EDITORIAL
Halt Ala Wai project to satisfy concerns

It's perplexing to see the city plunge headlong into its $2.4 million Ala Wai Boulevard renovation, seemingly oblivious to powerful objections from a wide range of community sectors.

The city's refusal to hold hearings or conduct an environmental assessment despite numerous appeals for them doesn't fit with our idea of local government.

It may be true this project does not legally require an assessment, since it is defined as a low-level "beautification" effort. But considering the wide public interest in the project, as well as concerns about its impact on traffic flow, it seems a more formal assessment would make sense.

The city's insistence in moving ahead with the Ala Wai project before completion of its almost equally unpopular Kuhio Avenue project defies common sense, as traffic is tied in knots.

We urge the city to halt work on the Ala Wai at least until the Kuhio project is completed. During that time, the city should do its utmost to satisfy community concerns, including completion of an environmental assessment.