WAILUKU >> The Hawaii Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans to tear down a condemned pier in Hana, Maui, that residents say is a recreational hot spot but that the department views as a safety hazard.

Last week the department’s Harbors Division released a notice of its plan to begin an environmental impact statement on the pier’s removal, The Maui News reported.

The department nixed plans to repair the pier in January, after strong opposition from residents who worried that a new pier would bring commercial activity to the small town.

The aging pier was built in 1921 by the Territory of Hawaii. Supported by concrete posts, the main section is about 339 feet long and 44 feet wide and runs parallel to shore, according to the department.