Mauians deplore
Lingle’s ‘false play’
The county has developed
By Gary Kubota
a housing project without
upgrading a dangerous road
Star-BulletinMAKAWAO, Maui -- Maui Mayor Linda Lingle's administration has finished the 22-unit affordable-housing project at Makawao Highlands.
But nearby residents fear their troubles are just beginning because of a narrow road without drainage leading to the project.
They're also upset the Maui County Council has done little to help them.
Some residents say the Council has allowed Lingle, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, to develop a substandard subdivision at their expense.
"What they're doing is covering up for the mayor.
"The mayor has done so much false play over there," said Robert A. Carvalho, who has lived in the area for 50 years.
Ke'e Road is about one lane wide where it meets Baldwin Avenue, and fans out to two narrow lanes near the subdivision and Makawao Avenue. Ke'e means "crooked" in Hawaiian, describing its path.
Residents point out the U.S. Postal Service required a mailbox along a narrow part of the road to be moved to a wider portion for safety reasons.
Carvalho said Ke'e Road is as narrow as 14 feet and has many blind spots. A firetruck would have difficulty getting through in an emergency if another vehicle were on the same road, he said.
Carvalho said he's seen vehicles slide into his pasture when the road floods, and that children also ride bicycles on it, creating a dangerous mix as traffic increases.
He and other residents say the county should have improved the road to two lanes and developed drainage for it before allowing the subdivision.
The Lingle administration says studies show no significant impact would take place to traffic and drainage as a result of the project.
The administration used a state affordable-housing law to increase the density of the project from 13 to 22 lots and exempt itself from a number of development requirements.
Small landowners say if they had developed a subdivision, they would have been required to improve the road.
"We never would have gotten away with something like that," said Allan Marciel, who owns five acres in the area.
John Enriques, another landowner, said the addition of the 22 homes to an area that had only 11 houses has increased the danger of a traffic accident.
Lynda Arena, a resident, said that about three years ago her son, then 11, was bumped by a vehicle while walking home on Ke'e Road. She fears a similar accident in the future.
"It's going to be hell," she said.
Residents are hoping the county will fix the road.
"The problem has already been created," said Kathleen Perreira, who has lived in the vicinity for 22 years. "To make it safe, they've got to do something with that road."
Earlier this year, a number of Council members criticized the Lingle administration for failing to tell them the reason for buying the Makawao Highlands project for $1.95 million was to avoid a lawsuit because of a zoning error.
Several Council members said they learned about the error only after the administration needed the Council's authorization for more money to develop the project.
Administration officials say some Council members were told informally about the mistake. No records exist of any earlier discussion about the error.
The administration projects the county will spend $314,000 to subsidize the project -- money that will not be recovered by taxpayers after the sale of the properties.
The issue was referred to Councilman Wayne Nishiki's Committee of the Whole in January. Councilman J. Kalani English says despite his requests, Nishiki hasn't scheduled any hearings to conduct an investigation.
Nishiki says he has more important issues on his agenda, including a review of proposed amendments to the County Charter.
Perreira said she was upset with the way the subdivision was developed by the county without a public hearing or notification to residents.
"It just seemed so sneaky," she said.
