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The Honolulu City Council voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of a resolution urging the city to remove Haiku Stairs.
However, Council members Radiant Cordero, Brandon Elefante, Augie Tulba and Andria Tupola all recorded reservations to the measure.
The stairs have been hotly debated for years, with nearby residents upset by traffic and other disturbances, and hikers hoping for legal access to the Stairway to Heaven.
Friends of Haiku Stairs, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the trail, advocated for a managed access plan that would allow the structure to remain in place.
However, Council members noted that it would be difficult to get the different landowners surrounding the trail to agree to the plan.
The resolution is nonbinding, which means it will not mandate the city to remove the stairs. The Council did include $1 million in the city’s budget for the stair’s removal, but it will be up to Mayor Rick Blangiardi to release the funds for the action.
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