Capitol meeting discusses Ha'iku Stairs plan

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

People who live and work near the popular Ha'iku Stairs hiking trail want the city to provide parking and access away from their properties before opening the stairs.

While some residents near the stairs have called for a permanent shutdown of the spot because of problems with trespassing and vandalism, the Kane'ohe Neighborhood Board has taken another tack, forming a task force to make sure the residents' needs are met when the trail opens.

"I, too, also heard about total closure of the stairs and I'd hate to see that come about," said task force chairman Keoki Leong. "I think there is a solution out there that could work for everybody."

Group members met with other interested parties yesterday at the state Capitol to discuss the city's plans for opening the stairs, an event that has been delayed by more than a year.

"There has been a relatively steady stream (of hikers), especially on the weekends," said Sandi Rosso, a member of the neighborhood board and task force. Some of the hikers have used yard hoses without permission and vandalized private property, she said.

But John Flanigan, chairman of the Friends of Ha'iku Stairs board, said security guards installed at the foot of the stairs and at one of the entry points have helped stem the flow of visitors. Previously the Friends would turn away eight to 12 groups a day while doing maintenance work, but now security guards say the average is about six to eight groups, according to Flanigan.

City Managing Director Ben Lee said that when the city opens the site, traffic through the residential neighborhood should not be more than when the Coast Guard station was open 24 hours a day and 2,000 hikers visited the site each month. "We don't think it's going to stress or impact the subdivision roads," he said.

In response to questions about preserving the trail's cultural assets, Lee assured the group there were no plans to develop the area, other than adding things like parking and a comfort station. "Basically we want to have that piece of property as an open space," he said.

Lee and Micah Kane, director of the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, said talks about a potential land swap are promising. The city hopes to acquire the state's Coast Guard Omega navigational aid station in exchange for 50 acres of land in 'Ewa.

Kane said that if the exchange reaches a point of "surety," the department would consider allowing the city to use the property as an access point while waiting for approval by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Both Kane and Lee said they would like to see the issue resolved within six months.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.