Neighborhood Board Addresses Conditions

In keeping with his notorious reputation as a homeowner, in California and earlier here in Hawaii Kai, Genshiro Kawamoto is again under fire for vacant homes and neglect in Kahala. Kawamoto had bought up dozens of properties along Kalaha Avenue, and in 2007, opened some of the houses to needy families.

The issue has been a regular agenda item for the Waialae Kahala Neighborhood Board meetings, along with illegal dumping and trash on the narrow streets. The major complaints have not been about the occupied homes, but about the vacant ones not having any maintenance or upkeep. He had torn down walls and filled in pools on his properties for "liability reasons," leaving palm tree stumps, concrete and rebar tumbled onto broken stone walls and unsightly, overgrown driveways and tennis courts.

Rich Turbin, attorney and Kahala resident, addressed the Board at its September meeting on how parts of the Kahala Avenue area have deteriorated as homes purchased by Kawamoto, a Japanese billionaire real estate investor, fall ever further into ruin.

"Residents of Kahala and other areas who enjoy visiting Kahala are upset over the state of disrepair and blight of many of Kawamoto's homes," stated Turbin. "Not only do they seriously mar the beauty [of the neighborhood], but many of the homes are quite unsafe.

"Pools are stagnant or filled in with weeds and debris, which are breeding grounds for rats, mosquitoes and other pests. We have tried repeatedly to speak with Mr. Kawamoto or his representatives, but they refuse to meet with us. We have to ask the government to correct this problem."

Greg Olmstead of the state Department of Health responded that the Vector Division has been contacted, whereupon they did make numerous inspections of various properties and found no rodents or other vermin. Residents who live adjacent to the properties replied that the inspectors come during the day, while the rats are running through their attics and outside during the night. Olmstead did say that he would report this back to the department.

After due discussion, the Board approved unanimously a City Council Resolution "urging the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu to request Mr. Genshiro Kawamoto's compliance with Kahala's property covenants and restrictions." The resolution cited Kawamoto's failure to respond to the complaints as related to "repair, maintenance and landscaping" constitutes health code violations in addition to the disregard of the Kahala Community Association covenants and restrictions.