Councilman Enriques latest resolution really frustrated me (more here, and here).This proposed legislation urges the county to sell an abandoned roadway in Ka’u. However, there were some thought provoking comments to this Big Island Chronicle blog posting which provided a different angle about this debacle. These comments show there is more to this story than what Teri Nguyen has stated. In addition, Councilman Enriques’s office responded to my e-mail about this issue tonight:
“If the road should be privatized, property owners cannot be restricted from access.
The owners of the road shall have to provide a means for access, and that means will be decided by the owners, whether it’s providing keys, combinations, or other arrangements.
Landowners who abut the road, who do not participate in the purchase of the road shall not be denied access, according to Corporation Counsel. {I’d asked this before and just had it reconfirmed this morning.}”
I was concerned the surrounding landowners would be restricted from this roadway if its privatized. However, it seems my concerns were unfounded.
Hawaii247 had an article about the slate of candidates who’ll be attending the upcoming candidate forums scheduled for August 26th, and August 31st in Kona.
HDCC’s electrical subcontractor has ordered new heavier gauge wiring to replace the existing wiring to the electrical meter boxes serving the Queen Kaahumanu Highway streetlights. They hope this finally solves the overheating circuit issue. The latter is the prime culprit for all the non-functioning streetlights.
HDCC’s electrical subcontractor ordered the new wiring on August 9th, 2010. It will take six to seven weeks to arrive. So, September 27th, 2010 is tentative date for the installation of this new wiring.
Nan Inc/CTS Earthmoving Inc. won’t start reconstructing Palani Road until mid September now. This work was originally scheduled to start in mid-August. However, they’ll be working in the surrounding area.
“By the way, we’ll be doing some grubbing off the South side shoulder of Palani tomorrow and Friday – but expect no lane closures. Next week Friday we plan to cut down the bushes between Ane Keohokalole Hwy and Palani Road – thereby creating the beginning of the connection between those two roads. That will likely make the project much more visible to the community.”
August 12th, 2010 at 8:39 PM
Yeah, there definitely appears to be a story behind the story on this one. I personally would love to have the time and means to get out there and see firsthand what the road looks like and where it leads, if anywhere. I think council members should be doing site visits for stuff like this.
August 16th, 2010 at 5:28 AM
On the undersized power cable; there should be some liability here. Was it spec’d improperly? Did someone cut costs inappropriately? There must be costs associated with this long delay.
August 16th, 2010 at 9:07 AM
I drove over there yesterday afternoon. The gate was closed, but no locked. There are locks hanging off the gate, but the gate is held closed by a small loop of rope. I have photos of the area if you would like me to post them I can.
August 27th, 2010 at 4:41 PM
Please let me repeat it once again, this Kamaoa Rd. extension (Old Gov’t Rd.) is NOT abandoned. It is currently being used and would be more widely used if people were not being intimidated and beaten up for accessing it; if the illegal gate was not closed; if hikers were not turned away and told it’s a private road. All these events happened, sadly.
Be assured of equal access? You’ve got to be kidding! Once again, you were being misinformed. During the clandestine meeting called by Mr. Enriques and his supporter, the self-proclaimed gate keeper back in Oct. 22 of last year, I asked about my rights of access if I choose not to privatize and I was told that I’d need to create an alternate access off South Point Rd., meaning I’d have to cut a road .5 mile long to get to my home that is 150 feet from the Old Gov’t Rd.; meaning I’d have to get permission from my tenants who would have to remove his cows and cattle fencing; meaning another farmer would have to move their gardens and crops to accommodate me just so that my neighbor can have their private road. Also, if I did choose to privatize and wish to subdivide later, I “would be required to provide improved roadway access… to the public road meeting with the requirements of the Hawaii County Code, Chapter 23, Subdivision to the satisfaction of Department of Public Works”. Convenient that the self-proclaimed gate keeper had already subdivided and would not be subjected to these requirement, costing tens of thousands. Now, why would anyone with a few brain cells want to bring that upon themselves? This is all beside the point, as mentioned, regardless if a homeowner had a thousand access or just one, they shouldn’t have to give up ANY of them. As of today, 8/27/10, Mr. Enriques and the county are committing a crime since Lt. Gov. candidate Hooser passed a law that makes it a criminal penalty to block public access. As of today, this illegal gate is STILL closed.
I couldn’t, in good conscience, choose privatization anyhow because that would mean that I would be illegally disallowing access to the Hawaiian family with deeded grave site to visit their departed. This would mean that I would be robbing ‘The People’ the freedom to visit amazing landscapes that are unique only to Ka Lae.
I too, was duped in the beginning. Not knowing their full intentions initially, I DID suggest that as long as fellow abutting neighbors who wish to privatize, sign a notarized agreement to acknowledge that I, my family, and affiliates will continue to have access to this road, they and their friends can privatize if they choose. Surprise…NO ONE returned the agreement to me. [See the correspondences below]. WHY??? They had no intentions of allowing me access rights. The good ol’ boys want to make sure that they take control. They spread all kinds of lies about me in the neighborhood while attempting to be the self-appointed neighborhood police, requesting that I submit permits for fish ponds, chicken coops, etc…[see correspondence below] then filing complaints to the county, upon which councilman Guy Enriques came into the picture. On the same correspondence, they’ve also appointed themselves gate keeper to the illegal gate placed on a PUBLIC road. They want to further exert their control on the neighborhood by attempting to create “Ka Lae Community Association” under the guise of cleaning up South Point. Community Associations usually mean dues and the ‘Association’ board gets to dictate and fine those who do not comply with their agenda. I’m too familiar with this scheme and will never be a part of it. Apparently other neighbors are of the same mind. If they were to be successful in privatizing this road, they can can NOW form an association amongst themselves and impose anything they’d like. As I’m not part of the ‘gang’, take a wild guess if my rights are going to be protected.
Yes, I’m not happy to have gotten locked out of access to my property, but I can deal with bullies. Even more so, I’m outraged that a farmer was actually beaten up for using this public road to check on his farm, in the presence of his minor child. I’m uncomfortably upset that another small farmer was so intimidated by these aggressors that he begged me not to speak up or do anything for fear of retribution. I was sorry that I couldn’t accommodate his wishes because I would be doing all small farmers and the general public a great disservice by keeping quiet and allowing the intimidation and violence to continue and spread. If I don’t step up, and you don’t step up, then who will??
I have so much more written proof of the aggressive neighbor’s not-so-neighborly doings, and although my intent was NOT to drag anyone through mud (that’s why I leave out names…for now, but they know who they are and what lies deep in their hearts), there comes a time when all will be out in the open for anyone and everyone to examine if these people continue to push.
November 14th, 2010 at 9:52 PM
Teri,
Just as you’ve said, it is now all out in the open. Your neighbors, Kanihos, are buddies with now ousted councilman Enriques, who used his political influence to harass and intimidate you into giving up your rights. Kudos to you for standing up. Mr. Enriques along with current planning director, corporate counsel, and others are implicated in this plan to defraud the public to sell a historic road that was the original King’s highway.
Hawaii Tribune-Herald: “A former county planning director says that a narrow, unpaved road near South Point that’s been gated and locked for decades may be a legal right-of-way connecting South Point Road to Mamalahoa Highway. “this road was in existence in 1859.”
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