KAILUA, Hawaii — In “Mending Fences,” poet Robert Frost bucked against the wisdom of the old idiom, “Good fences make good neighbors.”

What You Need To Know

  • The groundbreaking marks what lawmakers hope is the beginning of the end of a longstanding dispute between the restaurant, owned by California-based Cotti Foods, and those unhappy with the light, noise and activity generated by its presence in the neighborhood

  • The nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant is located on the former site of a Tesoro gas station, with an entrance on Kailua Road and Uluopihi Loop behind it

  • A rock wall used to surround the property, but it was removed when the restaurant was built

  • Cotti Foods’ original plan was to install a tall hedge as a barrier between it and the surrounding neighborhood, but that idea was scuttled in favor of a solid wall after ongoing discussions with the neighborhood boards and lawmakers

Granted, the former American poet laureate never lived next to a popular fast-food restaurant and its perpetually busy drive-thru lane.

On Tuesday, Mayor Rick Blangiardi joined Honolulu City Council member Esther Kiaaina, members of the Kailua Neighborhood Board and representatives from Cotti Foods in breaking ground for a new six-foot wall that will separate the Kailua Wendy’s restaurant from its surrounding Pohakupu neighbors.

The groundbreaking marks what lawmakers hope is the beginning of the end of a longstanding dispute between the restaurant, owned by California-based Cotti Foods, and those unhappy with the light, noise and activity generated by its presence in the neighborhood.

“The community spoke loudly and clearly on this, and I’m thrilled that our team was able to work with Council member Esther Kiaaina to make it happen,” Blangiardi said. “I’d also like to give a special mahalo to Ryan Zacche and the team at Cotti Foods for your understanding and your commitment to being a good neighbor and valuable partner to everyone in Kailua.”

The nearly 3,000-square-foot restaurant is located on the former site of a Tesoro gas station, with an entrance on Kailua Road and Uluopihi Loop behind it.

A rock wall used to surround the property, but it was removed when the restaurant was built.

Complaints about the restaurant and the potential disruption it would cause in the neighborhood were registered years before it actually opened in 2021. Cotti Foods’ original plan was to install a tall hedge as a barrier between it and the surrounding neighborhood, but that idea was scuttled in favor of a solid wall after ongoing discussions with the neighborhood boards and lawmakers.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.