Ewa residents Frank Doran, left, state Rep. Romy Mindo and William Fernandez on June 9 showed the wall on Papipi Road which is part of Haseko's Ocean Pointe development project.
Developer apologizes
for Ewa Beach wallA series of meetings begins in
an attempt to resolve the dispute
A top executive from developer Haseko Inc. apologized last night to Ewa Beach residents for erecting an 18-foot wall along Papipi Road without properly consulting the community.
"I have to admit we didn't pay attention to how you would feel about the wall," said Haseko Executive Vice President Tom Segawa, adding that residents were not able to comment on the wall's design before it went up. "Now we (have) learned how you feel about the wall."
Nearly 100 Ewa Beach residents packed into an Ewa Beach Elementary School hall for the first of three two-hour mediation meetings with Haseko aimed at working out a dispute about the wall.
The gathering was ordered by Circuit Judge Victoria Marks, who asked residents and Haseko last month to resolve the problem out of court. The two parties have until Aug. 11 to come to an agreement, when Marks is scheduled to make a decision on whether to approve a request for an order to temporarily block extension of the wall along Papipi Road.
Many Ewa Beach residents have come out against the wall, bringing up aesthetic, safety and drainage concerns. At yesterday's meeting, community members aired their concerns and looked to future meetings in hopes of finding a solution.
"We all know that we can't stop growth and progress from coming to Ewa Beach," said longtime Papipi Road resident Peggy Crowell. "(The wall) divides and separates us from our Ocean Pointe neighbors. Must I walk across the street and climb an 18-foot wall to meet my new neighbors?"
Celeste Lacuesta, also an Ewa Beach resident, said the wall was built without community involvement or notice.
"That wall came up so fast. To me, Haseko owes the whole community ... an apology for what they have done," she said after Segawa had already apologized.
Craig Smallwood, a 19-year resident of Papipi Road, filed a lawsuit in May to keep the city from approving a permit for the wall. He said he was optimistic last night that a solution to the dispute could be found.
"I'm hoping we can work this out," Smallwood told attendees. "I'm hoping that we can come to a solution that can put the project back on track."
Mediation meetings are also scheduled for Tuesday and July 26, said Berna Cabacungan, president of architectural firm Earthplan Inc.
During the next meeting, Haseko officials are expected to tell the community why they erected the wall and what alternatives could also fit the purpose.
