Rocks in field slow park project
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KAHALU'U — Rocks the size of baseballs litter the new playing fields at Kahalu'u Regional Park, prompting the city to halt some work until the problem is corrected and further delaying a project that is already six months behind schedule.
Advertiser library photo • Feb. 19, 2003
The situation has forced Little League and Pop Warner baseball and football teams to find other locations to play and practice this summer and threatens to push back the beginning of the second phase of the project — construction of a parking lot and comfort station — into the rainy season.
A chainlink fence has been built at Kahalu'u Regional Park, which is not yet open because of construction delays.
City officials last month told the contractor he could not proceed with grass planting until all rocks greater than one inch are removed to a depth of eight inches.
"It's clearly unacceptable," said Ben Lee, city managing director. And while these types of issues can be complicated, Lee said the problem shouldn't cost the city any more money to remedy.
Lee said either someone failed to do his job or the specifications were not clearly defined.
"It's either the contractor or the consultants or the construction manager not monitoring the job," he said, adding that the city will expect the responsible people to complete the project as agreed in the contract.
Project contractor Kivalu Ramanlal, owner and president of Preferred Constructors Inc., said he raised the rock problem before the project's beginning so the city and its consultants knew what to expect.
The soil, dredged material from the adjacent pond, was so bad that the geotechnical consultant had recommended the complete removal of the top six inches of soil and spreading six to 12 inches of topsoil over the fields, said Ramanlal by phone from Australia.
Ramanlal said his contract did not call for soil removal and the city told him to continue the work, which included removal of some of the rocks.
Advertiser library photo • March 23, 2002
"We followed the contract to a tee," he said, adding that he thought the problem arose because the city was trying to cut costs.
Ben Lee, city managing director, said the problem shouldn't cost the city any more money to remedy.
"The biggest problem with the city was they always tell us they don't have money to do it properly," Ramanlal said. "So in my mind, if they knew they didn't have the money to do this job properly they shouldn't have let the contract out to bid."
Lee said the city did try to cut costs on the $1.03 million project by using material that was on site. Nevertheless, the specifications still called for screening the top eight inches of soil and removing rocks larger than one inch, he said.
The project manager, KFC Engineering Management Inc., deferred to the city, and project designer R.M. Towill Corp. didn't return calls seeking comment.
John Reppun, a Kahalu'u Neighborhood Board member, said the community told the city and its consultants about the rock problem as the project was being planned.
"We asked, 'How are you going to deal with the rocks?' " Reppun said. "We kept getting assurance that they would and they haven't. And it's unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable."
Reppun pointed out that other parts of the park are being built according to the community's expectations.
With the rainy season approaching, Reppun said he fears all parties involved might decide to accept the fields as they are to avoid further delays. He said the people who will use the fields won't cave in.
"We're all resolved to see that the product is right before it's allowed to be accepted," Reppun said.
A delay in the field project could delay the start of the second phase until the rainy season, which could further delay the project, he said.
City Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz, 2nd (Wahiawa, North Shore, 'Ahuimanu), said the city is trying to figure out what went wrong. Dela Cruz said he hopes a fair solution can be worked out because a remedy to screen the entire fields has been estimated to cost more than $100,000.
"I would hate for the contractors to eat the cost if that wasn't their fault," he said, adding that he just wants the fields to be safe.
Lee said action to resolve the issue should begin today.
"By Friday the contractor should be making a major effort to clear it up, remove the rocks," he said. "If they don't, I will sit down with the three parties, the contractor, construction manager and the design consultant."
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
