Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Just off Nimitz Highway, near Kalihi Stream, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources leases land to several companies. There are numerous stockpiles of dirt and other materials, as well as a great deal of truck/bus traffic. Sediment is washing off into the stream. On rainy days, trucks and buses track mud and debris onto the highway, creating a dangerous situation. I have made numerous calls to state agencies since January, including the Department of Transportation, DLNR and the governor's office, with no results. Can you help? Nimitz Highway debris
should soon be clearedSorry it's taken so long, but it took a while to get a response from DLNR, then to get the latest update.
The problem stemmed from the 30-day revocable permits that DLNR issued the tenants.
The city, for months, has been telling DLNR that tenants were illegally stockpiling sand, gravel and construction debris; storing school and tour buses; and storing and parking heavy construction equipment in a P-2, general preservation, district.
DLNR's explanation: "We issue permits with a requirement that they get county approval," said land administrator Dean Uchida.
No one checked to make sure everything was proper until someone complained to the city Department of Land Utilization last year. "We are not able to be monitoring various parcels of land all over the city, so we go out on a complaint basis," said DLU deputy director Lorrie Chee.
"DLNR, in my opinion, should not have issued the lease without checking with the city," she said.
As soon as it was notified, DLNR told the tenants "they were supposed to work something out with the county," Uchida said.
Last week, DLU asked the city Building Department to confirm there is a violation and issue notices of violation to the three remaining tenants, Chee said.
They are Jayar Construction, James Kunihiro and R.H.S. Lee Inc. The bus company, Trans Hawaiian, decided in January to move out, said Cecil Santos, DLNR's Oahu district land agent.
Only Lee has applied for a variance to continue operations.
But "my understanding is that we're in process of rejecting the application because an environmental assessment has not been done," Chee said.
DLNR planned to revoke the leases to Jayar and Kunihiro because they had not applied for variances and was awaiting word on Lee's application.
But both Kunihiro and Jayar president Rodney Nohara said they are moving out. Lee did not return calls.
Kunihiro, a small contractor, said he wasn't using the land anyway because of a lack of jobs and would be out by week's end. He said he was first notified of permit problems in January and at that time, was told just to wait.
Nohara said he's moving because it didn't look likely that he could get a variance.
When he got the lease in 1990, "We thought we could lease it for what we are doing now," he said. He said the city has been assessing him property taxes for industrial, not preservation, zoning.
According to DLNR files, "There has been this problem of tracking mud into Nimitz Highway for over six years" by "over 40 heavy trucks, semitrailer dump trucks and buses xxx at an entry point not authorized by the state Department of Transportation."
The DOT has "had a number of complaints," said spokeswoman Marilyn Kali.
But the department has been "trying to get (DLNR) to do something because it is their tenant" causing the problems.
Nohara said he has tried to be a good tenant, laying down gravel to minimize problems, and maintaining the property. The state and city also receive revenue for property that otherwise would go unused, he said.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com