GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM
Hawaii Kai residents Ruth Carroll, 2-year-old Evan and dad Jeff made the best of things yesterday, carrying on with a quasi-home life while staying in a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Tower. The Carrolls moved from their Hawaii Kai condominium following concerns over falling boulders.
It's nice but it's not Jeff Carroll never expected his family to be living out of a hotel room during the holidays.
nearly home
Condo danger puts families between
a rock and a hotel placeBy Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.comBut his choices are limited after being advised to evacuate his Hawaii Kai condominium because of the threat of falling boulders.
"It feels like the worst time to happen," he said.
"It's wrecking the 'home for the holidays' that is really important for families to have. We take those things for granted."
Carroll, an English professor at the University of Hawaii, wife Ruth and their 23-month-old son, Evan, live in a two-bedroom, two-bath unit at Lalea on Hawaii Kai Drive.
It is the first home he and his wife have owned.
On Friday, developer Castle & Cooke Hawaii, along with Kamehameha Schools, advised the occupants of 26 units in buildings 7130 and 7168 to evacuate immediately because of the danger of huge boulders crashing into their homes.
Lalea sits at the a base of ridge where at least one boulder fell Thanksgiving Day, damaging cars. Kamehameha Schools owns the ridge.
"We were just about to get our Christmas tree when we started to talk to Castle & Cooke," said Carroll, who spent his second night at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Castle & Cooke and Kamehameha Schools are picking up the tab for the hotel rooms.
Currently, residents of 16 units are staying at the Hilton, while more Lalea residents plan to arrive later in the week.
"They have absolutely no idea when we'll be able to move back," said Carroll, who suspects boulder work will not begin until after the holiday season.
"That kind of work will wait until after New Year's to get started," he said.
Meanwhile, Carroll said he plans to drive to his Lalea condominium twice a week to wash clothes and pick up the mail.
"We're gonna have to find time to go out to Lalea and do the laundry. ... It kinda squeezes out time to do that."
Carroll said even though they are not living in their home, they are paying the monthly electricity, cable and mortgage bills.
"We're still out there in a lot of ways, but we can't be there," he said.
Castle & Cooke Hawaii and Kamehameha Schools officials plan to meet this morning to evaluate the current accommodation plan for the residents, according to communications consultant Doug Carlson.
Carlson said officials plan to provide as much as possible for Carroll and other Lalea residents so they can "enjoy the environment and holiday season."
Moreover, a task force will look at other accommodations for long-term residency such as condominiums, apartments and single-family homes in East Honolulu to provide a better lifestyle for residents, especially those with children, Carlson said.
The Carrolls' room in the Hilton's Tapa Tower has a small refrigerator, but they were hoping to have a room with a kitchen.
Carroll speculated rooms with kitchens were already taken due to the high number of Honolulu Marathon participants who stayed at various Waikiki hotels over the weekend.
Hilton Hawaiian Village employees provided a crib for the Carrolls' son, and Castle & Cooke and Kamehameha are providing $50 meal allowances for each resident, but meals at the hotel can be costly, Carroll said.
"A bowl of oatmeal is $5," Carroll said. "It adds up."
On Saturday the couple packed three suitcases of clothes, toys for their son and some snacks. Carroll also brought his own coffee to brew at the hotel room.
Kamehameha Schools
Castle & Cooke Hawaii
