (r 0 � L [� C L z s -c - E f 2 v I o - o © 0 0 U XI n 1 . 0 E m , t O 1a e © 15+ .. � \� r o-0 r Z i s O n cn o @ so 0 P a d'- Io ., z 0 Table 4 -4 TRAFFIC NOISE LEVELS (LEO IN DBA) ALONG ALII DRIVE Calculated for Peak Traffic Hours Future (2020) Future (2020) Distance from Existing (1992) 1 Alii Hwy With Alii Hwy 1 ., II 1 " 1 II.Iw., U'. '1 iJ ''•. ' J '•., iJ ''., ' J ''.. iJ '•.• ' u �' . 1 50 60 63.7 63.4 64.4 64.1 60.9 60.5 2 50 58 62.4 61.9 65.3 64.8 56.5 56.3 3 50 57 60.4 60.5 63.9 63.9 56.5 56.5 Notes. ' See Figure 8 " Noise levels were measured by the Materials Testing and Research Branch of the State Dept. Of Transportation in July 1983. Table 4 -5 Traffic Noise Levels (Leq in dBA) Along the Proposed Alii Highway Calculated Future (2020) For Peak Traffic Hour Distance From Location' Edge of Roadway Measured" AM Peak PM Peak 4 150 45 60.8 61.3 5 50 59 __ 72,3 72.6 CS 6 30 r-r) _____ -_ 73 6 73 9 ) 7 200 6"eei - roc 40 66.7 67.5 8 140 49 68.0 68.8 Notes: ' See Figure 8. " Noise levels were measured by the Material Testing and Research Branch of the State Dept. Of Transportation in July 1983. It should be noted that the referenced traffic study does not provide truck mix information for the proposed highway. The truck mix percentages and average vehicle operating speeds assumed in this analysis are summarized in Table 4 -6. 4 -16 O O Table 4 -6 ASSUMED TRUCK MIX PERCENTAGES AND VEHICLE OPERATING SPEEDS ALONG THE PROPOSED ALII HIGHWAY Average Vehicle Truck Mix Operating Speed (mphl Percentage Location' ND S@ IT 11T 4 Kona Hillcrest Subdivision 25 25 2 Kahakai Elementary School 50 50 2 5 &6 Alii Kai Subdivision 50 50 2 7 White Sands Subdivision 50 50 2 8 Kauhale Kahaluu Housing 50 50 2 Notes: ' See Figure 8 " NB= North Bound MT= Medium Trucks SB= South Bound HT= Heavy Trucks The future (2020) noise levels of Table 4 -5 represent a significant increase from the 1983 measured noise levels. Furthermore, at Locations 5, 6, 7 and 8, the predicted noise level exceed the FHWA noise criterion of 67 dBA for noise sensitive residential areas and schools. The minimum setback distances from the edge of the roadway required to meet the FHWA 67 dBA noise criterion for these noise sensitive areas were calculated. The effects of terrain and roadway elevations and any noise shielding afforded by man made structures were not included in these calculations. The calculated distances are listed in Table 4 -7. —Table 9_� ---- ESTIMATED MINIMUM SETBACK DISTANCES FROM PROPOSED ALIT HIGHWAY REQUIRED TO MEET THE FHWA 67 DEA NOISEIRITERIQ Minimum Setback location' Distance (in Feet)** Kona Bitterest Subdivision 23 Kahakai Elementary School 249 Alii Kai Subdivision Mauka of Alu lit h_wa . _ ...._. 249_ 6 Alii Kai Subdivision (Bakal of wa Alii Hi h _ g Yl White Sands Subdivision 22 Kauhale Kahaluu Housing 227 Notes: ' See Figure 8 " Distance from edge of roadway to Leq = 67 dBA. 4 -17 0 0 The projected future traffic noise levels along the proposed highway could also place some of the existing residences in HUD's "Normally Unacceptable" or "Unacceptable" zones. With respect to HUD guidelines, "noise exposure itself will not result in the denial of HUD support for resale and purchase of otherwise acceptable buildings. However, environmental noise is a marketability factor which HUD will consider in determining the amount of insurance or other assistance that may be given." Existing noise sensitive residences and classrooms that are at distances closer than the calculated minimum setback distances listed in Table 4 -7 will require noise mitigation in order to conform to the FHWA noise criteria. Possible noise abatement measures include: 1. Reduction of speed limits. For example, a reduction from 50 mph to 35 mph in speed limit with the same truck mix would result in a 3.7 dB decrease in peak hour traffic noise at Location 5; f.1124 Z.1 Fin 131 (P..rvt.R1 PL 4„e) p{� wb, --0- I_E 1o. I daA -n' .td „/ t t.S. r�0. f1V "1. r)o6f Un.mcis 2. Use of solid concrete retaining barriers, commonly referred to as "Jersey barriers,” to provide shielding of automobile tire and exhaust noise by blocking line -of -sight to the tires and to the exhausts; v'% ■44. i la 51021" t4,21456 Lail-4 0u42 L`. 'A bJ`. o4 P'\ 2_a 0 STo % 3. Construction of roadside noise barriers, i.e., walls, earthen berms or a combination of both; ff T 4. Acquisition of real property;] 5. Road surface design; 6. Air- conditioning of impacted dwellings and schools; and, W40 1 40,d1. ?° Pz� rn2- HL 6,U S , 7. Alterations to horizontal and vertical roadway alignments. u)€,VA 2 r , is rho a.t (-_,J7-rod "it n.47 (-- d OS oil Pi rY, 15 11 )trmjtt Aul r)AiI . n,AAIM 6,!(f,(SF 144:117 . (- ✓J. 4 -18