The city Department of Planning and Permitting has investigated at least 20 community complaints over the past two decades related to the house involved in Saturday’s Waianae Valley Road shooting.
Since the incident, Waianae Valley Road residents have questioned the legitimacy of the property owners at 85-1383-C Waianae Valley Road renting out their space for parties, given the area’s agricultural zoning.
On Tuesday a city spokesperson told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser the DPP has not issued a conditional use permit or any other land use permit for the over-19-acre property.
The Waianae Valley “neighbor-on-neighbor dispute” that ended with four deaths Saturday night began with complaints about cars speeding to and from a next-door commercial party site owned by a 58-year-old man who responded with a violent rampage.
The man, who shot five people — killing three — before being fatally shot, was businessman Hiram James Silva Sr.
Silva, who lived along Waianae Valley Road, frequently rented out his Quonset hut — known as the “Silva dome” — for large parties that often attracted hundreds of attendees, according to local residents.
On Saturday the Keamo family had its own gathering while Silva had rented out the dome for a party. Concerned for safety, the Keamos asked the partygoers to stop speeding down the road. In retaliation, Silva drove a front loader onto the Keamo property, ramming cars into the house multiple times, according to Waianae Neighborhood Board Chair Philip Ganaban. When the machine stalled, Silva exited the loader and began shooting at the Keamo family.
Silva was then fatally shot with a handgun by a 42-year-old resident of the home.
A city spokesperson said Silva’s property is privately owned, but the owners never obtained a permit to build the Quonset hut structure or to host parties for commercial purposes.
Since the structure is unpermitted, the city cannot confirm when the hut was built or when it began being rented out.
While some Waianae residents, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, speculate that the Silva dome began operating during the COVID-19 pandemic due to other venues being closed during lockdown, Instagram posts trace the dome hosting parties back to July 2018.
A sound and lighting system company — known on Instagram as nolimit_sound — confirmed it was hired to provide sound and lighting for a wedding hosted at the dome in 2018 and worked at another event there in 2019.
Another entertainment company, Artee Entertainment, posted videos of a party held at the dome in January 2022.
Neighbors along Waianae Valley Road reported that parties at the dome could be very loud and happened as frequently as once a week.
Regarding the dome itself, DPP received only one official complaint in 2021.
In March 2021 a complaint was received regarding an illegal structure — the “Silva dome” — on the property. An inspection revealed a large tent structure that was not permitted, leading to a notice of violation being issued.
According to the city, DPP inspectors repeatedly attempted to reinspect the property, but the owners did not respond to their requests. The tent remained visible, and the matter was referred to the Code Compliance Branch for the issuance of a notice of order.
In addition to complaints about the dome, the property has received other complaints dating back to July 2001.
Since 2001, DPP has received 20 investigation requests related to various issues, including grading, grubbing, stockpiling and operating an illegal commercial trucking business on agricultural land.
Five NOVs have been issued, with two still open for grading and the large tent — “Silva dome.”
From July 2001 to April 2002, the DPP received reports of illegal grading, grubbing and trenching on the property. However, these issues were resolved as nonviolations because the owner had a valid grading permit.
Waianae residents also brought up Silva’s company SER Trucking, which was involved in illegal dumping scandals over a decade ago.
The DPP received five complaints about the trucking business dating back to June 2002.
Three of these complaints were resolved as nonviolations, while one resulted in an NOV. The most recent inspection in October 2013 found that business equipment and derelict vehicles had been removed, correcting the violation. The Silvas paid a $1,650 fine.
“DPP has really diligently investigated all of these complaints, and they’ve issued fines,” the city spokesperson said. “They’ve issued notices of violation and notices of order. So the DPP has certainly been responsive to complaints from the community about that property.”
In 2015 the city put a lien on the property, which means it has a legal claim on it because the owner owes the city money. The fines for not fixing the violations have added up to more than $587,000.
As of Tuesday the fines remained open and totaled $587,250, with the amount continuing to grow if not paid.
The city spokesperson said there has been no progress regarding the “Silva dome” on the property, even though it is an unpermitted structure. The city commented that it is too early to determine what will happen to the dome or its status, particularly with the ongoing crime investigation. Additionally, the city has not had any discussions about the property since the incident Saturday.
