Kakaako rave upsets residents who say HPD didn't stop it fast enough

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Kakaako residents said a block party last Saturday overwhelmed the community and HPD ignored their pleas to shut it down.

The self-described "Party in the Parking Lot" at 975 Kapiolani  Blvd. attracted nearly 500 people on a lot with less than 20 parking stalls. Residents in the neighboring Pacifica condo says the noise kept them up all night.

"It was louder than any of the fireworks that goes on around here during the holidays. It woke us all up. The music was just booming," said Kakaako resident Eileen Kato.

Added Krystal Soares, a security employee at the Pacifica condo, heard many complaints from residents.

"They were saying that it was vibrating the walls in their units. It was vibrating the windows. That's how loud it was," she said.

City Planning Commissioner member Gifford Chang, whose family owns the parcel, said the property's business zoning allows concerts to be held there.

He said he was told by the promoters that they had contacted the state Health Department and that the state told them that the noise levels would not be excessive.

But the loud noises were just some of the complaints by neighbors.

"Basically, all night we were kicking people off our property for smoking marijuana, smoking cigarettes," said Soares.

"There were people trying to urinate in our doorways … It looked like a zombie apocalypse, a continuous stream of people."

Residents said police sent about a dozen officers to the scene but largely ignored their noise complaints.

Police did say they eventually shut down the rave, but it took them a while to identify and locate the promoters and disperse concert goers. Residents said  that didn't happen until 1:30 in the morning.

Councilmember Ann Kobayashi said police should have cited the promoters and the landowner.

"I think they could have done more. If this was like a private home in Manoa Valley and there was all that noise and people running around, they would have to shut down that party," Kobayashi said.

Meanwhile, the City Liquor Commission said it's investigating but may not have jurisdiction since it appears that alcohol wasn't sold on site.

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