It's been well over a year since I contacted our City Council representative to do something about the unsafe conditions on Kalaheo Avenue, since residents must now walk along long stretches of road to reach the closest public right of way. We were told that the area next to the street is the responsibility of the HOMEOWNER -- not the City or State.
Supposedly the City sent notices to those homeowners, informing them they were supposed to clear the pedestrian/biking paths of debris and dirt, or the City would do it and then send the property owners a bill for that service. But as you can see in the video I took with my new Flip camcorder ("shaky-cam") nothing has been done. There is now less than a foot of walking space in spots. Cars have to veer toward the middle of the road to avoid walkers and bikers.
This is an accident waiting to happen. One resident has already been "clipped" on his elbow by a car's mirror. Further down the same street, a woman on a bike got hit last year. Is the City waiting for someone to get killed before it fixes the problem?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Fourth of July Kailua Parade Is ON!
Christine Crosby has volunteered to coordinate a Beach Access entry in this year's Kailua parade. If you'd like to participate, please call her at 780-4555 or email her at: lanikai@gmail.com
Last year was a lot of fun, but I just don't have the time to put together a float and organize everything... so I'm really happy when people like Christine take up the cause and keep it going! I hope you will too, in whatever way you can.
BTW, kind of funny that one of the people trying to save the Kailua fireworks show happens to be the son of the people who put up the gate on L'Orange Place. They and others who live on "private" beachside lanes don't want anyone walking down their roads to see those fireworks!
In fact, many people will have to take their chances walking long distances on unsafe Kalaheo Avenue to find an open public access. I just met an older man this weekend who told me he got "clipped" by a passing car's mirror because there is so little space to walk on the side of the road -- about half a foot in spots. It won't surprise me if someone gets hit trying to go see the fireworks because of the gates situation.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Yet ANOTHER Study and No Action
The Honolulu Advertiser ran another cursory article about the latest beach erosion study, without questioning whatever happened with prior studies or asking why different agencies and counties don't share information they already have!
For what it's worth, click here for the story link and reader comments.
Meanwhile, UH Sea Grant and the State DLNR are doing a separate study of Kailua Beach, which will cover similar ground. In recent years, both Kauai and Maui also commissioned studies pertaining to erosion and setbacks. Each time they develop their own criteria and pay someone to create reports that could have been standardized and used as templates for all islands and beaches. Instead, they reinvent the wheel over and over. So there goes another $100,000 of taxpayer money down the drain for a report that will probably be put on a shelf with all the other studies done over the past 10-20 years.
But according to the same people who get hired to do these studies, we don't need a joint State/Counties task force or coastal commission to coordinate this stuff. Well, I guess if your main concern is job security, that makes perfect sense. At the rate they're going, by the time their studies are complete, many of our beaches will be severely diminished due to inaction. And they'll all be retired with generous civil servant benefits.
We don't need more studies to confirm what our eyes tell us is happening right NOW. Just walk along Kailua Beach and count the number of houses being rebuilt closer to the ocean! In five years or less, those parts of the beach will begin to look just like the shrunken shoreline along Lanikai and Kahala Beach.
BREAKING NEWS: Rep. Cynthia Thielen says she's working on another angle to halt "seaward creep" since the State Legislature failed to pass her bill to freeze setbacks on Kailua Beach. New City Councilman Ikaika Anderson says he will bring up the subject this year, but was vague as to when. I'll believe it when I see it.
For what it's worth, click here for the story link and reader comments.
Meanwhile, UH Sea Grant and the State DLNR are doing a separate study of Kailua Beach, which will cover similar ground. In recent years, both Kauai and Maui also commissioned studies pertaining to erosion and setbacks. Each time they develop their own criteria and pay someone to create reports that could have been standardized and used as templates for all islands and beaches. Instead, they reinvent the wheel over and over. So there goes another $100,000 of taxpayer money down the drain for a report that will probably be put on a shelf with all the other studies done over the past 10-20 years.
But according to the same people who get hired to do these studies, we don't need a joint State/Counties task force or coastal commission to coordinate this stuff. Well, I guess if your main concern is job security, that makes perfect sense. At the rate they're going, by the time their studies are complete, many of our beaches will be severely diminished due to inaction. And they'll all be retired with generous civil servant benefits.
We don't need more studies to confirm what our eyes tell us is happening right NOW. Just walk along Kailua Beach and count the number of houses being rebuilt closer to the ocean! In five years or less, those parts of the beach will begin to look just like the shrunken shoreline along Lanikai and Kahala Beach.
BREAKING NEWS: Rep. Cynthia Thielen says she's working on another angle to halt "seaward creep" since the State Legislature failed to pass her bill to freeze setbacks on Kailua Beach. New City Councilman Ikaika Anderson says he will bring up the subject this year, but was vague as to when. I'll believe it when I see it.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Vote for Beach Access!
Surfrider Oahu has just received a $5,000 donation from Barefoot Wine for their "Clear the Path for Beach Access" campaign here in Hawaii. But wait! There's more...
The good folks at Barefoot Wine are donating an additional five grand to the cause that gets the most votes on their web site. Just click here or go to:
http://republic.barefootwine.com/beachrescue/
Voting ends on August 15. As of today, however, we're way behind in the votes so please take a minute to visit the site. You can vote once per day.
Mahalo!
The good folks at Barefoot Wine are donating an additional five grand to the cause that gets the most votes on their web site. Just click here or go to:
http://republic.barefootwine.com/beachrescue/
Voting ends on August 15. As of today, however, we're way behind in the votes so please take a minute to visit the site. You can vote once per day.
Mahalo!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Bellows Beach Closure
I've said it before, I'll say it again: unless the public takes responsibility for policing itself and reporting the idiots who trash our beaches or break other laws, we will lose access to places like Bellows, which is under military control.
I don't doubt there is validity in the reasoning for closing it off to the public. But this is the U.S. Marines we're talking about! Couldn't they station some MPs in a non-threatening way to discourage scofflaws? Sometimes it just takes the presence of authority figures to send a message, or issue a "friendly" warning about throwing away garbage. It doesn't have to be all-out war on the public just because of a small number of inconsiderate morons. The problem is too many of us just sit back and do nothing when we see rude kids and adult slobs ruining it for everyone else.
Here's the links to the Advertiser and Star-Bulletin articles.
What do you think should be done?
I don't doubt there is validity in the reasoning for closing it off to the public. But this is the U.S. Marines we're talking about! Couldn't they station some MPs in a non-threatening way to discourage scofflaws? Sometimes it just takes the presence of authority figures to send a message, or issue a "friendly" warning about throwing away garbage. It doesn't have to be all-out war on the public just because of a small number of inconsiderate morons. The problem is too many of us just sit back and do nothing when we see rude kids and adult slobs ruining it for everyone else.
Here's the links to the Advertiser and Star-Bulletin articles.
What do you think should be done?
Monday, June 1, 2009
Kahala Beach Vegetation Update
The Honolulu Advertiser ran a follow-up story today about the overgrown vegetation that is impeding shoreline access along Kahala Beach. A year ago, the State DLNR notified 12 landowners that they had to cut back the naupaka and other plants that were growing right down to the high water line. To date, only one has complied.
And what's the State's response? Um, well, we don't have the time or money to do anything about it. That's according to Sam Lemmo, the same DLNR guy who opposed my proposal to create a joint State/counties task force to address issues such as this! Why? Because the State and counties both are unwilling (or unable due to jurisdiction problems) to take responsibility for management of our coastlines and beaches.
Unfortunately, the article didn't do a very good job of framing the bigger issues of shoreline management and the need for a Hawaii Coastal Commission to oversee statewide policies. The reporter also took a comment I made about vegetation speeding up erosion out of context, because it made it sound like I was saying natural vegetation increases erosion. That is NOT what I said. I was referring specifically to plantings by landowners in front of homes that were built TOO CLOSE TO THE OCEAN. Besides disturbing the natural ebb and flow of sand and water, just as seawalls do, these artificial plantings are a blatant land grab by those homeowners.
Sheesh. But it was apparent from talking to this reporter that she had no intention of going out herself to check any of the beaches or problems I was talking about. She also didn't bother to speak to Rep. Thielen about the Kailua setbacks bill defeat, which is related to shoreline conservation efforts. Nor did she bother to speak to newly-elected City Councilman Ikaika Anderson, who presumably should have something to say about shoreline setbacks and vegetation, since those matters currently fall under county jurisdiction.
Anyhow, you can read the article by clicking here. Half-assed reporting is better than no follow-up at all, I suppose.
Advertiser link:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090601/NEWS01/906010331
And what's the State's response? Um, well, we don't have the time or money to do anything about it. That's according to Sam Lemmo, the same DLNR guy who opposed my proposal to create a joint State/counties task force to address issues such as this! Why? Because the State and counties both are unwilling (or unable due to jurisdiction problems) to take responsibility for management of our coastlines and beaches.
Unfortunately, the article didn't do a very good job of framing the bigger issues of shoreline management and the need for a Hawaii Coastal Commission to oversee statewide policies. The reporter also took a comment I made about vegetation speeding up erosion out of context, because it made it sound like I was saying natural vegetation increases erosion. That is NOT what I said. I was referring specifically to plantings by landowners in front of homes that were built TOO CLOSE TO THE OCEAN. Besides disturbing the natural ebb and flow of sand and water, just as seawalls do, these artificial plantings are a blatant land grab by those homeowners.
Sheesh. But it was apparent from talking to this reporter that she had no intention of going out herself to check any of the beaches or problems I was talking about. She also didn't bother to speak to Rep. Thielen about the Kailua setbacks bill defeat, which is related to shoreline conservation efforts. Nor did she bother to speak to newly-elected City Councilman Ikaika Anderson, who presumably should have something to say about shoreline setbacks and vegetation, since those matters currently fall under county jurisdiction.
Anyhow, you can read the article by clicking here. Half-assed reporting is better than no follow-up at all, I suppose.
Advertiser link:
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090601/NEWS01/906010331
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)