Cleanup of derelict Kaimuki property to begin

Cleanup of a Kaimuki residential property that a circuit judge declared "a public nuisance" will begin Tuesday, city officials said Wednesday.

Pacific Junk Removal was the lowest of five bidders and will be paid $9,442 for the job, the city Department of Planning and Permitting said in a news release.

Work is scheduled to take about a week and will consist of clearing the outside of the unoccupied 2nd Avenue house, as well as entering the structure to remove items considered fire or health hazards. The company will then board up the windows and secure the doors to the house to prevent illegal entry.

The court on July 9 granted the city’s request for a warrant to enter the dilapidated and rodent-infested property to remove trash, furniture and other debris that have been piling up for years. Trash and detritus have spilled out onto the sidewalk, and the house is known to be frequented by vagrants and hoarders, city officials said.

Neighbors have complained not just about the trash, but about the rats and roaches, and the smell of urine, feces and the vagrants themselves.

Planning Director George Atta said he regretted needing to take "drastic actions" to remedy the situation. "But it became apparent that the owner no longer resides in the home and the unsanitary conditions there have become so severe that they pose a health and safety hazard to the neighbors."