Hanauma project has quiet start
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Bureau
HAWAI'I KAI — Ground was quietly blessed at Hanauma Bay early Tuesday morning, without the fanfare usual for an event connected to a high-profile city project.
The city once planned to invite about 300 people to the groundbreaking, marking the start of $10.6 million in renovations for Hanauma Bay, but the invitations never even made it to the printer, said Carol Costa, city spokeswoman.
Instead, city officials canceled a groundbreaking ceremony that was to include music, hula and food, because resentment is still running high among some opponents of the plan.
Not even Mayor Jeremy Harris was on hand for the blessing of the ground and equipment, city Human Resources Director Cynthia Bond said Tuesday night.
The East Honolulu Community Coalition, which has continuously lobbed opposition over the city's plan for Hanauma Bay, continues to object.
The coalition will stage an u«, or wailing, to ask Hawaiian gods for forgiveness for the construction that will begin Monday, said coalition member Roy Benham.
The u« will be from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday outside of the Hanauma Bay park.
"We feel the 'aina is being violated, and we'll go there and ask forgiveness," Benham said. "In Hawaiian culture, a tree has the same feelings as a human. We will ask the nature gods' forgiveness for the violation of nature for tearing up the ground."
Last week, the city held a meeting to plan for the blessing ceremony at the bay. But it became obvious to the Rev. Kaleo Patterson, a Hawaiian minister asked by the city to do the blessing, that time was needed to mend rifts created during the Hanauma Bay proposal process.
Only one member of the East Honolulu Community Coalition came to the meeting, representing himself as a private individual, not the group, Bond said.
"We feel we need to let people take the time to heal," Bond said. "We'll have the untying of the maile lei and a blessing of the facility at the end, when construction is completed."
In the meantime, 'Ahahui Malama I Ka Lokahi is coordinating meetings with the Hawaiian opposition to ease hard feelings, Costa said.
"After the state Department of Land and Natural Resources approved the plan, many of us resigned ourselves that the Hanauma Bay plan will move forward," said coalition member David Washino. "The members have asked for a healing process, a time to agree to disagree."
Washino said he and others want to meet with Mayor Harris and city staffers for a kukakuka — a talk to help find common ground.
The city has been planning for improvements and an education center at Hanauma Bay since 1999. At first the city proposed using the neighboring Koko Head District Park for parking, shuttling people to the bay's education center, and building a tram to the top of Koko Crater. But community opposition mounted to these plans. Through more than 100 meetings, the city scaled back the plans to the bay proper, Costa said.
Plans for Hanauma now include the building of an educational center, snack shop, restrooms and gift shop above the bay. On the beach, an information kiosk, snorkel concession, storage facility and restrooms will be built.
