Combined Districts
Meeting Minutes
MEETING NO. 1, NOVEMBER 2, 2000
MEETING NO. 2, MARCH 13, 2001
MEETING NO. 3, SEPTEMBER 12, 2001
MEETING NO. 4, FEBRUARY 13th, 2002

GENERAL COMMUNITY MEETING NO. 1, NOVEMBER 2, 2000

This memo summarizes a November 2^nd General Community Meeting at Wai`anae District Park Multi-Purpose Room.

• BLESSING by Reverend Victor Kila

• WELCOME by Councilman Duke Bainum and Director of the Department of Transportation Services, Cheryl Soon

• INTRODUCTIONS & PURPOSE OF THE MEETING - Cheryl Soon explained the meeting's purpose. The community was presented with the scope of the City's "Wai`anae Emergency Routes" Project. She briefly summarized the CIP authorization of funding for planning and design of emergency routes for the Wai`anae Coast. The City consultants, Gray Hong Bills & Associates and Townscape, Inc., were introduced.

• SCOPE OF THE CONTRACT - David Bills of GHB introduced the various phases of the project.

• DISCUSSION: HOW TO PLAN THIS PROJECT TOGETHER - Bruce Tsuchida of Townscape, Inc. facilitated a discussion with the community about the project's planning process. The community was asked to provide input about the best way to do the plan. Various community members provided suggestions and comments.

HOW DO WE BEGIN THIS PLANNING PROCESS?

• "SUB-DISTRICTS for the first meeting then identify smaller neighborhood areas for next meetings."

• "SUB-DISTRICTS are a good idea."

• "SUB-DISTRICTS but with periodic general meetings to allow groups to "pool" ideas."

• "Work in SUB-DISTRICTS and identify a liaison/spokesperson."

DESIRED COMMUNICATION AND NOTIFICATION

• The community should be provided with minutes for each meeting and develop a mailing list to distribute correspondence.

• Mailings should also include maps and agendas of future meetings.

• Meeting information should be submitted to Wai`anae community newspapers - West Coast Chronicle and West Side Stories.

OTHER INFORMATION

• The project needs to set timeframes and deadlines to avoid a planning process that will go on forever.

• The project should to be completed in several phases.

BREAK-OUT SESSION: SUB-DISTRICTS MEET TO GET ORGANIZED

The community divided into working groups by ahupua`a. Each group discussed their suggestions and comments for the planning process of the project. The groups identified a suitable date, time and place for the next meeting. Sub-districts also suggested possible community notification methods.

Nanakuli Homestead Association

WHEN: November 28^th (Tuesday) 7pm

WHERE: Nanaikapono Elementary School Cafeteria (CONFIRMED)

NOTIFICATION: Regular Association Meeting

OTHER: Regular meetings held last Tuesday of the month

Nanakuli (Helelua to Hakimo)

WHEN: November 20^th (Monday) 7pm

WHERE: Nanakuli High School (VENUE PENDING CONFIRMATION)

NOTIFICATION: Banner at Nanakuli Beach Park, Flyers at Post Office, Churches

OTHER: Group will coordinate with Homestead Association Meetings. A liaison person will communicate with Homestead Association. Intensive meetings will be held to start to define a draft plan.

Lualualei/Maili Ahupua`a

WHEN: December 7 (Thursday) 7pm

WHERE: Wai`anae Public Library (CONFIRMED)

NOTIFICATION: Midweek insert, flyers at: churches, schools (Leihoku & Maili), Tamura Store, Longs, 7-11, radio station, television, Boys & Girls Club, Post Office

OTHER: Discussion of possible routes-

• Private road (Makalualualei)

• Pahe`ehe`e - paved

• Extend Paakea across Hakimo Rd. (Old Kaiser Plan) to existing Lualualei Rd. to Farrington Hwy.

Wai`anae Ahupua`a

WHEN: November 28^th (Tuesday) 7pm

WHERE: Wai`anae Public Library (CONFIRMED)

NOTIFICATION: Mailings, phone, web page, email

OTHER: Next meetings agenda to include-

Where are possible emergency roads?

Why should these roads be used?

Issues about property ownership, zoning, and value.

Makaha Ahupua`a

WHEN: November 15^th (Wednesday) 7pm

WHERE: Wai`anae District Park - Arts & Crafts Room (CONFIRMED)

NOTIFICATION: Mailings, email, web page

OTHER: Provide name tags for participants at meetings

Possible use of Lee's pictures for maps

7. GENERAL MEETING RECONVENED

Sub-district community leaders reported information to the entire group. Next steps were discussed and the meeting was closed.

Back to the Top

This memo summarizes the second WCEAR general public meeting, held Wednesday, March 7^th at 7:00 pm at Nanakuli High School Cafeteria. Approximately 100 community members attended the meeting.

Nanakuli resident Kamaki Kanahele said a pule to open the meeting. Cheryl then welcomed the community and provided an overview of the City's commitment to this project and confirmed that construction funding has been requested for fiscal year 2002.

Townscape presented an overview of the WCEAR community planning process that involved a general community meeting in November, two rounds of sub-district meetings from November through January, and presentations to community associations. Hilarie presented various methods that were used to notify the community about meetings. This included announcements through postcards, flyers, Westside Stories community newspaper, Honolulu Advertiser newspaper, mailing lists, phone calls and emails. All potentially affected property owners were notified in a special letter of this meeting. In addition, a website was developed that provided project maps and meeting minutes (www.wcear.org). Hilarie thanked the community for their ongoing participation in WCEAR meetings and asked that Wai`anae residents continue to make this project community-based by continued input and dialog.

Hilarie presented the criteria, which emerged from meetings, that was used for selecting emergency access routes.

• Road terrain and topography
• Community concerns
• Area land use
• Public transportation accommodated - City buses
• Flood zone areas
• Ease of access
• Infrastructure needed - bridges
• Utilities needed - street lights
• Oahu Civil Defense emergency uses
• Length of access roads

David presented the proposed emergency access routes. Community participants agreed in sub-district meetings that selected routes would continue as alternatives in the preliminary engineering phase. David discussed each sub-district and community members commented:

Makaha
A resident was concerned about the misconception of consensus regarding selected routes in Makaha. She said that the Makaha sub-district had agreed to study the options but did not agree that they were all desirable. She was particularly bothered by the proposed route through Mahinaau Rd. The alternative that connects Kaulawaha is better having less impact on the surrounding community.

Another resident expressed some community sentiment to keep the Kaulawaha alternative open permanently, allowing travel in the area without use of Farrington Hwy. He believes that accidents and problems often occur because Farrington is used for both slower local traffic and faster commuter traffic. A permanent Kaulawaha route would even allow access to the elementary school without use of Farrington Hwy.

Wai`anae
No area specific questions/comments

Lualualei/Maili
No area specific questions/comments

Nanakuli
A Nanakuli resident said that the mauka side of Farrington should be used for access instead of the makai side. She felt that there is not enough room makai of the highway. The resident was concerned about the access route's close proximity to her home.
Answer: The Nanakuli community has only allowed the makai option proposed to make it to the preliminary engineering phase. Kamaki Kanahele, President of the Nanakuli Hawaiian Homestead Association, commented that a mauka option is not feasible because of the construction of water lines and the new Nanaikapono Elementary School. The community will have to endure construction over the next 4-8 years and will be "locked in". A makai route is the only possible option.

Another resident was concerned about the prospect of an access road makai of Farrington road. How would safety of children in the area be addressed? Will improvements be made to existing roads?
Answer: This will studied during the preliminary engineering phase of the project.

David Bills explained tasks and work that will be completed in this phase to study the alternatives and begin implementation. This phase includes:

• Topographic survey of each selected route.
• Preliminary design of roadway including drainage and utility features where appropriate.
• Provide detailed preliminary costs estimates for all road segments.
• Identify land acquisition/Land use requirements.
• Initiate discussions with agencies and entities regarding operational system of access roads.
• Present findings at General Community Meeting #3

Will roads be used everyday or only for emergencies?
Answer: Depends on the route. Most are only for emergency access but the community has suggested areas where permanent access will be helpful.

Landowners have expressed concern about liability when emergency access is routed through private property.
Answer: More communications with landowners will occur in the next phase. In emergency situations liability is usually assumed by the city.

Why not make all routes permanent?
Answer: The community has helped determine where permanent access is desired.

Has criteria been developed depending on the type of emergency event? Hostage situation, natural disasters, water main breaks, accidents?
Answer: This will be addressed in the operational plan of the project.

Who identifies what's an emergency?
Answer: This will be also be addressed in the operational plan - police, civil defense, etc. will have a system to operate emergency roads.

What about the mauka road?
Answer: This study does not hamper that effort in any way. The community and government will continue to discuss and research this option, however this plan is looking to create options that can happen now. A mauka road will take many, many years to develop.

Bruce Tsuchida of Townscape, Inc. explained the EA/EIS process and work tasks necessary to implement the emergency access roads.

• Preliminary reconnaissance for affected environment - including flora, fauna, archaeology, cultural sites, etc.
• Prepare draft environmental assessment for roadway - request comments from agencies and the general public.
• Prepare and process environmental impact statement pending results and findings of the EA process.

Is the community process of this plan being recorded, addressed, documented? This dialog needs to be a part of the plan and the environmental studies but separate from the engineering aspect.
Answer: Yes, all dialog and questions have been recorded at meetings on newsprint, and this material is later transcribed into meeting minutes. The minutes are available to the public. The community's input is a valued and integral part of this plan. Future meetings can be a part of the EA/EIS process if the community desires input.

Cheryl thanked the community for participating in the meeting. The next General Public meeting will probably be scheduled in September.

Back to the Top

This memo generally summarizes the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Road project General Community Meeting No. 3, which was held on Wednesday, September 12th at 7:00 pm at the Nanakuli High School Cafeteria. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting.

• Greeting/Opening - Cheryl Soon, Director, Department of Transportation ServicesState Representative Michael Kahikina said a pule to open the meeting. Ms. Soon then welcomed the attendees and provided an overview of the City’s commitment to this project and an outline of the meeting’s agenda.

• Review of Proposed WCEAR New Roadway Segments - David Bills, Gray Hong Bills Nojima & Associates. Mr. Bills presented an overview of the new roadway segments proposed for construction in Makaha, Waianae, Lualualei/Maili and Nanakuli that would link with existing streets. The new road segments and existing streets will together form the emergency access route.

Makaha/Waianae
The Kaulawaha Road extension is currently the preferred alignment to connect Makaha Valley Road with Plantation Road. The alignment identified at the General Community Meeting No. 2 in March 2001 was altered to accommodate the planned Kamaile Elementary School expansion. Mr. Bills reviewed some of the important points regarding this proposed new roadway segment: there are some archaeological concerns, a portion of the new roadway is in the State Conservation District, construction of an elevated bridge over East Makaha Stream will be required and the bridge will be designed to meet Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) standards, and street lighting would be provided because this segment is proposed to remain permanently open.

Lualualei/Maili
The Pakeke Street to Hakimo Road segment is located on private land. The proposed roadway follows an existing crushed-coral road that will require some widening and will be paved to meet agricultural roadway standards. There will also be a drainage crossing. This segment is proposed to be used only in the event of an emergency and will be gated until use of the roadway is needed.

The Paakea Road extension, located on Kaiser Cement property, will connect to Lualualei Naval Road. This is a proposed permanent roadway, which means that it will have streetlights. A bridge that meets FEMA requirements will need to be constructed over Ulehawa Stream.

Nanakuli
An earlier proposed makai roadway segment was determined to be unfeasible because it would require relocation of the new rock wall and trees in front of Ulehawa Beach Park, makai of Farrington Highway and the O.R. & L. Railroad. The current proposed Nanakuli makai alignment would use Pohakuni Avenue to Laumania Avenue - the Department of Hawaiian Homelands has plans to upgrade all of the roads in this subdivision, which would meet the roadway standards for the emergency access road project. A new roadway segment would then be constructed parallel to and makai of the O. R. & L. Railroad right-of-way between Laumania Avenue up to Nanakuli Avenue where it would form an intersection with Farrington Highway. The proposed emergency access route would then shift to the mauka side of Farrington Highway and use the existing streets of Nanakuli Avenue to Mano Avenue and Haleakala Avenue. The final proposed mauka segment in Nanakuli would be to use the existing Helelua Street to Helelua Place and then construct a new roadway segment between Helelua Place to Lualualei Naval Road. However, these three Nanakuli segments would not cover all of Farrington Highway, leaving an approximately 600 linear foot section between Haleakala Avenue and Helelua Street, where no emergency access route is currently proposed because there are private residences along the mauka side of Farrington Highway.

• Overview of the Environmental Assessment Process - Bruce Tsuchida, Townscape, Inc. Mr. Tsuchida outlined the environmental review process. An Environmental Assessment is being prepared. This is a report about the potential environmental effects of the project and is required by the State. Consultants in the areas of archaeology, cultural resources, botany, biology and traffic have examined the proposed new roadway areas and assessed potential impacts to the environment. The Environmental Assessment report is a two-step process; a Draft report and a Final report will be prepared. Copies will be distributed to the State and local library, State and City agencies and the Waianae Neighborhood Board. There is a 30-day public comment period. It is requested that the public submit comments on the Environmental Assessment in writing to the City Department of Transportation Services. The City, together with the consultants, will respond to all comment letters.

Archaeological and Cultural Resources
Mr. Tsuchida explained that a burial was found in the vicinity of the Kaulawaha Road extension alignment. The State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) was contacted immediately by the archaeologist. Discussions with the State Historic Preservation Division and local community leaders suggested that such a sensitive topic as a burial should not be discussed in detail at an open meeting.

A resident asked whether the initial study shows if the burial is Native Hawaiian? Mr. Tsuchida explained that the origin of the burial is not known at this time. The resident commented that because the burial is not determined to be Native Hawaiian, who is Townscape contacting to ensure that other ethnic groups are represented when determining the proper protocol for handling the burial? Mr. Tsuchida responded that Townscape will try to contact many sectors of the community to discuss what may be necessary to properly handle the burial.

• Five-Minute Break to Review Roadway Maps and Engineering Drawings
  Meeting participants had the opportunity to examine the large-scale engineering maps posted in the cafeteria and to ask Mr. David Bills, the project engineer, questions about the proposed new roadways.

• Discussion - Prioritization of New Roads and Review Construction Costs
  Mr. Bills discussed the new roadway segments in further detail and answered questions from the meeting participants.

Paakea Road Extension (Lualualei/Maili Subdistrict)
Those in attendance expressed a consensus that this new roadway segment should remain as part of the Emergency Access Road project and that the new roadway should be permanently open. Mr. Bills stated that the use of this segment using Paakea Road was ok with the Navy.

Kaulawaha Road Extension (Makaha/Waianae Subdistrict)
Those in attendance expressed a consensus that this new roadway segment is a high priority to be constructed. However, a consensus was not reached on whether the new roadway should be permanently open, or if it should be gated and only used during emergency events.

A meeting participant commented that the Kaulawaha extension roadway should not be permanently open because there has been a problem with illegal dumping in the area in the past. It was felt that this section will not be monitored so dumping could become a problem again.

A member of the Makaha Neighborhood Board acknowledged that there is a dumping problem, but it is a problem along the whole Waianae coast. If the Kaulawaha roadway is open permanently, there may be more people driving and using the road, which could deter people from dumping.

A resident of Nanakuli Homesteads commented that the biggest problem is at the Nanakuli entrance to Lualualei. The freeway plan from Barber’s Point to Lualualei is needed to relieve traffic congestion. Federal money should be used for the freeway.

A Kamaile resident commented against keeping the Kaulawaha Road extension permanently open.

A member of the Makaha Ahupuaa Association commented that she favors the Kaulawaha Road being permanently open. She said that the Neighborhood Board also favored this.

Question: Why do we need Mahinaau Road in the route?
Mr. Bills responded that it is proposed as an alternate alignment only if the Kaulawaha Road extension is not feasible.

Question: If we do not need Mahinaau Road, can we use that money to build a connector between Helelua Street and Haleakala Avenue in Nanakuli?
Mr. Bills responded that previous discussions indicated that we should not look at that area because of disruptions to the church.

A resident commented that she does not support the use of Kaulawaha Road because the Kaonohi, Hee and Florence families will be impacted.

A Makaha resident commented that he supports the Freeway concept, but understands that this WCEAR project is better than nothing.

A Mahinaau Road resident commented that he supports the use of Kaulawaha Road for emergency access use only, but not as a permanently open road.

A comment was made that the Kaulawaha Road extension should be permanently open so the children can get to school (Kamaile Elementary School) without going onto Farrington Highway.

A comment was made that the roads were only supposed to be used in emergencies. "Permanent roads" are not what the community agreed to.

Question: The Mailiilii Road - Lualualei Homestead Road intersection is dangerous because of a sharp turn. Can we use Puhawai Road instead?
Mr. Bills responded that the roads will meet safety standards.

A comment was made that the community has not participated in the Environmental Assessment process.

Note: There are still issues that were not resolved during the meeting regarding the Kaulawaha Road extension segment. Those issues are whether the new roadway should be a permanently open road or only open during emergency use. Also, residents along Mahinaau Road and Maiuu Road expressed reservations to use of those streets as an alternative alignment to the Kaulawaha Road extension.

New Roadways to be Constructed: Laumania Avenue to Nanakuli Avenue Makai of Farrington Highway, and Helelua Place to Lualualei Naval Road (Nanakuli Subdistrict)
Mr. Bills explained that the new roadway in Nanakuli makai of Farrington Highway between Laumani Avenue and Nanakuli Avenue is within the Special Management Area (SMA) and will need an SMA permit. This permit means that it will take longer before construction can start on this segment. The new mauka roadway, that would connect Helelua Place with Lualualei Naval Road, goes through three separate privately owned properties, so negotiations with these landowners will also take some time.

Question: A Nanakuli resident commented that there are a lot of accidents on Farrington Highway near Helelua Street so this proposal does not work (to have no emergency access route for the 600 linear feet between Haleakala Avenue and Helelua Street). What about a roadway makai of Farrington Highway? Mr. Bills responded that the alignment was looked at earlier, but it has since been determined to be unfeasible because the Ulehawa Beach Park rock wall and numerous trees would need to be relocated further makai.

Mr. Gabe Kilakalua of Civil Defense commented that the existing roadway makai of Farrington Highway was closed due to liability issues. He urged that we must make sure that we consider buses and emergency vehicles when we determine the routes.

A comment was made that the real problem is by "Black Rock". We need another route from Honokai Hale.

A comment was made that the priorities for constructing new roadways should start on the Nanakuli end and move towards Makaha because everyone on the Waianae Coast needs to go through Nanakuli to get to Central Oahu.

A comment expressed concerns about the potential impacts to Pohakunui Avenue. We need to find a mauka alignment.

Question: What are we going to do about the 600-foot section between Haleakala Avenue and Helelua Street where there’s no bypass around Farrington Highway?
Mr. Bills responded that we are limited by the options we are allowed to look at by the community. At this time, we have no options for this section.

A comment was made that construction of new roadways should start in Nanakuli with the easternmost segment and move west to Makaha.

A comment was made that the soil near the landfill should be studied because the landfill accepts asbestos and commercial toxins.

• Second Access Highway through the Waianae Range
  Mr. Bills discussed the preliminary feasibility studies for the proposed Second Access Highway through the Waianae Mountain Range to Kunia Road. The alignment studies ran from Lualualei Valley to a one-mile tunnel through the Waianae Mountain Range, then along a plantation road to Kunia Road. The Second Access Highway is currently proposed to be designed to only provide emergency access and not to accommodate additional travel to or from the Waianae Coast. Therefore, the roadway would only be 44-feet wide with 24-feet of pavement and a speed limit of 35 miles per hour. Estimated costs for construction of a highway of that design is approximately $200 - $250 million. Additional studies will be required, such as tunnel safety, archaeology, etc., if the project is to move forward.

Question: What is the time frame for this highway to be built?
Mr. Bills responded that it would take between 8 to 10 years for this to be completed.

Question: Does this affect the Emergency Access Road project?
Mr. Bills responded - No - they are two separate projects.

A Nanakuli resident commented that we need both a "quick fix" and a long-term solution. The Second Access Highway is a good idea for the long term, but we also need something now.

A comment was made that we need another access road.

Another resident commented that we need an "H4" directly into town with capacity enough to handle future traffic needs. A road over the mountains will still take a long time to get to H1 and H2.

A resident commented that the timeline for the Second Access Highway is not acceptable. That means that the Emergency Access Road (WCEAR) project is expected to serve for 8 to 10 years. We should implement the WCEAR now, but also convey to their representatives that it is only temporary and that the Second Access Highway is a priority and that we should find a permanent solution in 4 to 6 years.

A comment was made that the Emergency Access Roads are only "band aids". We need to support mass-transit systems to relieve traffic congestion.

A resident commented that there is no operational plan for the WCEAR. It took the Board of Water Supply 8 hours to traffic cone an area where there was a water main break.
Mr. Bills responded that the WCEAR does have an operational plan component. The plan is being worked out together with Civil Defense, the Fire Department, the Police Department and the Emergency Services Department.

A comment was made that we should not rush the Second Access Highway. There are many issues and studies that need to be done for Pohakea Pass.

• Closing
  Ms. Soon thanked the community for participating in the meeting. She explained that the next General Community Meeting will probably be scheduled in either December or January, after the environmental process is completed.

Post-Meeting Comments made to Sherri Hiraoka and Mary O’Leary of Townscape, Inc.

We should concentrate on the fastest solution and then concentrate on the permanent Second Access Highway.

The WCEAR should be open only in emergencies because many people are opposed to it being permanent and when it would be needed (during an emergency) it doesn’t matter whether it’s always open or not.

A Makaha resident noted that if the new Kaulawaha Road extension is open permanently, it would allow traffic to bypass Waianae High School, Waianae Intermediate, and Kamaile Elementary School - improving safety during school hours - especially during opening and closing hours for the schools.

Nanakuli resident:

• Concerned about the Railroad right-of-way makai of Farrington Highway.
  
• Will any homesteaders in Nanaikapono Subdivision lose property?
  
• Intersection of Farrington Highway and Nanakuli Avenue is the site of water main breaks, hostage standoff, burning gas truck, accidents.
  
• Need to find a connection between Mano Avenue/Haleakala Avenue and Helelua Street because when there are high waves, the roadway is filled with sand and Farrington Highway is impassable between Haleakala Avenue and Helelua Street.
  
• The whole route will be useless because a portion of the Nanakuli section will be exposed to high waves.

The Pakeke Street connector to Hakimo Road is redundant because the Paakea Road extension will work for that subdistrict. Why not take the money for Pakeke Street connector and use it on the other segments?

Why aren’t we looking at using Kolekole Pass? The military has let us use it before. Why do we have to build a new Second Access Highway?

Back to the Top

This memo generally summarizes the WCEAR General Community Meeting No.4, held Wednesday, February 13th at 7:00 pm at the Nanakuli High School Cafeteria. Approximately 90 people attended the meeting.

• Greeting/Opening - Cheryl Soon, Director- Department of Transportation Services

Herb Hewitt opened the meeting with a blessing. Ms. Soon then welcomed the attendees and provided an overview of the City’s commitment to this project and an outline of the meeting’s agenda.

• Review of Preferred WCEAR Alignment Segments- David Bills, Gray Hong Bills Nojima & Associates.

Mr. Bills presented an overview of the various alignment segments in Nanakuli, Lualualei/Maili, Waianae and Makaha. The alignments have not changed since the last community meeting in September 2001. Handouts were distributed with maps of the alignments.

• Operational Plan - David Bills

Mr. Bills outlined the Operational Plan for the WCEAR route, which is an ongoing, coordinated effort between the Department of Transportation Services, the Police Department, the Fire Department, the Board of Water Supply, the Emergency Services Department, and the Department of Civil Defense. The Operational Plan identifies the preferred routing of traffic under different emergency scenarios when Farrington Highway is inaccessible and the WCEAR is activated. Responsible agencies are also identified in an attempt to speed up assessment of emergency situations and activation of the WCEAR when necessary.

• Overview of Environmental Assessment Process- Bruce Tsuchida and Sherri Hiraoka, Townscape, Inc.

Mr. Tsuchida outlined the environmental review process. A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared and has been out for public comment since January 8. The Draft EA reports on the potential environmental effects of the project and is required by the State. Copies of the Draft EA may be found at the State, City, and Waianae Public Libraries, the Waianae Neighborhood Board #24 and the Waianae Vision Team #16. Comments should be written and mailed to Townscape, Inc. at 900 Fort Street Mall, Suite 1160, Honolulu, HI 96813. The deadline for comment is February 22, 2002. Once all comments have been received, responses will be made to all who commented and all comments and responses will be included in the Final EA document. Additionally, comments will be incorporated into the Final EA text where applicable.

The Environmental Assessment includes discussion of impacts on air quality, archaeological, cultural and historic sites, climate and geography, cultural resources, fauna, flora, land uses and ownership, natural hazards, noise, public services, socio-economic characteristics, soils and topography, surface water and drainage, traffic conditions, utilities and infrastructure. The assessment found that there should not be significant adverse impacts to most of these areas. However, there is the potential for some impact:

The OR&L Railroad is considered a historic site and is on the National Register if Historic Places. Potential impacts were identifies due to the WCEAR’s close proximity to the railroad right-of-way (ROW). However, the WCEAR alignment is positioned outside of the OR&L ROW and construction will be coordinated so as to cause minimal impact on the railroad.

Sinkholes were found near the project area. Sinkholes potentially contain archaeological items associated with agricultural plots and shelters. The sinkholes found did not contain such items and were located outside of the project boundaries. If additional sinkholes are found, they will be assessed for significance.

Archaeological sites were found in a portion of the WCEAR project. The Department of Land and Natural Resources State Historic Preservation Division is currently reviewing the findings and is making recommendations for treatment of these findings. The road alignment has also been moved makai to avoid the sites found.

The WCEAR project will require the City to acquire land in order to construct the new roads. The city will either acquire portions of both publicly and privately-owned lots, or create easements to preserve ownership.

Three bridges will need to be constructed over Nanakuli Stream, Ulehawa Stream and Makaha Stream. Federal Flood Insurance Rate Flood Elevations and City and County Drainage Standards will be met and Army Corps of Engineer permits will be acquired if necessary.

There has been community opposition to the use of the existing Mahinaau Road in the WCEAR project due to concerns for the safety of children. The Kaulawaha Road connector is currently being pursued as the preferred alternative for this connection between the southern portion of Kaulawaha Road and Makaha Valley Road. However, because that area is known to contain archaeological sites, there is the potential for additional sites to be found. If more sites are found and every possible mitigation and/or realignment alternative is exhausted, the Mahinaau Road alternative will be reassessed for use in the WCEAR.

• Funding and Schedule - Cheryl Soon.

Ms. Soon reported that funding for the project will be supplied entirely by the City. Approximately $5 million has already been budgeted by the Mayor and the City Council and should be enough to fund the first four segments of the project. Once the Final EA is complete, final design will occur and the project will be put out to bid. Construction could begin as early as September.

• Question, Answer and Comment Session

How long will it take to construct the entire project?
Once construction begins, the entire project may be completed in two years.

Will Mahinaau Road be used?
The existing Mahinaau Road will only be used if every possible effort to use the preferred Kaulawaha Road alignment is exhausted.

What about the Haleakala Avenue to Helelua Avenue segment of Farrington Highway?
This segment has no alternative to Farrington Highway. Various options were investigated during the planning stages and all were eliminated due to various community objections. It was felt that this short segment of road should not prevent the rest of the project from proceeding. If an emergency situation does close this section of Highway, it is much easier to clear this small section, as opposed to all of Farrington Highway.

Why not use the mauka side of Farrington Highway in Nanakuli?
Mauka options were investigated previously but were rejected by the community for various reasons.

What about maintenance of the roads?
The City will be responsible for maintenance of the new WCEAR road segments.

Suggestion: Farrington Highway should be “double-decked” to increase capacity, maintain permanent accessibility, and reduce costs due to purchase of property.

Will the roads accept buses?
Yes. One of the criteria for roadway design was to be able to accommodate City buses.

Pohakunui Avenue is too narrow for emergency use.
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is planning to upgrade Pohakunui Avenue to include widening and installing curbs, gutters and sidewalks. These improvements meet WCEAR standards.

Will Paakea Road and other links be improved?
No existing roads will be improved, unless Mahinaau Road is used. Paakea Road currently accommodates City buses and therefore meets the standards for the WCEAR project.

Can the Police start putting up routing signs now to direct drivers around disruptions on Farrington Highway?
This will be discussed at Operational Plan meetings. There does not seem to be a reason why this cannot be done.

Suggestion: Nanakuli Homesteads could open community gates during emergencies to allow for bypass of Farrington Highway just like observed on Maui. This would be helpful during times when sand, high waves and water main breaks shut down the highway.

Comment: Thank you for your efforts, but this project is really just a “band-aid.” We need traffic relief and additional solutions to our problems.

Suggestion: Speed bumps on Pohakunui Avenue..

Will Pohakunui Avenue be chained off??
The extension of Pohakunui Avenue from the pedestrian bridge to Nanakuli Avenue will be chained off until the WCEAR is activated and the road is necessary to bypass Farrington Highway.

Mahinaau Road should not be permanently open.
The EA text will be amended to reflect that the status of the road has not yet been determined.

We need a second Access Road!.
The City has found that a second access road through Pohakea Pass is feasible from an engineering standpoint. Further feasibility studies are needed to determine if there are other issues, such as archaeological sites, that will make this road infeasible. The estimated cost for construction is $210 million. While it is still a lot of money, it is much less than other estimates of approximately $500 million for other alignments over the mountain range. The City will move forward with the next feasibility studies.

Comment: There will be a lot of construction beginning soon in Nanakuli for various projects, some of which could last from two to four years. Please be patient so we can all get through this..

• Closing

Ms. Soon thanked the community for participating in the meeting and in the process, which has been ongoing for several years. The community’s effort is appreciated and the City hopes to move forward and complete this project as soon as possible..

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