Editorial: Decision time for Haiku Stairs

Mayor Rick Blangiardi seems determined to end the debate over Haiku Stairs once and for all.

His administration announced last week it has awarded a $2.6 million contract to The Nakoa Companies, Inc., to remove completely the iconic steel staircase that runs along a narrow Koolau ridgeline above Kaneohe.

The work has not yet begun. And a lawsuit pending against the city could complicate matters. But like it or not, a final decision, and a commitment to follow through on it, was long overdue — and, on balance, Blangiardi made the right choice.

The Haiku Stairs originally were built to access communications equipment during World War II. The U.S. Coast Guard took over the facility in the 1970s and opened the stairs to the public. But in 1987, the Coast Guard restricted public access due to vandalism and liability concerns. That was 36 years ago. Eventually control of the stairs went to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) and then the city.

Subsequent efforts by previous city administrations and Haiku Stairs advocates failed to produce the well-run, managed-access public attraction they all said they wanted and claimed was possible.

In the meantime, thanks to social media, the stairs have become an attractive nuisance.

The city has been forced to deploy police officers to deal with trespassers and complaints from the neighbors, who bear the brunt of hikers invading their neighborhood at all hours in hopes of avoiding security or reaching the summit in time for the sunrise.

Still, it’s not over. The city must contend with a lawsuit filed on Aug. 8 by Friends of Haiku Stairs (FHS), which seeks to stop the demolition. FHS argues that complete removal of the 3,922-step staircase requires a new environmental impact statement (EIS) or at least a supplemental EIS (SEIS).

FHS claims the city is relying on an “inappropriate, outdated, and legally irrelevant” 2019 EIS, which was prepared by BWS to consider three proposed actions — none of them the current course of action.

A court will decide if FHS’s legal claims have merit. But the complaint raises some valid concerns about the demolition.

“Ripping a mile-long, 80-year-old staircase off from its perch atop a steep, windswept ridge exposed to torrential downpours is no simple task,” the complaint said.

This is obviously true. The rugged work of removing the Haiku Stairs could cause erosion and damage to endangered native flora and fauna, which take refuge on the steep slopes of the Koolaus. The city’s press release addressed this issue briefly, saying that its contractor, Nakoa, would “contract with — and take direction from — a biologist” who would guide the protection of native species and prevent erosion.

Certainly the work, which will involve helicopters in a windy, rainy environment, must proceed with care.

As it happens, Nakoa has some experience working on the Haiku Stairs. In 2001, it repaired 593 railing modules and other features of the stairway as part of a restoration project. In 2016, it removed a makeshift swing illegally installed at the top of the stairs.

Losing the Haiku Stairs undoubtedly will be met with much sadness. The stairs are unique and offer unparalleled views of the Windward side. They are also irreplaceable. Given current standards of construction and environmental regulations, it’s unlikely another set of stairs like it, along a steep Koolau ridge, will ever be built.

But once the work is done, it’s hoped the portion of the ridgeline holding the stairs will recover its natural state, as it was before the military took it over. This appears to be the best outcome for an irreconcilable problem. And all is not lost: There are many other ridge and summit hikes on Oahu that offer spectacular views.