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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, August 10, 2005

State, city agree on plan to clear Waikane stream

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer

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WAIKANE — A state agency has agreed to split with the city the cost of clearing a Waikane Valley stream in an attempt to prevent flooding on Kamehameha Highway during heavy rains.

Stephanie Aveiro, executive director for the Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawai'i, said her agency would be willing to share the cost of removing 150 feet of dense mangrove from the unnamed stream south of Waikane Valley Road.

"We have had discussions with the city and we are committed to pay 50 percent of the expenses to clean the no-name stream," Aveiro said this week. The city and HCDCH split ownership of the stream right down its middle.

The area has had a history of flooding, often closing the roads for hours at a time. Residents in the community say poor maintenance of the streams allows branches and debris to clog the flow of water that then overflows the banks and runs on to the highway.

The nameless stream and Waikane Stream flow down to the highway, connect on the makai side of the highway and flow out to the ocean. High tides add to the problem.

The city has budgeted $250,000 for the project and gained the cooperation of the state Department of Transportation, which is responsible for the maintenance of a 40-foot-wide right-of-way from the center of the road and under the bridge that crosses the nameless stream. The DOT, which conducts regular cleanup of its rights-of-way, had agreed to clean its easement and under the bridge at the same time the city does its work to increase the effectiveness of the project.

The city Department of Parks and Recreation also will contribute to the project by building a berm along a bend in the Waikane River to keep water in the channel and by removing an illegal footbridge on the Waikane Stream that traps debris.

The city had wanted HCDCH to clear its half of the stream, but the agency had said it didn't have money budgeted for the project.

Last week, during a hearing on a resolution urging HCDCH to clean and clear streams and watersheds in Waiahole/Waikane area, Aveiro said the agency, which manages land in the valleys, would cooperate with the city.

Aveiro said the city will arrange for a contractor to complete the work.

City Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz, 2nd (Wahiawa, North Shore, 'Ahuimanu), said the project had become a priority for his district because when the roads flood, they are closed to all traffic, including fire, police and ambulances.

"Kamehameha Highway is the lifeline of the Windward coast," Dela Cruz said. "Without Kamehameha Highway, you can't get in and out of your community. You're stuck, and that means going to work, going to school and going to the doctor. That's why this is not something we can put on the back burner."

The city will be responsible for hiring a contractor and if possible avoiding creating an intergovernmental agreement that would add months to the process, he said, adding that everyone hopes to finish the project before the next rainy season.