When guests of Motel Lani want to stay there, they really want to stay. Owner-manager Janet Naumu said several stuck it out even with the knowledge that tons of heavy equipment staged in front of the hotel would shake the
When guests of Motel Lani want to stay there, they really want to stay.
Owner-manager Janet Naumu said several stuck it out even with the knowledge that tons of heavy equipment staged in front of the hotel would shake the nine-room inn on Rice Street earlier this week during night construction that as of Wednesday afternoon had moved to an area near Rice Shopping Center.
When crews exceeded their posted 2:30 a.m. finishing time by a couple hours Monday morning, Naumu started to go out and complain. But she said she realized the crew needed to cover up open trenches before daybreak, so went back inside.
And when her 10-year-old granddaughter awoke at 3 a.m. to the loud noises and vibrations, Naumu understood that the quicker the work got done, the sooner she and her guests could return to quiet evenings of rest.
“They took it,” she said of some European visitors and other guests who checked in and stayed, even knowing about the pending night construction work outside their windows.
Some canceled reservations or decided not to make reservations upon learning of the night work this week, said Naumu.
“I have to tell people about the noise,” she said.
Yesterday, only four rooms were occupied.
Officials said the Kaua’i County public information and complaints office received one telephone complaint about the night construction, which began Sunday and is scheduled to end Friday morning. A resident of Kalapaki Villas who called felt better upon learning construction work was moving away from her, said Beth Tokioka, county spokeswoman.
A few other residents called the street project’s general contractor, Goodfellow Brothers, said project manager, Myles Mizokami.
He said Goodfellow is working closely with the state Department of Health, which issued a noise variance allowing night construction in a residential area.
The major reconstruction of the side of Rice Street closest to Kaua’i Museum, Historic County Building and Central Pacific Bank is proceeding. But the Motel Lani, Kalapaki Villas and Lihu’e Townhouse areas must endure at least a few more nights of construction work when the other two lanes of the street are built in phase two of the $6.8 million project.
The project, which began in late July, is on schedule, Mizokami said. Original estimates were that the work would take around nine months to complete.
Besides widening the street to four lanes, the project includes improved drainage, sidewalks and landscaping, and new traffic lights at the intersections with ‘Umi, Kalena/Hardy and Ho’olako streets.
The Federal Highway Administration is providing $5.44 million, or 80 percent, of the funding for the project. The remaining $1.36 million coming from the county highway fund.
Tokioka said $700,000 was spent by the county on planning and land acquisition alone.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
