Aloha,

By the time this is published most of you will already know, but I would be remised if I did not touch on how grateful I am to all involved with the completion of the emergency repairs to the Waialua Beach Road Bridge. Big Mahalo to Mayor Blangiardi, the Department of Design and Construction for expediting the emergency repairs and the Army Corps of Engineers, City Department of Transportation Services, State Department of Transportation, State Historic Preservation Division and HPD for their collaborative efforts to ensure this project was streamlined to accelerate the reopening of the bridge.

As you know, the extreme flooding in March led to the closure of the bridge following a safety inspection that determined the bridge was unsafe. The city committed to reducing what would normally take one-to-two years to complete to finish in less than six months. While safe to traverse, the bridge will have a maximum allowable weight limit of 25 tons per vehicle, which is yet to be determined. The City will be planning to design and construct a new bridge to replace the 69-year old bridge.

Finally, I would like to mahalo all the North Shore residents who were affected by the bridge closure for their incredible patience during this time. The bridge closure generated a great deal traffic which was compounded by the creation of the four-way stop at Thompson’s Corner. I think I can speak for the groups involved that we are extremely grateful for your patience and what you had to endure and we are glad that some of the traffic will be relieved with the bridge reopening.

With the reopening of tourism on Oahu, the North Shore has been inundated with visitors and, while this is a boon for the economy, we must also prioritize the well-being of North Shore residents. We have been receiving numerous calls and emails from residents concerned that the large influx of tourists have taken away the neighborhood feel and their sense of place. While the importance of the visitor industry cannot be denied, we have lost the balance between supporting tourism and supporting residents. I have since introduced Bill 34 which is a prohibition on commercial activity at various North Shore beaches. This bill was originally introduced in 2018 as a response to the same concern that we are facing today. The bill has just passed first reading and will have four other readings where public testimony will be taken and I anticipate a robust conversation as we craft the bill into something that everyone can support.

Along with Bill 34, I have also introduced Resolution 21-186, which is asking the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to amend its administrative rules to be more stringent when issuing commercial surfing instruction permits. Surfing is synonymous with Hawaii and, more specifically, the North Shore. It is one of the primary activities that draws visitors and locals to the North Shore. Because of its popularity and the demand to learn how to surf, the number of commercial surf schools have grown tremendously, leading to an overrun at many Oahu beaches. We are asking DPR to tighten up its rules to limit permits to be site-specific and to establish a policy on the total number of permits allowed per site to ensure no single site is overused. The resolution also requests DPR to increase enforcement of its rules and to institute measures that ensure the legitimate use of commercial surfing instruction permits.

Mahalo for your time and continued support. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at 808-768-5037 or htsuneyoshi@honolulu.gov