Question: What is the number to remove property from the sidewalk? Someone has their stuff tied up to a light pole on Lunalilo Home Road.
Answer: Oahu residents who would like to report personal items being illegally stored on municipal property may call the city’s complaint line at 768-4381. Your question raises an interesting point, though, because what you assumed were a homeless person’s belongings left at the intersection of Lunalilo Home Road and Ahukini Street appear instead to be remnants of a “roadside memorial” erected after a fatal accident there in 2018.
You said you were passing by quickly and saw a bodyboard tied up and other items lying on the ground. We found what you described, along with withered floral bouquets, wrapped in plastic, and also tied to the streetlight. All were apparently left in memory of a 17-year-old Kaiser High School student who died when the truck he was driving crashed there on Aug. 31, 2018.
Sudden, accidental deaths often prompt a public outpouring of grief that results in flowers, lei stuffed animals and other items associated with the departed being laid at the site. City and state policies allow this, as long as certain rules are followed, but insist that such displays not be permanent.
Everything should be removed within 30 days. New items shouldn’t be added later, to mark milestones like birthdays or holidays after the person’s demise.
Over the years, Kokua Line has received other complaints about “rubbish” that turned out to be an aging tribute. When family or friends fail to remove the items, disposal is left to city or state crews; we’ve heard anecdotally that they don’t like doing it.
Workers who’ve called us described throwing away shriveled lei and weathered mementos as a macabre task that shouldn’t be left to strangers. But ignoring complaints about overdue removal isn’t an option, and could open the government to accusations of selective enforcement.
The city and state do respond to complaints about roadside memorials on public property that create a hazard or are left out too long. If the problem is along a city street, report it via the 311 app or call the complaint line at 768-4381. If it’s along a state roadway on Oahu, call 831-6714 or email complainthighwayoahu@hawaii.gov.
Here are key points of the city and/or state policies, which apply in their respective jurisdictions:
>> No roadside memorial may be placed on any freeway, including any on-ramp or offramp.
>> Where allowed, roadside memorials must be placed as far away as possible from the travel way and not obstruct pedestrian traffic or shoulder areas.
>> Memorials may consist of photos (no larger than 8.5 by 11 inches), cut flowers, lei and other items that do not create a hazard. The city’s policy prohibits glass objects, such as vases, and other reflective materials and says the whole array cannot be larger than 3 feet high by 1 foot deep by 2 feet wide. The state policy says fresh flowers and lei must be removed after a week.
>> The entire memorial should be removed within 30 calendar days of installation. The state says the deceased family’s should handle this task. Both the city and the state say roadside memorials left too long will be disposed of by government crews.
The city also notes that any memorial should not damage the right of way, including trees or structures; no element should be attached to or obstruct the view of signs or traffic-control devices.
Mahalo
A big, big mahalo to the hiker who found my wallet on the Koko Head trail Thursday afternoon and who went out of the way to bring it to my home and leave it with a neighbor. I am very sorry I wasn’t home at the time to thank you in person. May you experience the same kindness many times over. — Grateful fellow hiker
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.
