Makaha shore relief near
| • | Army Corps eases beach permit process |
By Adrienne Ancheta
Advertiser Staff Writer
MAKAHA — A four-foot strip of land that separates the Makaha Surfside condominiums from an encroaching bay is closer to being extended and protected after years of effort and talks with government officials.
Advertiser library photo
Plans for a breakwater and the addition of 5,000 cubic yards of sand to Mauna Lahilahi Beach Park, which fronts the condominiums, cleared another hurdle this month when the city filed a finding of no significant impact. The filing clears the way for the city to make its final two permit applications, one with the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the other with the Army Corps of Engineers.
A breakwater will eliminate the need for the 200-plus sandbags that line the shore in front of the Makaha Surfside.
Before permits are approved, a series of hearings will be provided for public input. The Department of Land and Natural Resources has organized the first hearing for Aug. 16.
Actual construction could begin as early as the next few months, depending on the permit process.
"We're at a point where we're going to get something done and we are very grateful," said Bob Benson, a member of the homeowners association board and head of the association's erosion committee.
Makaha Surfside residents have been working with city officials since 1995 to reduce the erosion problem. The ocean has eroded land makai of the 454-unit condominium within four feet of the property line since 1972, when the condominiums were built. The park has lost an estimated 35,000 square feet of land valued at $750,000. Hurricanes 'Iwa and Iniki played a lead role in the destruction.
Today, large waves sometimes crash over the top of protective sandbags and flood the lawn and some ground-level apartments at Makaha Surfside.
| Public hearing | |
| • | What: Public hearing on plans for a breakwater and the addition of 5,000 cubic yards of sand to Mauna Lahilahi Beach Park |
| • | Where: Makaha Valley Community Park |
| • | When: 6 p.m. Aug. 16 |
| • | For more information: Call Sam Lemmo at 587-0381 |
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Since filing its draft environmental assessment last year, the city has made one change to the plans for the breakwater, reducing its length by 50 feet to avoid coral beds. The $800,000 project also includes a proposal for a program to monitor the shoreline, structure, biology, archaeology and water quality in the area for as long as four years. The project has been awarded to Namba Construction Co.
Following public hearings, the DLNR's land division will present its findings, taking public comments into consideration, to the Board of Land and Natural Resources, which will decide whether to issue the city a conservation district use permit.
Meanwhile, more than 200 sandbags barricade the endangered area. Waves last week swept a few bags away, leaving big gaps and stripping away more land from the shore.
