Posted on: Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Contractor leaving Kuli'ou'ou baseyard

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Bureau

The contractor who had turned an empty lot on quiet Summer Street into a construction yard is moving his equipment out amid complaints from neighbors.

Highway Construction Co. Ltd. should have the lot restored to its previous condition by the end of the week, said Randal Ching, company president.

This is the second time the contractor, who is working on the water main replacement project along Kalaniana'ole Highway, has had to find a new location. The first was at Maunalua Bay Beach Park near the bathhouse, but even before the company could begin using it, objections arose from the Hawai'i Kai Neighborhood Board. That's how the Summer Street location came to be used.

The company needs a place for its equipment while it lays pipe for the state's $6 million, two-year project to replace water mains on Kalaniana'ole Highway from 'Ainakoa Avenue to West Hind Drive.

The residents along the street had opposed the city's permit allowing the contractor to use the privately owned lot for a storage yard and asked that the equipment be removed from the community. The residents said they have been subjected to unacceptable levels of noise, dust and traffic.

"They're in the process of moving," said Edward Schell, of the Kuli'ou'ou/ Kalani Iki Neighborhood Board. "That is the result we wanted ... no machinery there and no more constant hassle."

The company moved into the property March 5 and the city's temporary use permit was issued May 23. On June 12, the city issued a notice of violation against the construction firm for not complying with certain permit conditions.

Until a new location can be found, the contractor is using its own base yard on Umi Street to store equipment and materials, Ching said.

"We are now taking the equipment back and forth," Ching said. "That is going to add expenses. The city is trying to work with us to help us find another location."