After a long legal struggle, the City gained legal clearance to demolish the home at 2301 Waiomao.  This duplex was the last remaining structure to be cleared before Phase 2 work could proceed to further stabilize the hillside.

Read more below to see the timeline of developments and city interactions with this troubled property

• 2013 - The city allows the property at 2301 to be bought for $385,000.
• 2016 - The existing units are torn down and developed as 2 ohana units for $440,000.
• City has the owner sign a covenant releasing city from any issues resulting from ground movement which indicates city is aware the land is unstable.

Demolition of 2311 Waiomao Rd in November of 2020.

Demolition of 2293 Waiomao Rd in Feb. 2020.

​Area property owners have spent years (decades) alerting the city of problems, documenting land movement, asking for solutions, and . . . waiting.  While families and life-long residents wait for city action, some of their homes have become dangerously unstable and uninhabitable.  Some have been been forced to move once condemned by the city.  Some have elected to move for safety.  There is little compares to the painful loss of watching family memories and lifetime investments literally slip away.  These Honolulu residents deserve more information, more action, more help from the city where they live and pay taxes.  

Demolition of 2326 Kuahea St.

Frequent water and sewer line breaks have interrupted service and added dangerous levels of water into the soil layer, adding to destabilization.  The slideshow below captures just a sampling of the leaks in recent years.  Neighbors began noticing unexplained water trickling from the pavement as early as 2006.  Though they alerted the city, no repairs were made when the problem was small.  Years later, Kuahea St and many of the homes on it have been destroyed.

Despite ongoing road and utility work - the water line breaks continue.  Here is the latest break from October 16, 2020.

October 14 and 15, 2020  A new fire hydrant installed at corner of 2278 and 2280 Waiomao Road. This will replace the broken hydrant at 2301 Waiomao Road.  Work was finished on new hydrant at approximately 7pm on October 15. The BOWS crew then walked up to work on the area at the storm drain fronting 2314 Waiomao Road.  This area has been worked on countless times in the past 2 years. When asked if they were planning to shut off the water to the neighborhood, they said “No, they were going to work on a small leak at the meter.”

At approximately 9pm on October 15, residents find that the water HAS been shut off. Still no water and Work continues past 10:30 pm that night. Water is restored sometime before 5am on October 16.  At approximately 5:30 am on October 16 Residents hear water running down Waiomao Road and find source coming out of the area that BOWS had just worked on.

Residents called in to BOWS and workers got on site and water shut off again at 6:30 am October 16. Water restored at 11am October 16. Workers depart sometime before 2:00 pm October 16.  Of note – BOWS did NOT supply a water wagon to the neighborhood during either water shut off. 

Phase 1 of remediation work has turned the hillside of Kuahea St into a substantial work zone.  This is part of the effort to install tieback anchors to slow earth movement.

After rainy Palolo days, water runs through the pipes at the work site.

What started as a nondescript bump in the road has grown, shifted and wreaked havoc on the Palolo community relying on Waiomao Road for transit.

While the bump has been repaired numerous times, the earth movement in the area continues to worsen the situation, causing new cracks and bumps each time it is fixed.  The road now consists of about 1/2 mile of buckled asphalt, lumps, bumps, and dips.

Without proper water diversion and channeling infrastructure, large amounts of rainfall threaten area roads and properties.

Several neighbors have implored the city to expand the scope of their work to repair the infrastructure, and protect the homes, along Waiomao Rd.  Situated about a half mile above the main slide at Waiomao Rd and Kuahea St, you might think I'd feel pretty secure.  And I did . . . until so many things began shifting and moving around 2016 - 2017.  
 
Update 2021 - After >4 years of reporting leaks, potholes, and running water, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply finally detected a leak in a water line.  The leak was fixed and potholes patched.  Crossing fingers that was the needed repair and all stays dry and stable in this portion of Waiomao Rd.​