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Kokua Line
June Watanabe
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No limits on bulky trash per household
Question: A homeowner on Puloku Street in Waipahu recently put out his bulky trash, including a full-size drawer, sofa, two armchairs, bed frames and several smaller items, on the sidewalk in front of his house. By doing this, he forced pedestrians to walk on the street and created an eyesore. This is not the first time he's done this. Can anything be done to stop him from blocking the sidewalk with bulky trash? Also, isn't there a limit to the amount of bulky items that the city will pick up?
Answer: There are no limits as to the amount of bulky items each household can put out, but the items should not be blocking the sidewalk, said David Shiraishi, chief of the city Refuse Division.
Items can be placed in the planter strip, usually about 4 feet wide, between the sidewalk and street, or wide objects, such as mattresses, can be leaned against walls or fences, he said.
"Practically speaking, there are no limits per household," Shiraishi said. "However, we have declined to provide service when the large volumes of bulky items from a housing development or apartment complex to be demolished or renovated need to be hauled away."
Items blocking sidewalks can be reported to the city Department of Planning and Permitting (Housing Code Section, 768-8159).
Unfortunately, Shiraishi said, by the time the property owner is contacted to remove the items or pay the city to remove them, the bulky-item pickup crew likely already is making the rounds in the neighborhood.
To deal with chronic violators, the Refuse Division will contact the Honolulu Police Department, he said.
Q: I was biking home on the sidewalk on Pensacola Street when I saw bulky items as I passed Hoolai Street. Out of nowhere, a metal dowel jabbed into my lower abdomen, causing me to tumble toward a gravel parking lot. I was left with cuts, scrapes, bruises and a broken backpack strap. Why was there a metal dowel? Last I checked, bulky-item pickup was strictly for bulky items. Is there anything that can be done to at least notify the public to be more diligent as to what goes out to the curb?
A: We hope your experience helps to get the word out.
The city Refuse Division does have guidelines and restrictions on what can be placed out for bulky-item pickup, but there's no accounting for what passers-by and homeowners might carelessly toss into the curbside pile of trash.
"People do need to use common sense and care when placing items at the curb for pickup," said Suzanne Jones, speaking for the city Refuse Division. "Don't block sidewalks, driveways and roadways."
She also re-emphasized that items should not be placed out earlier than the evening prior to the scheduled collection day.
"Stuff accumulating at the curb over extended periods of time is both unsafe and unsightly," she said.
Call 692-5656 to find out the collection schedule for a neighborhood, or check www.opala.org.
Got a question or complaint? Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered. E-mail to
kokualine@starbulletin.com.
See also: Useful phone numbers