An ad hoc community group formed to decide the future of Haiku Stairs released a report Thursday recommending that the popular attraction be reopened with access through Windward Community College’s campus.

The 13-member group made up of representatives from the community, landowners and government agencies also estimated the cost of removing the stairs to be $3 million to $5 million.

Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson, who represents the area, said he was pleased that the diverse group of stakeholders put aside their differences and emerged with one solution.

"It’s a solid step in the right direction," Anderson said. "I truly believe that the community at large would benefit if we can reopen Haiku Stairs in a managed fashion via a controlled access point."

Anderson added that a controlled access point would reduce the need for hikers to trespass on private property.

However, the group’s report surprised the administration at WCC, which said in a statement that the final report was "premature and incomplete."

The statement said WCC Chancellor Douglas Dykstra cautioned the group that no commitments would be made until a written proposal was submitted and reviewed by the college’s lawyers.

Councilman Anderson, however, said it was more important to find out what the Board of Water Supply wants to do about allowing the public to use the stairs. BWS owns the land beneath the stairs.

He said he plans to meet with BWS chief engineer Ernest Lau and Mayor Kirk Caldwell after Lau gets feedback from the board.

Anderson said if the board does not support allowing the public to use the stairs, then the city could look at transferring the property to a nonprofit or other government agency.

The 3,200 steps, also known as the Stairway to Heaven, were built in 1943 to reach military facilities. They were replaced by metal stairs in the 1950s and closed in 1987 due to disrepair.

In the early 2000s the city spent $875,000 to repair the stairs, but jurisdictional entanglements and opposition from area residents kept the stairs closed.

Hikers, however, continue to trespass through private property to reach the stairs and have assaulted and confronted nearby residents.

Chad Kaukani, vice chairman of the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board, said many residents support keeping the stairs closed because of vandalism and trespassing.

The Haiku Stairs Working Group was formed in June and has met once a week since late July. Despite both supporters and opponents participating in the group, all agreed that the community must do something about the stairs and that the current situation was not acceptable.

In their report the group said residents continued to experience problems with trespassers even after BWS began posting a guard at the stairs around the clock in September.

The group’s report includes several recommended requirements before allowing access, such as limiting the number of hikers allowed during set hiking periods, and staff to escort hikers to the bottom of the stairs and to provide safety briefings.

Bill Sager, a member of the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board, said he’s been a supporter of the stairs since the 1970s when his son climbed them.

He said government agencies that own the land have made gaining access difficult.

"It’s a beautiful hike," he said, adding that hikers can see the changing ecosystems as they climb the stairs. "It already is a world-class resource because people come from all over to try to climb the stairs."

Anderson said there are numerous landowners along the access route to the stairs, such as the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which owns the valley floor; Kamehameha Schools, which owns an access road; and the Department of Transportation, which owns an easement beneath H-3 freeway.

Anderson said if the city cannot make any movement on the attempt to reopen the stairs by early 2015, then it should start looking to remove them for the safety and quality of life for nearby residents.

"You have residents who have been physically assaulted by hikers," he said. "This cannot continue."

Hiking Caveats

In addition to controlled access, the group’s report includes recommended requirements before allowing access, such as limiting the number of hikers allowed during set hiking periods, and staff to escort hikers to the bottom of the stairs and to provide safety briefings.

Haiku Stairs Working Group Final Report