Question: For weeks now, a sailboat has been anchored in the canal off Oneawa Street by Mokapu Boulevard in Kailua. Is this legal?
Answer: It is not illegal or prohibited, as far as federal, state and city agencies are concerned.
We checked first with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, whose Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation has jurisdiction over “the waters of the state,” although it shares management with other agencies.
Because “this is not a boating issue per se,” we were told to contact the city, which is responsible for the maintenance of canals, stream banks and drainage ways, or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
According to the state attorney general, Kawainui/ Oneawa canal is part of the Kawainui Marsh Flood Control Project and “under the auspices” of the Corps of Engineers, said DLNR spokeswoman Deborah Ward.
However, the project sponsor is the city, so it is “primarily responsible to address these kinds of situations as they arise,” said Joseph Bonfiglio, spokesman for the Honolulu District of the Corps of Engineers.
Because the boat doesn’t appear to be a hazard to navigation, there is no need to involve the U.S. Coast Guard or “effect action under our obstruction removal program,” he said.
Meanwhile, since boats in the canal are not obstructing the waterway/flood zone, “we have not really done anything with them,” said Tyler Sugihara, chief of the Road Maintenance Division for the city Department of Facility Maintenance.
“We have removed other items, like anchoring points on the levee way, on the land side, because they interfered with the integrity of the levee,” he said.
But to his knowledge the city doesn’t really regulate boating activities and he’s not aware of any city ordinance that would prohibit anchorages within a city waterway, unless they pose a danger.
“If it’s a flood hazard, then of course for public safety purposes we would make the determination to have them removed.”
Sugihara said he would confer with the city corporation counsel to see if there might be any regulations regarding boats within city streams.
Question: Who is responsible for maintaining the Kapolei Parkway pathway from Renton Road to Kualakai Parkway (North-South Road) and then on Kualakai to Farrington Highway? In many places, weeds, bushes and trees encroach on the path, making it difficult and sometimes dangerous to navigate, especially on a bicycle. With the opening of the Kroc Center, more and more families will use this bikeway.
Answer: The bike path/ sidewalk area of Kapolei Parkway from Renton Road to Kualakai Parkway (North-South Road) is under the jurisdiction of the city Road Maintenance Division.
The department’s contractor was to begin cleaning that stretch this week and twice a month hereafter, according to Sugihara of the Road Maintenance Division.
The state Department of Transportation is responsible for Kualakai Parkway to Farrington Highway.
Because of your complaint, a crew was to check the area this week to see if anything is obstructing the bike paths or sidewalks, said DOT spokesman Dan Meisenzahl.
“Our maintenance and landscaping crews check the area about every five to six weeks to clean up trash and report any other work that might be needed, including landscaping,” he said.
Mahalo
To the kind person who turned in my car keys on Saturday, Jan. 28, to Kapiolani Coffee Shop in Waimalu Shopping Center, saving me not only hassle and time, but the cost of new keys. I did not realize until got I got home that they were missing. It’s so nice to know there are honest and responsible people in Hawaii. — Grateful Mom/Pearl City
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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
