Orchidland Drive may close off highway access

[terracore]

Frederic Wirick, the president of the Orchidland road association, is threatening to close Orchidland Drive from the highway due to the hazardous road conditions and liability for damages being caused by cars attempting to turn onto OL drive from the highway.

I haven't been following the FB threads but apparently the commercial businesses at the end of OL drive have not paid their road dues and neither the businesses or the county are performing any maintenance and the road association is no longer going to be spending the resident's road dues on commercial public access to OL drive.

Absent any road maintenance apparently the only other option is to close public access to the road.

I don't know what is next, close Auli'i so people don't turn in there and go down one of the side roads?

Frederic Wirick > #8206;Orchidland Community Association

WARNING: Public Safety Hazard
County and State approved "commercial business district" in Orchidland Estates.

No traffic light
No County, State or businesses road improvement or maintenance of the "commercial business access road".
New commercial business construction underway.
Primary school bus load and unload zone.
Over 10,000 vehicles weekly.
Tandem trailer fuel truck delivery and more!

Letters go out again next week to the County, State and businesses warning of possible road closure due to this increased Public Safety Hazard!

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1063239913...=permalink&id=2888836454492915

[kalakoa]

County and State approved "commercial business district" in Orchidland Estates

Incorrect -- it's merely a Special Use Permit on A-3a zoning -- and we're long past time to raise objections to the SUP.

Letters go out again next week to the County, State and businesses warning of possible road closure

In other words, a "shakedown", because Wirick cannot legally close the road.

[Seeb]

The ship sailed on closing the road when the subdivision was approved.

[Chunkster]

The irony is sublime. A publicly funded, owned, and maintained road on Mauna Kea can be closed by protesters to make a political point, but a privately funded, owned, and maintained road can't be closed by its owners to achieve payment for needed safety. Lucky we live Hawaii, right?

[terracore]

"In other words, a "shakedown", because Wirick cannot legally close the road."

I guess that depends on what one's definition of "closed" is. At some point without maintenance the road becomes effectively impassible regardless if it's "open" or not. Some ROAD CLOSED / NO TRESPASSING signs might slow down any legal claims of damage from drivers who choose to ignore signage. But I agree this is clearly a shakedown, the residents who use that road to access their homes would probably vote for a different board than one making such a decision to close it, if they were allowed to.

[My 2 cents]

"cannot legally close the road."

Correct, but there's way more to it than that. The information given is not complete, purposely trying to mislead us.

It's true that the businesses in the Orchidland Shopping Center don't pay road fees. What they are not telling us is that there is no obligation for these businesses to do so. The businesses are leasing the property. Any obligation to pay road fees lies with the property owner, not the businesses. Painting the businesses as deadbeats is bordering on slander. They are being very careful not to name the actual property owner because he is a very wealthy and well connected businessman and he would have his way with them if push comes to shove.

They also mention the "new commercial business construction underway." What they are not sharing is that the new business owner agreed in his SUP to pay a commercial rate of yearly road maintenance fees, to begin as soon as he opens for business. Same with the unfinished complex up the street. And the church is and has been paying an escalated road fee all along.

I don't appreciate the attempts to mislead or manipulate.

[randomq]

"a very wealthy and well connected businessman" not paying his fair share... Sounds about right.

I'm neither wealthy nor well connected, but I manage to scrape together a few bucks for voluntary road dues. If you use something you should pay for it.

[My 2 cents]

I agree. And I wasn't suggesting he shouldn't. My comment was about the misleading information, trying to pin it on the businesses. Trying to manipulate us into supporting an illegal action (closing the road). And slandering the businesses that are paying or have agreed to pay when they open.

[terracore]

Thanks for the update 2 cents. Half-truths are how the current board seems to operate.

[kalakoa]

Trying to manipulate us into supporting an illegal action (closing the road).

Don't do it yourselves, hire some Kingdom Crossing Guards to close it for you, that way it's totally legal and completely acceptable.