City Offers Oneawa Hills Surveys

Drilling into Oneawa Hills could begin in a year or so as part of the city’s massive Kaneohe-Kailua Wastewater Conveyance and Treatment Facilities Project, and city engineers are hoping to allay homeowners’ fears with a simple property survey before that time.

A recent series of negotiations between the city and homeowners in the project area have led to a compromise plan in advance of the gravity sewer tunnel work. According to Judy Mick, secretary of the Kalaheo Hillside Residents Association (KHRA), the geotechnical engineer will perform pre-construction property surveys for those who request them.

“There is no cost to the homeowner,” Mick said, “and they will receive documentation of the findings. There is a possibility of placement of vibration monitors on lots that deem it necessary.”

KHRA has long contested that the hillside neighborhood is unstable, as the homes were allowed to be built over an extinct volcano caldera with a network of lava tubes. As the city moves forward with plans to blast through this soil for its much-debated underground sewer line, sinkholes and soil shifting are possible. Residents contend this could compromise their homes’ foundations, at the very least.

To apply for a survey, call Yogi Kwong Engineers at 942-0001 or email james@yogikwong.com; identify the neighborhood you are calling from and request to have a pre-construction survey done on your property. The time and date will be confirmed, and a team will come out to conduct the survey.

“It’s pretty simple and straightforward with the goal being twofold,” Mick explained. “One, it creates a baseline for the homeowner to judge any future damage that might occur. Two, the city is protecting itself from any false claims that could be made based on property damage prior to construction … This is a cooperative effort of both parties.”