HAWAI'I KAI — Plans to build a cemetery in Kamilonui Valley are slowly moving forward despite an eight-month delay.

No work has been done on the 69-acre site since earlier this year, when crews were hauling and stockpiling dirt. That was the last permit granted on the property, which is owned by Kamval LLC, a Hawai'i company. The property is being leased by PRM Realty, a Chicago-based firm with offices in Honolulu, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dallas and New York.

The Hawai'i project has been stalled because of a lack of financing and a reorganization of the company's top management.

It would be the first new cemetery on O'ahu in 50 years, and would have about 60,000 burial plots. The first phase would be about 12,000 plots, a chapel and a mortuary.

The cemetery access road runs behind the homes in Mariner's Cove. A chief concern among some residents is the effect of water runoff from the cemetery site into the privately owned Hawai'i Kai Marina.

The company plans to appear at the Mariner's Cove Community Association meeting on Tuesday to talk about those concerns, said Trappeur Rahn, PRM senior vice president.

Bill Aspengren, association president, said he hopes that when the developers begin to move forward the storm water runoff could be taken care of. "It seems so far that the cemetery would be a good addition to our community," Aspengren said.

Earlier this year, after the company began clearing the land and stockpiling dirt, rain washed dirt into the marina, said Gayle Carr, who lives on the marina near the farm lots.

Residents who live along and use the marina pay an annual fee to use the waterway. The dues pay for dredging and other maintenance, Carr said.

"The dirt flows right into the marina and the density of the mud is so much worse since the cemetery started moving dirt around," she said. "We're responsible for maintaining the marina."

Rahn said that work was to begin at the end of the summer, but has been delayed again for another couple months.

"We've had to redo the timetable," Rahn said. "Once we're done with the financing, we'll be ready to roll."

Others worry about the recent spate of development going on in Hawai'i Kai during the past five years.

A few weeks ago, Kamehameha Schools, which owns the farm land next to the proposed cemetery site, announced it would not continue farm leases once the current leases expire because the trust is looking for the best use for the property.

Some residents say that the area is unsuitable for development, even as a cemetery, because of the rocks and adobe soil, said Elizabeth Reilly, the founding member of Livable Hawai'i Kai Hui, a group dedicated to preserving open space.

"Even with all the dirt they hauled in, they still don't have a solid foundation to dig six feet under," Reilly said.

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.