Waimea residents are raising concerns about a former service station they say has become an eyesore in their community. ADVERTISING Waimea residents are raising concerns about a former service station they say has become an eyesore in their community. Normally,
Waimea residents are raising concerns about a former service station they say has become an eyesore in their community.
Normally, Waimea — population about 9,000 — is a tidy little town set amid green rolling pastures. But residents say one piece of property is marring the bucolic beauty.
The old Shell station on Mamalahoa Highway, which has been out of business more than a year, became a sore spot after the business closed and fuel tanks excavated, said Cheryl Langton, president of Waimea Outdoor Circle. A fence was erected around the gaping hole, which wasn’t filled for several months.
The hole since was filled, but the site has become increasingly run-down as the months go by.
“It’s been an eyesore for way too long, right there in the middle of town,” Langton said Thursday. “People were complaining to us.”
She said Outdoor Circle, an environmental preservation group, sent photos of the site to the county Department of Public Works but was told there is no county violation.
Several Waimea residents say the site has become the topic of many neighbor complaints.
The property is owned by the Wong Family Trust and leased by Charles and James Dahlberg. The lease was assigned in March to Foodland Supermarket Ltd., according to documents filed with the state Bureau of Conveyances.
Telephone numbers in Waimea for Dahlberg have been disconnected. Representatives at Foodland’s Honolulu headquarters did not return telephone messages Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or by press time Thursday.
Gloria Wong, representative of the Wong Family Trust, said she’s had a difficult time getting the lessees to clean up the area. She’s had trouble with the lessees for almost 10 years, she said.
“Last year, for months I persisted to get Equilon (another lessee) to take action toward the issues regarding the property, including the huge hole, the open bathroom, the open fence, etc,” Wong said in an email Wednesday. “I persist and am still waiting for credible proof regarding contamination and other issues.”
But changes might be in the works.
“Recently, the Waimea Outdoor Circle contacted Foodland and me; I notified Foodland’s attorneys who said that they will be getting bids and will be taking action for landscaping,” Wong said.
Langton said her group hoped the problem would have been resolved. She said it’s been about two weeks since she heard from Wong about Foodland’s plans.
“We understand it takes awhile to get things done,” Langton said. “We were optimistic that it was going to be cleaned up by now.”
Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.
