‘A fire hazard’: Concerns grow about former swap meet space as city issues more violations

PEARL CITY (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concern is growing in Pearl City after another notice of violation was issued to the owners of the old Kam Swap Meet property recently.

Residents who live near the vacant property near Pearl Ridge Center tell HNN it’s been an area of concern for the last several years with homeless and dry brush.

They said after the recent Maui wildfires, they don’t want to take any chances.

“It is true a fire hazard,” said one nearby resident. “Some of them cook on open fires so you see smoke.”

The property was once the Kam Drive-In movie theater and swap meet.

In 2014, there was were talks of developing the property and creating high-rise apartments but it never happened.

Hawaii News Now’s cameras found parts of the fence around the property cut open.

“They are very bold. The homeless just come back and cut holes in the fence,” said one resident.

Zeke Jasso, the property manager for the condos across the street, said most of the property live in the vacant buildings.

“I ask myself, why is the building still standing,” said Jasso. ”We’ve actually had people run to our fence saying, he has a gun, he has a gun.”

Last month, the city’s Department of Permitting and Planning issued a notice of violation to owner CP Kam Properties LLC, which was found to have Los Angeles address.

According to the violation, inspectors found “excessive overgrowth and flammable weeds” along with other debris and furniture. It also says two buildings on the property are unsafe and occupied by homeless.

“You can see on the weekends they have all their laundry out, all their vehicles out,” said Jasso.

The city gave the owner until Oct. 5 to make corrections but a week after that deadline, it appears changes haven’t been made.

”The frustration is that the violations get issued but nothing seems to happen,” said another resident.

The city issued a similar notice of violation in May of last year but officials said corrections were made by the owner and no fines were issued.

It’s unclear if the city will be issuing fines this time around.

HNN reached out to the owner for comment but have not heard back.

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