Sinkhole repairs slow business in Kailua

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KAILUA — Business has been off 60 percent at Bueno Nalo restaurant since emergency repairs began two weeks ago on a sinkhole on Kainehe Street. But it's upcoming work that has owner Andy Doka even more worried.

Emergency repairs on a sinkhole on Kainehe Street, along with upcoming sewer work, has got some Kailua retailers, such as Buena Nalo, worried about a loss of business Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Doka said he envisions the same kind of traffic problems and revenue loss during the sewer project that he's experienced during this sinkhole problem.

"It like a precursor to the (sewer) project," he said. "That's going to totally hurt my business."

City spokeswoman Carol Costa said the project's contractor, Frank Coluccio Construction Co., has communicated with businesses and is making every effort to minimize the impact on sales for the upcoming and necessary repair work.

Traffic to Doka's Mexican diner has been limited to one lane while city workers conducted tests, applied a temporary patch and decided how to fix the sinkhole. When people see the signs, cones, police officers and backed-up traffic, they go elsewhere, Doka said.

"It's killing me right now," he said. "It's crazy that it should take so long to correct something."

The city has determined that the problem is caused by ground water, said Costa. A crew dug up the road yesterday to determine the best solution for the problem.

Costa said the contractor could have spent the weekend fixing the problem, but decided to wait until yesterday when the restaurant was closed.

The repair work should be completed by tomorrow, she said.

The depression, about three feet across, has been filled and covered with a metal plate. Police are on duty as a precaution, said Officer Paul Valentine. The officers have an emergency number to call in case the situation worsens.

Damian Paul, owner of The Source Natural Foods nearby, said the problem has not affected him.

But KFC-Hawai'i Restaurant shift manager Jennifer Alokoa and Craig McGlinn, owner of First Stop for Music, said business has been down since the traffic controls went up.

"It was a drastic downturn that day," McGlinn said yesterday. "Cars are avoiding this area. There's been zero customers so far today."

Doka said the problem brings back memories of a sinkhole that similarly affected businesses on Hamakua Drive in 1998.

Merchants suffered for six months while that sinkhole was repaired. Zia's Caffe was even forced to lay off some employees.

Costa said she is confident that Coluccio Construction will do a good job. The company won a national award for a similar sewer project on Nimitz Highway, completing it on time and under budget, she said.

Coluccio has met with Kailua merchants and explained what will happen during the sewer work, including traffic patterns and hours of construction, she said.

"There's no plan to close the road and police will be on the scene to redirect traffic," Costa said.

A public meeting about the project is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at Keolu Elementary School.

For more information e-mail URS, the project manager, at construction@Kainehe-Hamakua-KeoluSewer.com.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.