Posted on: Thursday, August 26, 2004

BUREAUCRACY BUSTER

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. The lack of sidewalks has made Judd Street a very dangerous street for pedestrians. It's a busy street with three preschools, three churches and a Buddhist temple, bus riders, cemetery visitors, joggers and walkers. What can be done?

A. City spokeswoman Carol Costa said you and other members of your community can request sidewalks, but the process takes a long time.

In 2002, then-City Councilwoman Jon Yoshimura requested a sidewalk on Judd Street (Lanakila to Nu'uanu avenues), Costa said. The city Department of Design and Construction told him he could begin a lengthy government process to create an "improvement district" to propose the construction of sidewalks.

For that to happen, residents need to work with their City Council member, who would propose such a district. The city and land-owners would share the cost of the sidewalks, Costa said. She said 60 percent of the landowners need to agree to start the process, and it's no quick fix. "It does take many years to go down this road," she said.

Q. Our Kane'ohe condominium has a problem with the Reynolds Recycling outlet in the back of Kane'ohe Bay Shopping Center. The big shipping container was pointed toward the street in the past, but has been shifted so that it points more toward our complex, and we are bothered by the noise of metal clanking during the day. What can be done?

A. Reynolds Recycling president Terry Telfer said he had not heard any complaints about noise there until you wrote. He has asked that the container be shifted back to the previous angle to ease the problem.

Q. Does your answer about big naked tires being illegal apply to Kaua'i? We have a lot of trucks with big tires and trucks lifted without mud guards or anything preventing the tires from throwing rocks/ pebbles.

A. Lt. Scott Yagihara of the Kaua'i Police Department said Kaua'i does have an ordinance "that basically says that no person shall operate on any highway any motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer unless equipped with fenders, covers, flares, mudflaps or splash aprons or unless the body of the vehicle covers the width of the tire tread for adequate protection to effectively protect against spray or splash of water, mud, rocks or other debris that could be propelled by the tires."

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