*This Post Is About HPP* Waikahekahe, WATUMULL'S, Owners/Members Meeting 10/27/2024

[Patricia]

Aloha Mr. O,

Appreciated.

My family and I share an appreciation for dirt roads as well (we farmed/ranched, very Ag, very rural). But depending on the amount of traffic some of the HPP roads receive I think I could successfully argue that some of them pose a serious health risk.

I have before and after photos of our pool (great way to gauge the amount of dust). The dust (daily) was incredible. And THICK. The pool was a clear indicator of just how bad and concerning the dust problem was. So, when I went out today, after a week of being too busy, I DREADED looking at the pool and what I would find. However, I was totally amazed at the difference (since the paving). There is barely anything to clean (no mud). And while I know it has been raining, that has never stopped the grime before.

Not all roads in HPP are the same. Some see a considerable amount of traffic. And the dust is considerable too.

[mermaid53]

  "HPP has the best dirt roads of all of the dirt road subdivisions.

There is no need to pave a lot of the roads and a lot of people don't want their roads paved including me."

With an annual revenue of over $3 million, one would expect HPP should have the best dirt roads of all the private subdivisions. Let's be realistic, there are roads in bad shape that haven't had attention in a long time.  Paved roads are deteriorating with no maintenance.  All over HPP, there's waist high cane grass growing on the easements onto the asphalt narrowing the lane of traffic.  Stop signs are dilapidated making them unsafe.  
Actually a lot of people in HPP want their roads paved.  The dust is terrible, and if you are lucky to have rock on your road, it's substandard rock, not graded, rolled and compacted properly, making it hard to walk and ride bicycles on.  I had to get off my bike and walk it on F Rd, a major feeder road.  The larger rock ends up on the sides of the road in a short amount of time.  At the last board meeting, the GM said that occurs bc ppl drive down the middle of the road.  Houses on paved roads have higher property value.  There's an existing and growing disparity that is upsetting to people who are paying off the bond and keep up with their annual road fees, and aren't getting what they paid for, and then seeing the monies being diverted to mailbox sites.  

[kalianna]

What subdivison are you talking about? I live on a dirt road in HPP and our roads have been maintained very well for the last few years. Easement grass was cut last week. The times that it gets dusty are few and far between and Iʻd rather have the occasional dust than the perpetually speeding cars that drive down the paved road next to ours. Paradise Rd. was recently restriped and (way too many) new reflective dots line both sides of the road. Theyʻve also just made the left turn from 130 to Paradise far more visible. Iʻm very happy with the condition of our roads. And Iʻm all for the mailboxes and the park.

[mermaid53]

What subdivison are you talking about?  I live on a dirt road in HPP and our roads have been maintained very well for the last few years.  Easement grass was cut last week.  The times that it gets dusty are few and far between and Iʻd rather have the occasional dust than the perpetually speeding cars that drive down the paved road next to ours.  Paradise Rd. was recently restriped and (way too many) new reflective dots line both sides of the road.  Theyʻve also just made the left turn from 130 to Paradise far more visible.  Iʻm very happy with the condition of our roads.  And Iʻm all for the mailboxes and the park.

I'm speaking of HPP.  I'm glad for you that your roads are being maintained regularly.  That's not the case in my neighborhood on "dust"  and paved roads, and other roads that I frequent when traveling in HPP.

[kalianna]

I suggest you give the office a call. I find that theyʻre very responsive to road requests made woth aloha.

[mermaid53]

  I suggest you give the office a call.  I find that theyʻre very responsive to road requests made woth aloha.

I have written to the board multiple times over the years, and as a member of the Finance Committee for the past couple of years, and prior to that, have brought it up for discussion to try and get more funding towards these issues.  The FC is only advisory.

[HiloJulie]

If forced into a legal battle, I don't see the County rolling over and trying to settle this issue on the "cheap." My guess is the County would drag this out indefinitely through the Court system costing us taxpaying saps millions and millions of dollars.

Having said that, what do you all think the end outcome of the County being legally forced into taking ownership of and responsibility for all these subdivision substandard roads be?

I would think if the County is legally forced into that situation, it would first file for bankruptcy, which would solve nothing and just make all matters worse for a whole lot of things.

But on the other hand, what would stop the County from just declaring HPP a "Special Improvement District" which would then allow the County to issue a "Special Assessment Tax" for each property for any and all road improvements with little to no public involvement. Also, the County then could just take by eminent domain any amount of land needed from each owner to make any road proper and legal width.

It's an interesting debate that's for sure!

[Patricia]

Aloha Hilo Julie,

ALL very good points. And a lose lose for "substandard subdivision" Owners. Perhaps it is time to think outside the box, come together, ignore our reps and the County as they do us, and take care of ourselves.

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Also, all of us substandard subdivision owners should tell the associations we are forced to pay to take a hike and hire professional management.

[My 2 cents]

HiloJulie - I agree, I don’t think the county would want to settle unless it was very sweet for them.  Whatever the cost of seeing the case play out to the end, I doubt that it would be as much as the Puna subdivisions pay to maintain the roads in a given year.

My understanding of a SID is that it is generally proposed by the property owners and a certain percentage has to agree to it.  I could be corrected on this if you or someone else knows better.  Seems to me that if the county could go around willy nilly declaring areas to be SIDs, the whole island would be one big SID.

What I would hope for is that the county would take over ownership of the roads, and the management and maintenance of those roads.  I would expect that they would remain substandard, and simply be added to the 700 miles of substandard roads that the county currently owns and maintains. I would expect our roads to be maintained at least to the condition that they currently are in, and I would expect improvements to come rather slowly.  Similar to the other 700 miles.

The county doesn’t have maintenance standards for substandard roads (I asked) so I would imagine that there would need to be some definition for that included in the class action. 

The ultimate goal is to get the associations out of the road business, not to pave paradise.

[leilanidude]

If the county was forced to take over ownership of the roads, wouldn’t the USPS be required to deliver to the mailbox at the end of our driveway like everywhere else? Just propping up my own soap box a bit.

The USPS no longer allows subdivisions to put in individual mailboxes. They must do cluster boxes. It is much more efficient for them and they aren't exactly making a profit.