Posted on: Friday, February 1,2002
Navy frustrated by pace of Kalaeloa road transfers
By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer
KALAELOA — The Navy has become frustrated with delays in the transfer of ownership of Barbers Point Naval Air Station roads to the city and state, to the point that one official has suggested closing the arteries to most of the general public if the matter is not resolved soon.
An official from the Barbers Point Naval Air Station Redevelopment Commission is scheduled to meet with state and city transportation officials today on the issue.
Each day, Kalaeloa's roads provide hundreds of 'Ewa and 'Ewa Beach residents a backdoor commuting option to avoid horrendous rush-hour traffic along Fort Weaver Road on the way to the H-1 Freeway, and the partial closure of the former naval base would have serious impact.
Maeda Timson, a member of the Barbers Point commission and Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board, said the Kalaeloa route is important to area residents, particularly since construction on the state's North-South Road to provide a secondary 'Ewa route to the H-1 will not begin until 2004.
"The shortcut also provides a lot of customers to the Kapolei businesses as well," Timson said.
At last week's Barbers Point Commission hearing, Navy officials hinted they don't know how much longer they can retain ownership of the former base's 15 roads because of liability concerns.
The Navy turned over much of the former naval base to the state and city in July 1999. A Navy license issued to the Barbers Point commission in 1999 allows public use of the roads.
U.S. Navy base conversion manager Randy Hoffman said at the Jan. 24 meeting that if the delays continue, the Navy may consider restricting use of the roads to those needing to access certain Kalaeloa facilities.
They include some Navy offices and commissaries, Barbers Point Elementary School, Kalaeloa Airport and the state's Onemalu homeless shelter.
According to a memorandum of agreement signed by all parties last year, the state has agreed to improve four major roads at Kalaeloa — Enterprise and Roosevelt avenues, Coral Sea and West Perimeter roads — and transfer them to the city within 10 years. The city would take over the 11 feeder roads.
Navy spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Jane Campbell said the Navy has become increasingly worried over the roads' heavy usage since the base closure.
"We're concerned over the delays in the agreement (with the commission) to maintain the roads and enforce traffic there," Campbell said.
Barbers Point commission executive director Bill Bass said he plans to meet today with state and city transportation officials in hopes of speeding up the process. State officials could not be reached for comment.
"We like to keep this thing moving," Bass said about the road ownership transfer. "It's not fair for the Navy if it continues to drag out."
City managing director Ben Lee said of today's meeting, "We would like to identify the sticking points today, but I don't see an overwhelming issue that can't be resolved."
Bass said one of the hurdles in the road changeover is the city doesn't want responsibility for certain easements. Cost may be another factor in the delay: It may take an estimated $48 million to upgrade all of Kalaeloa's roads to city standards, he said.
"I thought we were going to do the handover last month, but we got a letter from the city over the easement issue," Bass said. "The commission's worry is we don't have any resources to maintain the conditions of the roads, or even cut the grass."
