Island Voices: Private Portlock lane abused by intruders

My wife and I love Hawaii. Our three beautiful children were born in Honolulu, graduating from Punahou School. Our small private lane and driveway to our house, which gives us access to Portlock Road, is now controversy in the local media. It’s private property, and there is NO easement for public access.

This private lane and driveway was originally created by Bishop Estate to give access to the four houses on the plot. It is the only access to our home. But often, people obstruct the driveway, driving their trucks to unload their boards, kayaks, etc.

About two weeks, ago, someone organized a media event on our private lane. A TV reporter said the gate prevented people from going to the ocean. What she didn’t report is that there was no lock on the gate and everyone could go through.

She did not call the city about the lane’s ownership. HPD officers came and informed the participants that the lane was private property, yet, the “event” made TV news.

There are 22 lanes on Portlock Road, many of them open. In fact, about 50 yards on either side of my lane are two open lanes. I see people using those lanes without problem. It is the vandals who want access to my lane. I couldn’t believe that a $150 gate, at the time without a lock, was newsworthy.

My gate had existed for many years but was removed and stolen by a vandal. I merely reinstalled it, because of a sharp increase in vandalism, theft and sleepless nights for us.

When we are on a trip, homeless and trespassers sleep on our lanai until our friends show up the next day. They jump over the fence to have parties in our pool, as can be attested to by police; they defecate in the bushes.

The vandalism has soared, and the number of suspicious people from around the island, places that have much larger beaches, has increased tremendously.

The public parks close at night, so they come to my property. On our small patch of sand, they do drugs, get drunk on the beach, and trespass in houses. This endangers the entire Portlock neighborhood.

We see cigarettes burns on our lanai carpeted floor, foul smell from leftover food trashed on the floor, broken glass, bottles of alcohol, urine, etc.

Our new, high-grade security system alerts us wherever we are. I ask the readers: Would you let people go over your backyard 24 hours day and night — people who steal, vandalize, have pool parties in your absence? We have had enough, making our security priority No. 1. We are tired of hearing the “F-word” shouted at us and obscenities hurled at my wife.

During the past month, the end-post of our security fence was twice bent to make it easy to jump into our yard. Just last month at midnight, our security cameras saw three people coming onto our backyard. We got the security alert and chased them out.

Enhancing our security also means security for the Portlock neighborhood. Shouldn’t neighborhood boards discuss ways to enhance security, instead of devoting efforts to confiscate private property?

By law, private property and beaches cannot be used for commercial ventures. Yet, there are vans full of tourists coming to our lane. We see organized snorkeling tours and surfing classes, going through the lane. All of this is illegal.

This matter is about security, not preventing ocean access to anyone. There is plenty of access all along Portlock Road. Beautiful Maunalua Bay Beach Park, less than half-mile away, was built less than 10 years ago for the people at the cost of millions of dollars.

Let’s make the focus in Hawaii increasing neighborhood security for property owners, assisting the police in their difficult jobs, and creating jobs in order to reduce the homeless epidemic. Access to the ocean is plentiful all over the island.

Bert Dohmen-Ramirez founded his international economic research firm in Honolulu in 1976.