I have noticed a big increase in noise nearby my house over the past few years. And now it seems that there's a lot of low-flying aircraft flying nearby my house many many many times a day. If it isn't a siren going by from a police car it's a aircraft going over my house simultaneous to a motorcycle driving by. Not to mention the awful ubiquitous landscape crews who are constantly using their weedwackers instead of using a mower or a rake. I feel like I don't know what to do because I live fairly close to kalanianaole and it just seems like it's getting worse and worse.
Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,
Thanks for you note. We can't agree more with your observations of increased aircraft activity, motorcycles, and landscape noise. To that we'd also add a marked increase in the number of "Boom Cars" (obnoxiously and dangerously loud auto after-market stereo systems). This isn't just a problem in Hawaii Kai, but across O'ahu. And, your thoughts fairly well sum up the reason our website exists.
The Hawaii Kai neighborhood board in the past was very engaged on the topic of noise in the neighborhood. They even had HPD District 7 report at each board meeting the number of noise and related citations that were issued for the month. I think that stopped because the numbers were consistently 0, 0, 0, and 0 again. It's remarkable with all the noise around us, and in the case of the clearly illegal activity of these loud motorcycles and boom cars, and occasionally over-zealous landscapers who begin their work too early in the morning, that HPD does nothing. We need more voices raised at more board meetings and more neighborhood boards approaching the City Council and Mayor to compel enforcement of current noise laws (ordinances and statutes) by HPD. It's not an issue of our needing more laws, just HPD enforcing the laws already on the books to protect us from noise and return our neighborhoods to the tranquil settings they once were. We suggest attending your local monthly board meeting if you haven't, and perhaps find the moment to raise this very important topic for discussion. Your neighborhood board meets the last Tuesday of each month at 7:00 at Hahaione Elementary School, 595 Pepeekeo Street.
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Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu