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Video by Allison Schaefers and Dennis Oda / aschaefers@staradvertiser.com and doda@staradvertiser.com
A lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday to halt construction of the city's proposed sports facilities at Sherwood Forest in Waimanalo. Project opponents held a press conference and protest Saturday.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Save Our Sherwoods held a news conference and rally today at the entrance to Waimanalo Beach Park and Sherwood Forest to discuss the new lawsuit seeking to halt the city’s development of the park.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Kahiwaliko Macomber, 11, and Bella Souki, 10, planting an upside down Hawaiian flag where the trees once stood in Sherwood Forest.
An attorney for a group that opposes the city’s plan to develop a portion of Waimanalo Bay Beach Park said today he plans further legal action, including filing for an injunction to stop the project and for relief to get it returned to its pre-construction condition.
Tim Vandeveer, who filed a lawsuit Thursday in District Court, made his remarks during a press conference at the beach park, which was attended by about 140 protesters and project opponents.
The city wants to continue developing 4 acres of the park’s 74-acre forest, known as Sherwood Forest, into a multipurpose field, playground and 11-stall parking lot, city spokesman Andrew Pereira said today.
The current $1.43 million project represents a compromise from the city’s original 2012 plan to develop a $32 million sports complex and 470-stall parking lot, Pereira said.
But the lawsuit Vandeveer filed alleges that the city failed to adhere to federal land use controls, violated federal and state historic preservation law, conducted an inadequate Environmental Assessment, and used a flawed permit approvals process that distorted the primary and special purposes of the beach park.
There were no arrests at today’s peaceful gathering, which followed Thursday’s arrest of 28 protesters, who were blocking police and construction workers. Protesters have been camping since Monday at the site.
Save Our Sherwoods Lawsuit by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd
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