Posted on: Wednesday, September 8, 2004

In Kailua, city will try calming residents before cars

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

KAILUA — Amid continuing debate over a Wana'ao Road traffic-calming project, the city has called for a delay in the work to give residents a chance to cool off and agree on a solution to reduce speeding and reckless driving on that street.

"It is clear that there is substantial polarization in the community," Cheryl Soon, director of the city Department of Transportation Services, wrote to the Kailua Neighborhood Board recently.

Soon requested that a representative group of 10 to 15 opponents of the project meet with proponents in a series of mediation sessions facilitated by the Mediation Center of the Pacific. She suggested a two-month cooling-off period and that mediation start in October. The city would pay for the process up to $500, Soon said.

"Whether the problem is resolved with the project as it is now designed, or with some other approach, improved safety clearly needs to be addressed," she said.

Soon said the city has received two petitions, one supporting and one opposing the project, and numerous e-mails in response to anonymous leaflet campaigns against the work.

The $217,000 project from Keolu Drive to the bridge at Papalani Street has been six years in the planning and includes concrete islands and curbs that protrude into the road. A contract has been awarded but a start date has not been scheduled.

More than 5,000 cars use the road daily in each direction, Soon said. On July 19 police established random speed checks and said the average speed was 32 mph and that 15 percent of drivers are traveling at 10 miles or more over the 25-mph speed limit.

The Kailua Neighborhood Board discussed the issue and wanted to clarify its role in the mediation process, said Kathy Bryant-Hunter, Kailua board chairwoman. For now, two board members will sit in on the meeting as observers.

"It's probably not a bad idea to at least come up with a process to listen to both sides and see if there is a resolution because everyone is polarized." Bryant-Hunter said, adding that the city believes that the safety issue is significant.

Barry Wong, a Kailua Neighborhood Board member, said people who oppose the project are willing to sit down to talk but many still feel the project is unnecessary.

"We're adamant in saying it's not needed and they're just as adamant it is needed, so we're not sure where a compromise may be coming out," Wong said.

Charles Prentiss, who has championed the project for six years, said he's not sure the opposing side will be able to come up with people to attend the meetings and if they do they won't be looking for a compromise.

"They just want to kill the whole thing," Prentiss said. Nevertheless Prentiss said he would be willing to meet. "The procedure has merit," he said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.