By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. My neighbor fails to care for his yard. There are piles of compost, rotten fruit, boxes of cans, etc., where rodents, toads and cockroaches breed. We offered to help clean his yard, with negative results. His trees and plants grow over and against the fence, which has been damaged. The rodents, bugs and toads are traveling into all of our yards and homes. What can we do without creating a feud?

A. Such a yard may constitute a "hazardous or unsanitary premise" as defined by the city Housing Code, according to city spokeswoman Carol Costa. Such complaints are handled by the Department of Planning and Permitting's Residential Code Enforcement Branch. Call 527-6308.

"Upon receiving a request for investigation, a DPP housing inspector will visit the offending property," Costa said. "If the complaint is justified, the inspector will issue a Notice of Violation to the property owner." The property owner must cut the overgrowth and remove debris within 30 days. Failure to do so, unless there is some justification, could lead to fines by the DPP's Code Compliance Branch. Civil fines could run as high as $50 a day.

Q. What do the traffic rules say about situations where there are two or more right-turn lanes emerging from the side into a signaled intersection? Most such intersections include a sign stating "right turn on red permitted after stop from right lane only." The makai-bound lanes on Pi'ikoi Street at Ala Moana Boulevard are one example. It seems to me that of the two lanes turning right, the left lane has a better view of the traffic. What is the reasoning for this?

A. Unless there are signs at a specific intersection directing otherwise, the only lane where you can stop and make a right turn from is the lane closest to the right curb, according Capt. Jose Gaytan of the Honolulu Police Department Traffic Division.

Scott Ishikawa, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the rationale is that the driver in the far right lane of Pi'ikoi need only look out for traffic in the right lane of Ala Moana. The driver in the other right-turn lane would have to cross several lanes of 'ewa-bound traffic on Ala Moana, creating a dangerous situation, Ishikawa said.

Your question has prompted DOT engineers to look into the possibility of staggering the stop lines for the two right-turn lanes on Pi'ikoi to improve sight distance. A decision to do so would depend on the geometrics of the intersection.

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