Editorial: Hope renewed for Haiku Stairs

Windward Oahu’s Haiku Stairs, also known as “Stairway to Heaven,” was built by the U.S. Navy in the early 1940s as an access route to cable communications sites situated along the verdant Koolau ridgeline above Haiku Valley. The ascent of about 4,000 steps to spectacular views was open to the general public for several years, starting in the mid-1970s.

When the city closed access in 1987 it cited cases of vandalism and liability concerns. But much has changed since then. The debate about whether to reopen Haiku Stairs has been underway for three decades now. It’s high time to end this frustratingly long limbo and find a way to preserve rather than dismantle this unique trail.

The land under and surrounding the stairs is owned by the city for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS), which has no plan to tap the parcel. (The BWS draws from Haiku Valley sources to provide drinking water to Kaneohe and Maunawili.)

The semi-autonomous agency is shelling out about $160,000 a year for security that attempts to keep trespassers off the trail. But lured by social media images and word-of-mouth, it’s estimated that nearly 4,000 people illegally access the stairs annually.

Understandably then, the BWS wants to unload its Haiku Stairs responsibility. It’s now pursuing an environmental impact statement with a preferred proposal to remove the stairs. Among alternatives also on the table: transfer of land and stairs to a public or private entity.

The viability of a transfer got a boost this week when the City Council’s Transportation and Planning Committee approved an update of the Koolaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan, which could go for a final vote before the full Council next week. Bill 57 includes a change in language that allows transfer of Haiku Stairs to another city agency.

City leaders should seize this opportunity to reassign the parcel to the Department of Parks and Recreation, which is a more appropriate home for the trail. They should also find a way to task the nonprofit Friends of Haiku Stairs with a role in maintenance and operations.

The group is pitching an idea worthy of consideration: reopen with a hiking fee, perhaps $5 to $20 for residents and $50 or higher for tourists. Proceeds could be used for trail and native species upkeep and security. For many years Friends of Haiku Stairs — founded 30 years ago — conducted authorized annual work days along the trail, clearing overgrowth and invasive species.

Management could be patterned on a program in place at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. Back in 1990, in response to overuse, the preserve established limited hours of access, admission fees and various other rules. Such a strategy could work at Haiku Stairs, too.

The stairs are in relatively good shape — thanks, in part, to Honolulu Hale spending $875,000 on refurbishment in the early 2000s, when ownership moved to the city from the military, which had replaced original wood steps with galvanized metal. Unfortunately, when the city was poised to formally reopen the path, it ran into trail access-related snags involving state agencies and residential opposition, which put the effort on hold.

Neighbors have rightly complained about hikers trespassing and cases of vandalism. But with established legal access and vigilant management, such problems would subside. With the threat of losing Haiku Stairs looming, it’s encouraging to see a signaling of support for preservation. The Kaneohe Neighborhood Board in mid-June passed a resolution asking BWS to change its preferred option to “managed access plan” from demolition.

What’s more, the trail’s supporters point out that despite the steep climb, there are no documented reports of any serious injury as a result of an accident along the path, which is lined with handrails and treads that make it much safer than scores of other trails known for slick and muddy patches.

Surely, it’s not impossible to untangle the knotty issues that have too long blocked the public’s enjoyment of this popular trail. The city should hold onto and partner to reopen Haiku Stairs.