Beretania night work opposed
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By James Gonser
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer
The city plans to repave Beretania Street through downtown Honolulu and is asking the state for a noise variance to work nights, holidays and weekends to speed up construction and minimize traffic disruptions during the nine-month project.
• Who: City Department of Design and Construction • What: Public meeting to discuss a noise variance request to work nights, weekends and holidays on the Beretania Street repaving project. • When: 6 p.m. today • Where: The YWCA on Richards Street, Room 130.
However, night work would pose a problem for the estimated 6,000 people who live along Beretania, with some saying it could cause major disruptions to their lives.
Public meeting
Lynne Matusow, chairwoman of the Downtown Neighborhood Board and a resident along the route, said several major residential high-rise buildings line the construction route, including Kukui Plaza, Honolulu Park Place, Honolulu Tower and Century Square. Many of the apartments are not air-conditioned, so people sleep with their windows open at night.
"More than 6,000 residents live along the route in high-rise building where the noise rises," Matusow said. "The city should look at an alternate means whereby the construction by the residential buildings — which is from Fort Street Mall to River Street — does not take place at night and weekends."
The city Department of Design and Construction will hold an informational meeting on the project at 6 p.m. today at the YWCA on Richards Street.
Daryn Yamada, with the Health Department's noise branch, said a decision will be made on granting the variance after the city submits a report following the public meeting.
"A lot of times we end up restricting their activities," Yamada said. "Even though they want to work all night, if they are near residents we normally don't allow it."
The city wants to repave Beretania Street from the tip of 'A'ala Park to Alapa'i Street during a nine-month period sometime between summer 2004 and summer 2005. The city is asking that work be allowed to take place from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday and anytime on Sundays and holidays to speed up construction.
The three-phase project also will include building new concrete bus pads, upgrades to the drainage system, traffic signal system work, and new sidewalks and curb ramps. Some bus stops will need to be moved during construction.
Eighty percent of the $7 million project will be paid for with federal money and the rest with city capital improvement project money.
