Eyesores in Guam: from derelict buildings to graffiti, abandoned vehicles, and trash

BY OYAOL NGIRAIRIKL
Journal Staff

Abandoned buildings, trash dumped alongside abandoned vehicles on the side of roads leading to popular tourist spots, and graffiti on everything from walls to power poles detract from the natural beauty that makes Guam a paradise for residents and visitors alike.

These landscape blots also lead to potential safety and health hazards that the Islandwide Beautification Task Force, which consists of various government agencies and partners, is working to address.
“The biggest eyesore on Guam is the old Sherwood Hotel in Tumon. This building and lot have received numerous violations and notices from the Department of Public Works,” said Lt. Gov. Joshua F. Tenorio, who also leads the Islandwide Beautification Task Force.

While the task force and DPW have worked with the private sector to clean up or demolish derelict buildings, that’s not without its complications.

“We do not have the financial resources to secure or demolish these buildings independently. There is a legal mechanism that allows these safety hazards and derelict buildings to be secured, and then the authority to place a lien on the property to recover the cost of securing the premises. We have done this in the past for certain structures,” Tenorio said. “But the Sherwood property will take a significant amount of money to demolish and secure. There is no budget for the government to tap into.”

The former Sherwood Resort Guam opened in 1998 but suffered extensive damage when Supertyphoon Pongsona steamrolled Guam in 2002. Since then, the building has changed hands and was bought by Taiwan-based Taieasy International Co. for $13.6 million in 2022 while under the name Verona Resort & Spa, according to Journal files. It has remained in poor condition, and unused and abandoned since the purchase. The property appears to have suffered further damage when Typhoon Mawar hit Guam in May 2023.

The lieutenant governor said abandoned homes in villages “have been a problem as well.”

“Under the direction of the IBTF, DPW, with support from the Mayors Council, Department of Land Management, and Bureau of Statistics and Planning, have identified properties and issued notices to the owners of derelict buildings,” Tenorio said. “There has been some progress on this in recent years, but this slowed during the Mawar recovery. However, resources are being reallocated to catch up.”

He added that private landowners “must take responsibility for their properties — the government cannot assume this responsibility exclusively for these private properties.”

These abandoned properties pose several problems, including decreased property values, and safety hazards due to potential structural failures or criminal activities. Local elected leaders, Guam Visitors Bureau officials and board members, as well as members of the Guam Chamber of Commerce, have expressed concern over the impact of these buildings on tourism and community well-being. Mayors have shared concerns that these abandoned homes and buildings attract squatters or become gathering places for drug trafficking or use.

Mayor Louise C. Rivera of Tamuning said a related issue is graffiti that is found throughout the island. The issue was again the topic of community discussion after photos of an area in Tumon were widely shared showing graffiti-riddled walls.

While some people view graffiti as a form of artistic expression, others see it as vandalism that detracts from the island's charm. Areas such as Pale San Vitores Road are often cited as hotspots for graffiti, leading to mixed feelings among residents and business owners.

The Mayors Council of Guam has noted that while some graffiti can enhance urban spaces through artistic murals, tagging can create an impression of neglect.

Rivera said the business community has reached out to her and the Guam Police Department asking what can be done to protect property. Security cameras have caught perpetrators in action, but not every company or homeowner can afford those. Additionally, cameras at local parks are costly to purchase and maintain.

Previously, the government has provided mayors offices, landlords, and nonprofit organizations with paint to cover graffiti sprayed on buildings, walls, park pavilions, and even power poles.

“I can’t do it alone. I do work with different agencies and I’m always open with conversations with every individual to see how we can help stop graffiti,” Rivera said. “I really appreciate our nonprofit organizations and volunteers who are out there cleaning up – whether it’s trash or graffiti.”

The mayor asked residents to report suspicious activity. “Call GPD, call the Mayor’s office, and if you can capture it on smartphone camera; please send it.”

Another eyesore that Tenorio called “the biggest crisis” facing IBTF “are the thousands of abandoned vehicles on Guam.”

Junk cars often become breeding grounds for pests, and leaking fluids pose environmental hazards.

“There is a lot of effort being placed to expand removal,” Tenorio said. “The big crisis we face has to do with the shipment and removal of these vehicles off the island.

“The cost to remove and process abandoned vehicles has now risen dramatically,” he said. “We now have to treat this as a solid waste disposal cost. We have a disposal problem and need more private sector solutions to address this issue in addition to securing equipment to increase collection.”

Funding to remove abandoned vehicles comes from Guam’s Recycling Revolving Fund, which collects payments from vehicle registrations and renewals. There’s roughly $2.3 million in that fund each year. From that fund, mayors can pay contractors to remove old cars from roadsides. Historically, however, funding is insufficient as the number of abandoned vehicles throughout the island is in the hundreds. It typically costs about $200 to remove a vehicle. Additionally, funding is used for disposal of white goods and other large items.

Angel Sablan, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, noted that abandoned vehicles aren’t just an issue in villages but at parks as well. He’s asked for funding to help with removing vehicles left at DPR parks.

Nic Lee Rupley, an Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson, said there is indirect funding available to DPR, but it would have to be accessed via a memorandum of agreement with mayors.
Even with funding, Lee said removing abandoned vehicles is a challenge. Echoing the lieutenant governor's concerns, he noted that lack of profitability in the recycling industry means fewer companies are in the business of towing cars and sending them to off-island recycling centers.

“A real challenge is that everyone involved with disposing of junk vehicles is competing for the same resources. There are some companies contracted to remove vehicles,” he said. “There are 19 municipalities that can leverage the RRF … but there are limited contractors.”

In addition, Rupley said there are only two companies permitted to accept vehicles; even then they can’t always accept them because they must follow safety and health regulations.

Often times, according to Sablan, these vehicles are either filled with trash or are surrounded by illegally dumped trash. This creates another issue: clearing out the vehicles or the areas around them before they can be removed.

Cars have been dumped on military properties also. Naval Base Guam recorded more than 140 vehicles in April.

In November, the Dededo Mayor’s Office and Joint Region Marianas partnered to clear debris, abandoned vehicles and waste from the intersection of Ukudu Street and West Santa Monica Avenue up past Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. That effort removed 250 vehicles, 60 appliances, 250 cubic yards of metallic debris, and 28 acres of green waste and refuse in Dededo. According to JRM, the abandoned vehicles and other metal items were sent to recycling centers while the green waste and refuse was sent to the Layon landfill.

Illegal dump sites are another major issue for Guam. Earlier this year, DPW cleaned up trash illegally dumped by the road leading to Two Lovers Point.

Community organizations have either on their own or in partnership with the Bureau of Statistics and Planning picked up trash from beaches, parks, roadsides, riversides, and other areas throughout the island. mbj