Posted on: Tuesday, December 10, 2002

EDITORIAL
Quick response to rockslide is impressive

At some point city planners and engineers will have to get to the bottom of how a Hawai'i Kai condominium complex got built in an area that turned out to be prone to dangerous rockslides.

In the meantime, however, both landowner Kamehameha Schools and developer Castle & Cooke deserve praise for the swift and proactive way they have dealt with the situation.

Homeowners have been offered temporary relocation at a Waikiki hotel at the expense of Kamehameha and Castle & Cooke. An expensive nationwide search is underway for engineers who have the expertise to stabilize the hillside.

This is a refreshing change from the finger-pointing and excuse making that too often seems to follow in the wake of these incidents.

Right now, the landowners and developers are focused on the proper thing: Getting the hillside shored up so it is safe and getting the owners back into their homes.