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Home My WebLink About2023-07-12 Mayor's Waipio Valley Sixth Amended Traffic Emergency Zone Declaration and Sixth Waipio Valley Road Declaration of Emergency (3) �., Lee E.Lord Managing Drrecrar° Mitchell D.Roth •� MA1O! Robert H.Command •►ire. N' *`� Deputy Managing Dir°ecror County of Hawai . Office of the Mayor 25 Aupuni Street,Suite 2603 • Hilo,Hawaii 96720 . (808)961-8211 • Fax(808)961-6553 KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohok5lole Hwy.,Bldg C + Kadua-Kona,HawaN 96740 (808)323-4444 • Fax(808)323-4440 Sixth Amended Traffic Emergency Zone Declaration And Sixth Waipi'o Valley Road Declaration Of Emergency WHEREAS, Waipi'o Valley Road is a four-wheel drive County road located on the northern Hamakua Coast of Hawaii Island. The road is narrow and winds down the steep hillside of the south valley wall. WHEREAS, Waipi'o Valley Road is the only vehicular ingress and egress for Waipi'o Valley. WHEREAS, Waipi'o Valley Road is used by residents of Waipi'o Valley, farmers who transport agricultural products grown and harvested in Waipi'o Valley, Hawaii County residents, visitors, and authorized tour operators. WHEREAS, Waipi`o Valley Road presents significant safety risks. For example, it lacks shoulders or adequate troughs to catch falling rocks and debris. The road is slippery, particularly after heavy rains, and adequate stormwater infrastructure is lacking. Some portions of the road are unpassable for two vehicles. Limited sight distance along the road hampers driver ability to safety navigate oncoming traffic and pedestrians in the roadway. WHEREAS, Waipi'o Valley Road descends about 800 feet in elevation over approximately 4100 feet. Rock outcropping and vegetation overhang the road. WHEREAS, Waipi'o Valley Road can experience significant amounts of runoff, particularly after heavy rains. Historically, the County closes the road following periods of heavy rain and to clear rock, soil and vegetation which has fallen on and across the road. WHEREAS, a slope faillure occurred in March 2019 following heavy rainfall and high streamflow associated with Hurricane Dane. The primary slide was approximately 500 feet tall and 70 feet wide. Additional upslope landslide events occurred in April 2018 and February 2019. WHEREAS, on or about April 2, 2020, the County hired a consultant, Hart Crowser, to conduct a Preliminary Geotechnical Engineering Evaluation. Countg of Hawaii is an Equal Opportuniq Provider and Employer Sixth Amended Traffic Emergency Zone Declaration and Sixth Watpi'o Valley Road Declaration of Emergency Page 2 of 4 WHEREAS, the County's receipt of the completed Hart Crowser's Preliminary Geotechnical Report dated January 2022 ("Report") occurred in January 2022. WHEREAS, the Report provided geotechnical data regarding the current condition of the road and hazard ratings associated with those condition, which further detailed the described the dangers Waipi'o Valley Road poses to the health, safety and welfare of the people. WHEREAS, the County retained Hart Crowser, now a division of Haley & Aldrich, to further evaluate Waipi'o Valley Road and recommend specific mitigation measures to make the road safe. WHEREAS, Haley & Aldridge submitted a report to the County dated September 30, 2022 entitled Rockfall and Slope Instability Mitigation and Conceptual Design Summary Report "Summary Report"wherein it recommended a phased mitigation approach to address numerous hazards along the roadway. (See SLlnimarN Report). WHEREAS.the Department of Public Works held an initial community meeting on October 26, 2022, at the gymnasium in Honokaa and discussed the findings of the Summary Report as well as plans to make additional safety improvements to the roadway. The overall schedule and impacts to the community during the 2 to 3-year construction were discussed. WHEREAS, remediation efforts have commenced to increase the safety of Waipi'o Valley Road and are ongoing. To this end, the County is finishing mitigation work (referred to as Phase 1) which commenced on or about June I, 2023, and has plans to perform additional work over the next two (2) years (referenced currently as Phase 2 and Phase 3). A public meeting was held on May 1, 2023,to discuss road conditions, planned work, and additional meetings are planned prior to performing further mitigation activities. WHEREAS,the current condition poses substantial endangerment to public health and safety, and warrants preemptive and protective action in order to provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the people using the road who will be negatively impacted if the road fails and residents are unable to enter and exit Waipi'o Valley. WHEREAS, the current danger to pedestrians navigating Waipi'o Valley Road presents an unacceptable risk that cannot be corrected absent regulations and/or remediation. WHEREAS, limiting vehicular access generally, and, specifically, to drivers familiar with the current road conditions is a necessary action for vehicular navigation of Waipi'o Valley Road until adequate remediation measures can be implemented. WHEREAS, Hawaii Revised Statutes ("HRS"), Section 264-1.5, permits establishment of a traffic emergency zone in response to substantial endangerment to public health and safety which is or is highly likely to be caused by the temporary closure of, or the lack of adequate access to Waipio Valley via Waipio Valley Road. Sixth Amended Traffic Emergency Zone Declaration and Seth Waipi'o valley Road Declaration of Emergency Page 4 of 4 WHEREAS, the conditions giving rise to the Traffic and Road Emergency Declarations still exist. NOW, THEREFORE, 1, MITCHELL D. ROTH, Mayor of the County of Hawaii, do hereby proclaim and declare a traffic emergency zone for Waipio Valley Road due to the substantial danger to the health, safety, and welfare of the people which is or is highly likely to be caused by the temporary closure of, or the lack of adequate access to Waipio Valley Road. The Amended Traffic Emergency Zone Declaration remains effective September 19, 2022, continuing thereon until February 25, 2027, unless further amended, terminated, or superseded by a separate proclamation, whichever shall occur first. NOW, THEREFORE, I MITCHELL D. ROTH, Mayor of the County of Hawaii do, further, proclaim and declare that an emergency has occurred effective July 12, 2023, and continuing through September 11, 2023. NOW, THEREFORE, the Mayor's Waipi'o Valley Road Continued Emergency Rule No. 2 and Emergency Rule No. I shall remain in effect. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 12day of July, 2023 in .......... Hilo, Hawai'i. Mitchell D. Roth Mayor County of Hawaii APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: LL Elizabeth Strance "k- djZ-,e-6 2023.07.11 10:20:19 ...................... ... 10,00, . Elizabeth A. Strance Corporation Counsel !HEREBY CERTIFY that above true and correct copy of the origin now on the i c6. RQeunty Clerk