A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door.
― Confucius
Proper planning and preparation prevents poor performance.
― Stephen Keague, author
Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.
― Tom Landry, former head coach, Dallas Cowboys
Always have a plan, and believe in it. Nothing happens by accident.
― Chuck Knox, former head coach, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and Buffalo Bills
Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation - Lessons Learned - Ready for Prime Time?
1. HONOLULU AUTHORITY FOR RAPID TRANSPORTATION (HART)
GOOD MORNING HONOLULU
ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE?
RAIL CONSTRUCTION BEGINS
BETWEEN MIDDLE STREET AND ALA MOANA CENTER
RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES BRACE FOR RAIL CONSTRUCTION
THROUGH URBAN CORE
By Chelsea Davis HawaiiNewsNow
September 18, 2018
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/39109759/rail-construction-begins-from-middle-street-to-ala-moana-center
Rail disruptions will be moving deeper into the city as crews start a four-
year, $400-million project to relocate utility lines in the city center section.
The city center section spans 4.2 miles from Middle Street to Ala Moana
Center.
Starting next week, crews will be digging up water, sewer and gas lines as
well as fiber optic and power lines. Crews will start by relocating utilities that
are underground to make way for the guideway and the stations.
The utility relocation portion of the project is expected to be completed in
2022 and the final project's is expected to be done by the end of 2025.
We've learned some lessons from the work we've done on the west side. We
may have learned them the hard way, but I think the idea here is to do
things a little differently than we did on the west side, said Bill Brennan,
HART Director of Communications.
2. LESSONS LEARNED – READY FOR PRIME TIME?
The Honolulu Rail Transit Project is scheduled to start construction on the
final city center segment through downtown Honolulu ... But, Honolulu
Councilmembers are still grappling with what to do with private property
acquisitions.
The Honolulu City Council Committee on Zoning and Housing is considering
Bill 30, which would enable the City to review and consider the purchase of
properties partially condemned by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid
Transportation -- HART. These rail property remnants, as they're called,
would be purchased at fair market value through the eminent domain
condemnation process. Hawaiian Electric Company project
management principal, Kerstan Wong, opposed the measure.
“So, right now for the rail project there are two properties that are going
through the condemnation process. One is the Honolulu Power Plant near
Aloha Tower and the other is the Iwilei Substation that's near where the IHS
and Costco parking lot is located. So, we came to a mutually agreeable
portion for the Iwilei property so it doesn't impact any of the equipment
that's in operation. But, if the whole property's condemned, we'd have to
find another location for that equipment.”
One property under contention is the Blood Bank of Hawaii building on
Dillingham Boulevard. HART needs a 10-foot strip of land next to the
building for the rail project, but, the Blood Bank wants the city to buy the
whole property and the building. City Council Chair, Ernie Martin, says
funding is being provided in next year’s budget for the Blood Bank and an
agreeable solution can be reached.“We know the Blood Bank has come to
us many a times indicating their willingness or eagerness to dispose of the
whole property as opposed to a partial taking. It wouldn't be a
condemnation because they're willing to sell the property. It's a matter of
asking price on their side and what we're willing to pay.”
3. At last count, HART will acquire nearly 70 partially condemned
parcels along the City Center segment, which includes 4.1 miles of
elevated guideway, and 8 stations. [Emphasis Supplied]
Bill 30: Buy Rail "Remnant" Properties. By Wayne Yoshioka. Hawaii Public Radio May
24, 2018, accessed September 18, 2018 http://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/post/bill-
30-buy-rail-remnant-properties
BILL 30
Accessed September 18, 2018
http://honolulu.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=3&event_id=319&meta_id=49415
A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE [PROPOSED]
RELATING TO THE ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY FOR CITY FACILITIES
AND PURPOSES.
BE IT ORDAINED by the People of the City and County of Honolulu:
SECTION 1. Purpose, findings, and intent.
The purpose of this ordinance is to increase the City and County of
Honolulu's (“City”) inventory of land that can be used for City facilities
and purposes through the implementation of a review process that
considers whether to acquire the remaining portion(s) of real property
being partially condemned by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid
Transportation (“HART”) along the route of the Honolulu High-Capacity
Transit Corridor Project (“Rail Project”).
Oahu is an island community, and there are geographic limitations for the
development of City facilities for Oahu's residents, and the opportunities for
the City to acquire real property in the urban core are both rare and
involved, requiring condemnation proceedings in many cases.
The Council finds that if HART condemns only the portion of a parcel that is
needed for the Rail Project, the landowner may be left with a remnant that
is unsuitable for the landowner's continued use and operations, as in the
case of the Hawaii Blood Bank's Dillingham Boulevard property.
4. The Council also finds that HART's partial condemnation of real property
along the Rail Project presents a unique opportunity for the City to acquire
the remaining portions of the condemned properties for City facilities and
purposes.
Therefore, it is the intent of the Council that the remaining portions of real
property that is being partially condemned by HART along the Rail Project,
are to be reviewed and evaluated for acquisition by the City in accordance
with provisions of the new article enacted in Section 2 of this ordinance.
SECTION 2. Chapter 37, Revised Ordinances of Honolulu 1990 (“Real
Property Transactions Involving the City and County of Honolulu”), is
amended by adding a new article to be appropriately designated by the
Revisor of Ordinances and to read as follows:
“Article_. Acquisition of Remnant Real Property Sec. 37-_.1 Purpose.
This article establishes a regulatory scheme for the consideration of
acquisition of remaining portions of parcels of real property being partially
condemned by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation along the
route of the Honolulu High- Capacity Transit Corridor Project. It requires
the City to review and evaluate whether the acquisition of the remaining
portions of a parcel of real property by the City serves a public interest.
Sec. 37-_.2 Definitions.
As used in this article, unless the context requires otherwise:
“Director”means the director of land management, or the
director’s authorized representative.
“Rail project remnant property” means the portion or portions of a
parcel of real property that remain after the rest of the parcel is
acquired by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation for the
Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project.
5. Sec. 37-_.3 Review and Evaluation.
For each rail project remnant property, the director shall consider whether
the acquisition of the rail project remnant property for city purposes serves
the public interest and supplements the inventory of city real property
interests, taking into consideration the development potential for city real
property interests in transit-oriented development special districts, all in
accordance with the director’s responsibilities under Charter Section 6-
1802(e) and (f).
Sec. 13-_.4 Rules.
The director may, pursuant to HRS Chapter 91, adopt rules having the
force and effect of law for the implementation, administration, and
enforcement of this article.”
SECTION 3. This ordinance takes effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY: Joey Manahan
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Councilmembers
DATE OF INTRODUCTION: March 23. 2018 Honolulu, Hawaii
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
Deputy Corporation Counsel
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APPROVED this ______day of 20______
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KIRK CALDWELL, Mayor City and County of Honolulu