Again we are back on the Haiku Stairs.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser last week reported a big “no” in legalese, saying that “1st Circuit Judge John M. Tonaki granted summary judgment on the city’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit outright.”

The legal issue, according to Friends of Haiku Stairs, was that the city violated Hawaii’s Environmental Policy Act by ordering the Windward Oahu attraction off limits. On the other side of the issue were Haiku Valley folks complaining about hikers trespassing through their properties to access the illegal hike. The ruling means if the city says no climbing, then you are not allowed to climb.

Hikers having to trespass over private land and basically make a nuisance of themselves with thoughtless parking and noise in private residential areas hasn’t stopped throngs of hikers from trying to climb the more-than-3,000 steps up the Koolau mountain range.

The climb via steel stairs, some installed during World War II, is perilous while the view is spectacular.

“Nope,” the city says.

According to news reports, the reasons included “safety concerns, liability costs to the city, trespassing/neighborhood disturbances and invasive species.”

We have heard this before: a case of a localized controversy that has no overwhelming good or bad side, except for supporters and those opposed. If you really want to climb that mountain, you are on one side; if you don’t want to be liable if someone falls off that mountain or don’t want to put up with strangers roaming around your neighborhood looking for a trailhead, you are with the other group. The majority of folks, I bet, don’t really care about it.

Gary Gill, former Honolulu City Council man, grew up in a family of knowledgeable and dedicated Hawaii hikers. He is also a consultant and volunteer for the Friends of Haiku Stairs.

“The Stairs are a public and historic asset that can encourage environmental awareness, support cultural practices and even provide some jobs for the Windward side. It does not take much imagination to see how the Stairs can become a positive asset for Oahu,” Gill said in an email to me. “Unfortunately, some in our government consider this asset to be a ‘headache’ and choose not to be creative and innovative regarding the management of the Haiku Stairs.”

On the other side is Mayor Rick Blangiardi, saying don’t lace up those hiking books too soon.

“Fundamentally, it is inappropriate to have a high-use tourist attraction entering through this residential neighborhood, which lacks the capacity to provide appropriate facilities or parking,” Blangiardi said in a news report.

“In addition, there is no unrestricted access to the stairs and the primary landowner at the base made it clear it is not interested in providing access.”

The offered solution involves having a new entity or another group ensure responsibility for hikers tramping up the mountain. In past years one solution was to station police officers in the neighborhood to shoo away hikers looking for easy parking, so it is obvious there is no easy compromise.

Most recently, though, the mayor and the City Council have been in agreement that the stairs must be taken away, pointing out that Haiku is not the only trail to a gorgeous Hawaii vista.

Meanwhile, the only thing certain is that the Koolau mountains won’t move to offer Hawaii residents and voters a compromise.

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.