Clearing along Lilipuna Rd

The Kaneohe Neighborhood Board is concerned with the notice of violation issued to the Puu Alii Community Association by the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu.

Over the years since the condominium was constructed the Community Association has gradually pruned, cut and topped the vegetation to the point where it no longer provides a screen between the Lilipuna Road and the condominiums.

The condominium development was permitted under a Cluster and Planned Development Housing Permit issued by the City and County of Honolulu. This permit requires that a vegetative buffer be maintained between Lilipuna Road and the condominiums adequate to screen the condominiums from view from Lilipuna Road.

The City and County has issued numerous warnings indicating that the condominium association is not to indiscriminately remove or trim trees. In spite of the warnings, the association has removed many trees that were specifically mapped in the original permit as being trees which must be protected. Also, the Association has removed understory vegetation which provided a visual screen between Lilipuna Rd and the condos . The pruning, trimming and cutting has been so extreme that there is no longer a visual buffer between Lilipuna Road and the condominiums.

Because of their disregard of County requirements to maintain a buffer, the county has notified the Condominium Association that they must stop trimming, pruning or topping of existing major trees and shrubs until the County has reviewed and approved a landscape management plan.

There is concerned with how the landscape management plan may be developed. It is important that the plan maintain the screening buffer that is required by the permit. Any replacement of existing trees should be done incrementally and in a way that maintains the integrity of the buffer screen. Also the plan should provide for the reestablishment of a secondary canopy, which will improve the effectiveness of the visual buffer.

We understand that this has become a very emotional issue, both with a few of the condominium residents and with the Condominium’s neighbors on Lilipuna Road. The Condominium residents have no legal right to a view of Kaneohe Bay, but they do have an obligation under the City and County permit to maintain the visual screening between the condominiums and Lilipuna Road.

The Puu Alii Condominium Association has completely removed all vegetation from an approximately 200 foot strip along the Lilipuna Road and have removed all understory plants from within the vegetative visual buffer. Also, of the 112 trees identified in the original permit as trees which should be maintained, approximately 1/3 of these trees have been removed. This together with the removal of understory vegetation from the entire visual buffer has resulted in the buffer no longer being effective in the screening the condominiums.

We believe that with a properly designed landscape management plan, which is complied to by the Association, the Association can maintain the visual screening required by their permit and also protect the view of most of the residents.

Protection of the privacy of the Lilipuna Road residents and maintenance of the “woody” appearance of Lilipuna Point as seen from the Bay was the reason for requiring a visual screen.

The KNB Environmental Committee will be working with the community to make sure the required visual buffer is maintained.