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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0122.005 1998-2000 02/15/99 14:00 PAR BOB 9815522 SIOT-CANON HILO ~ 002 T0: James Arakaki, chairman, Hawaii County Council FROM: Gary Hiyoto - President of Sunrise Ridge TI Homeowilezs Association DATE: January 15, 1999 RE: Sunrise Ridge II - Dedication of Improvements to County The sunrise Ridge II Homeowners Association (the "Association) and the individual owners currently face a problem regarding the subdivision improvements and are requesting your assistance in resolving this problem. It was discovered in December 1997 that the developers never dedicated the Subdivision improvements (i.e. roads, sewer system, street signs, and street lights to the County). In essence, this means that the Association, which consists of the home owners and lot owners, are currently responsible to maintain the subdivision improvements and may be held liable for injuries or accidents that occur on or are caused by those improvements. Upon discovering the subdivision improvements were not dedicated, Day-Lum Rental & management, Inc. ("Day-Lum"), the Associations property manager, began working with the County to complete the dedication. By letter dated August 28, 1998, the Engineering Division of the County of Hawaii recortmended deferral of the acceptance of dedication until 19 items were fixed. Among these items is the fixing of 21 substantial cracks in the sewer system. Obviously, to f1x the sewer and other items would subject each lot owner to an enormous financial burden. As the sewer system is only four (41 years old, it is surprising that there are so many cracks. the wastewater management Division suspects that the problem may be due to poor cushioning. After review o£ the County records, it appears that the developers applied to the County to accept dedication of the subdivision improvements and submitted all the necessary documentation. Despite this fact, the County records indicate that the county did nothing between August 22, 1995 and June 25, 1997. Attached is a chronology of events and so copies of the pertinent memos pertaining to this issue. It also appears that the County acted as if it accepted dedication of the improvements. The County has been allowing water, sewer to be connected and collecting water and sewer fees, has on at least one occasion cleaned the sewer system, and has re-paintefl the stripes on the roadway. Comm. No. '2 2 • ~ s ~ xa Doc SuB Ref. ToYressntod PWPG Ref. Da 16 1999 02/15/99 14:01 FAX 808 8815522 SIOT-CANON HILO fm 00J I strongly urge you as Chairman of the Hawaii County Council and members of the council to support acceptance of dedication of the improvements for Sunrise Ridge iI to the County of Hawaii. The rational iS that if the County had acted in a timely fashion, the subdivision improvements would have been dedicated and owned by the county and not by the lot owners. when the lot owners bought their pzoperties, they assumed that the improvements were owned by the County. The County acted as if it owned the improvements by allowing sale of lots, allowing hookups, approving construction plans and billing for sezvices. If you were allowed to build your home and was billed for services, wouldn't you assume that the County owned the impzovements? Then wouldn't you expect the county to accept dedication at this time due to its responsibility to the homeowners? We, the homeowners and lot owners appreciate your consideration of this matter. Sincerely, Gary Hiyoto President of Sunrise Ridge II Homeowners Association