Ewa community members Frank Doran, state Rep. Romy Mindo and William Fernandez attempted to measure the height of a wall along Papipi Road yesterday.
Ewa Beach residents
criticize huge wallThe barrier, designed to divert
rainwater, raises concerns about
safety and aesthetics
More than 70 Ewa Beach residents gathered last night to object to a concrete wall on Papipi Road that they say blocks their ocean and mountain views and puts their homes in danger of flooding.
Construction on the wall, which separates two developments and is as high as 18 feet in places, was halted last month after Ewa Beach resident Craig Smallwood filed a lawsuit to keep the city from approving a permit for it. A temporary injunction was issued in Circuit Court, and a decision on whether that order will be extended could come as early as June 29.
The wall, being built by Haseko Inc. as part of a new upscale development in the neighborhood, was aimed at stopping rainwater from draining into lower-lying communities, said the company's spokeswoman Sharene Tam. But residents have said the wall will divert water into their yards and homes.
"The problem is it's a wall," said Sai Taqovailoa-Amosa, who suggested that the wall be shortened, "just to blend in with the community."
Tam said Haseko discussed the wall project at a city-sponsored public meeting last year and two neighborhood board meetings in 2002 and 2003.
But at an Ewa Neighborhood Board meeting last night, Smallwood said the community was not given enough notice about Haseko's plans to build the wall along the edge of its Ocean Pointe housing project. And board Chairwoman Tesha Malama said no specifics were given on how high the wall would be or for how long it would extend.
"I would like to know why this was not brought to the public before the wall was built," said Ewa Beach resident Jeanette Larson, who lives near Papipi Road and drives by the wall on the way to work in the morning. "It's just an eyesore. It blocks the view of the mountain."
She also said the wall could be a potential hazard for children in the area, because "you know they're going to climb it."
Alice Aiu, a Papipi Road resident, said the wall has diminished her view of the mountains.
"I'd like to see the wall redesigned so that it's lower, so that we can see the horizon again," she said. "The wall will be permanent for all the residents, so cost cannot be an issue."
Some residents came out in defense of the wall, which divides an older development and a new one.
"I think Haseko has helped the community so much," said Leroy Pena, an Ocean Pointe contractor who lives in Ewa Beach. "I think we're stabbing them in the back."
Rep. Romy Mindo (D, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) said the wall had no permit and might have been cited by the city before the lawsuit was filed. Tam declined to say last night whether any permits were issued for the wall.
Malama said a city Department of Planning and Permitting official decided not to attend the meeting because of the lawsuit.
When one woman asked if the developer was going to "do something on the wall," Tam answered, "That is the intent."
