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Question: I see all these signs for Hope Chapel that are on the highway from Castle Junction and all the main intersections in Kaneohe. They go up on Friday and stay there for three days. I know that’s not legal. If everybody did it, it would be out of control. I called the Department of Transportation three times, and they said they would check it out, but nothing happens. Does that mean I can put up a sign for my business?
Question: I want to put in a complaint about the New Hope sandwich signs at the corner of Likelike and Kahekili on weekends. There are two to three signs sitting there on public land. The signs are also on the median along four-lane highways in Kaneohe. Why are these signs allowed on the median? It shouldn’t be allowed if no one else is allowed to do it. I called the Outdoor Circle and the DOT, and they said there is no one to check them out on weekends.
Answer: The Department of Transportation contacted both Hope Chapel Kaneohe and New Hope Windward about the complaints Friday, and one of you told us the signs in question did not appear to be up last weekend.
“We let them know that signs on state DOT highways property are in violation” of Section 291C-36 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes, said spokeswoman Caroline Sluyter. “We do ask for the public’s cooperation in keeping signs off of state highways and highway property.”
A spokeswoman for Hope Chapel told us Friday, “We will be removing the signs today.”
We left phone messages for New Hope Windward but did not receive a call back.
For issues such as potholes, streetlights, maintenance or signs on state highway property, call the DOT at 831-6714. You can also email the public affairs office at DOTPAO@hawaii.gov, and the concern will be routed to the proper department, Sluyter said.
The easiest way to report possible violations involving signs on city property, as well as any other city-related problem, is by emailing complaints@honolulu.gov or calling 768-4381.
If you’re not sure whose jurisdiction it may be, a good resource is The Outdoor Circle, which has been a watchdog for illegal signs since it successfully lobbied for an anti-billboard law in the 1920s. (Call 593-0300 to file a complaint.)
Regarding church signs, The Outdoor Circle has “received a steady stream of complaints” about the signs posted along roadways for several years, not just in the Kaneohe/Windward area, but in Ewa, Mililani and other areas, said Bob Loy, director of environmental programs.
It’s not just Hope Chapel and New Hope churches involved, he said.
“We regularly receive calls from other groups and businesses who want to post signs in similar locations and can’t understand why they’re forbidden from doing so while churches post their signs with no ramifications,” Loy said. “Similarly, some folks who have left their roadside signs during weekdays have been reported for enforcement and have received citations or had their signs removed. They, too, rightfully complain about preferential treatment for churches.”
MAHALO
Belatedly, to whoever turned in my purse with everything in it to Islands Fine Burgers at Ala Moana Center in May. I had been sitting on the bench fronting the restaurant when I decided to go to Sears for a quick errand before my husband arrived. I had a bag on my arm, so somehow got up without my purse. At Sears, when I went to look in my purse for my wallet, there was no purse! I panicked and ran back to the bench, but of course, no purse! I took a chance and went into Island Burgers to ask whether someone might have turned it in, and to my ecstatic surprise it was there. I cannot tell you my relief and happiness that there are still such honest people in this world, and I hope they see this.
— Grateful Senior Citizen
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