HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2017-23COUNTY COUNCIL
COUNTY OF KAUAI
'R vq 0 1 U t 1" 0 it No. �, -v
RESOLUTION ABANDONING THE KAPAIA SWINGING BRIDGE AND
GRANTING ALL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES TO AND IN FAVOR
OF THE KAPAIA FOUNDATION, KAPAIA, KAUAI, HAWAII
WHEREAS, in the 1920s most of the plantation villagers in the Kapaia
Valley, County of Kauai, Territory of Kauai, traveled by foot; and
WHEREAS, a footbridge across Kapaia Stream was used daily by
Kapaia residents traveling to and from work, school, shopping, and play; and
WHEREAS, according to County of Kauai records, the Territorial Board
of Supervisors had expended public funds to repair, maintain, and improve
various forms of the bridge, also known as Kapaia Bridge, Kapaia Gulch
Bridge, Kapaia Foot - bridge, Kapaia Valley Bridge, Ah Chock Bridge, etc., since
the early 1920s; and
WHEREAS, in 1940 it was first recommended that the bridge be
replaced by a swinging bridge; and
WHEREAS, on January 7, 1948 the Territorial Board of Supervisors
entered into a contract with I. Maeda to construct and install in place and
complete construction of the Kapaia Swinging Bridge; and
WHEREAS, the construction of the Kapaia Swinging Bridge was
completed in March of 1948; and
WHEREAS, with the emergence of automobiles as a major form of
transportation and with the closing of sugar plantations, the swinging bridge
became less important as a mode of transportation, but over the years, it has
become an important historic symbol of an era in Kaua`i's history; and
WHEREAS, in September of 2006 the Kapaia Swinging Bridge was
declared unsafe and was closed; and
1
WHEREAS, in 2011 the Kapaia Foundation was formed by Kapaia
residents and their friends and families to preserve, restore, and beautify the
entire Kapaia valley including the Kapaia Swinging Bridge; and
WHEREAS, the County of Kauai does not own any land that abuts or is
adjacent to the Kapaia Swinging Bridge; and
WHEREAS, the Kapaia Swinging Bridge is not listed as a County bridge
on the Department of Public Works bridge inventory, nor does it appear on said
inventory; and
WHEREAS, although there is no existing public access to the Kapaia
Swinging Bridge, pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Section 264 -1(a),
all bridges built by the government are declared to be public highways; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to HRS Section 264 -1(d), all county public highways
and trails once established shall continue until vacated, closed, abandoned, or
discontinued by a resolution of the legislative body of the county wherein the
county highway lies; and
WHEREAS, Visionary LLC owns property under the bridge and will
provide a right -of -entry to the Kapaia Foundation to restore the bridge, and
Visionary LLC is willing to convey the property under the bridge to the Kapaia
Foundation; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF KAUAI,
STATE OF HAWAII, that the purpose of this Resolution is to vacate,
discontinue, and /or abandon any and all rights and responsibilities that the
County of Kauai may have to the Kapaia Swinging Bridge and to grant said
rights and responsibilities to the Kapaia Foundation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County shall grant to Kapaia
Foundation the sum of $231,000.00 for any and all activities related to the
renovation and/or reconstruction, protection, preservation, and restoration of
the Kapaia Swinging Bridge; and furthermore, that the County will support the
Foundation's permitting efforts before public agencies as long as the public
interest is served.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the County will take all necessary
steps to convey the County's interest in the Kapaia Swinging Bridge to the
Kapaia Foundation at no additional expense.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that copies of this Resolution be
transmitted to the Department of Finance, the Office of Economic Development,
the Department of Public Works, and the Kapaia Foundation.
Introduced by:
OSS KAGAWA
(By Request)
VARESOLUTIONS\2016 -2018 TERM\2017 -161 Kapaia Swinging Bridge RK AMK mn.docx
Certificate Of 01boption
Ve berebp certifp that 3&egoiution Po. 2017 -23
brag abopteb by the Council of the QCountp of Raua`i, .6tate of
jbabiai`i, lfibu`e, Raua`i, J�aboai`i, on March 22, 2017
(:4v- -�
ountp Clerk
�Dateb March 23, 2017
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Q'Cbairman & Vreoibi tg (Officer
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Certificate Of 01boption
Ve berebp certifp that 3&egoiution Po. 2017 -23
brag abopteb by the Council of the QCountp of Raua`i, .6tate of
jbabiai`i, lfibu`e, Raua`i, J�aboai`i, on March 22, 2017
(:4v- -�
ountp Clerk
�Dateb March 23, 2017
3
Lp�� -�
Q'Cbairman & Vreoibi tg (Officer