Group rallies to reopen well-known Haiku Stairs

It’s now or never, according to Friends of Haiku Stairs, a nonprofit that has been advocating for years to save the Stairway to Heaven.

The group held a rally to save the iconic stairs Tuesday afternoon in front of Honolulu Hale, saying that now is the time to act, particularly in the wake of the Board of Water Supply’s recently published draft environmental impact statement.

Dr. Vernon Ansdell, Friends president, said the detailed, four-volume report clearly evaluated all the options, and shows reopening the stairs under a managed access plan would be best.

“The Friends believe that the government and the people can work together to reopen this precious, one-of-a-kind resource,” he said. “But we can’t afford to wait any longer.”

Ansdell requested a formal meeting with Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and wants the city to consider a public-private partnership to keep the stairs open.

The BWS, on the other hand, has proposed removing the 3,922-step stairway as a way to eliminate its risk of liability at a cost of about $1 million, and estimated it could finish the job in 2022. The city agency would rather focus on its core mission of providing Oahu residents with a safe, dependable water supply than on management of the stairs.

Dan Hartenstein, a Windward side resident, handed out flyers and “Save Haiku Stairs!” bumper stickers. He said he wants to one day share hiking the stairs with his daughter, age 15.

The Friends insist that the Stairway to Heaven is safe and that there has never been a serious injury or death related to an accident on the stairs themselves.

Despite being illegal, dozens of trespassers climb the stairs. The Honolulu Fire Department has responded to hikers in distress near Haiku Stairs 60 times over a five-year period from Jan. 1, 2015, to April 30 this year.

HFD has responded three times more, or 195 times, to hikers in distress at the state-sanctioned Diamond Head State Monument during that same time period.

Caldwell thanked the Friends for their demonstration of support at Honolulu Hale but has not yet met with them.

“I have always wanted to preserve the Haiku Stairs, but it’s important to provide relief to the community around the entrance to the stairs, and to ensure that the experience is safer for hikers and first responders,” said Caldwell in a statement.

Participants at the rally collected signatures for a paper petition that will be added to an online petition, launched four years ago, that so far has garnered more than 11,200 signatures.

Under managed access, Ansdell said about 80 people with permits would climb the stairs a day, escorted by guides who would share knowledge about the history, cultural significance and native plants of the area.

The permits would be two-tiered — $10 to $20 for Hawaii residents and $100 to $200 for visitors, Ansdell said.

The public has until Aug. 7 to comment on the draft EIS. The BWS will make a presentation to the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board at its July 18 meeting, 7 p.m. at the Benjamin Parker Elementary School cafeteria.