THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

104

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


SENATE RESOLUTION

 

Requesting the City and County of Honolulu to take action to prevent illegal entry to the haiku stairs until the issue of permanent access to the haiku stairs is resolved and the surrounding neighborhood is no longer imposed upon, and requesting the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu to disclose to the public the City's plans regarding the future of the haiku stairs and haiku valley.

 

WHEREAS, the metal stairway known as the Stairway to Heaven, or Haiku Stairs, was once an access route to a naval long-range communication station on the Koolau Summit on the south wall of the Haiku Valley, and from 1982 to 1987 the United States Coast Guard allowed hikers access to these stairs until the stairs were closed due to safety concerns; and

WHEREAS, the Haiku Stairs is comprised of three thousand nine hundred and twenty two steps which lead up to the Koolau Pali and the summit of Puu Keahiakahoe which overlooks Haiku Valley; and

WHEREAS, the stairs ascend through the cliffs and hillsides of Haiku Valley which is inhabited by native plant species as well as contains natural habitats for a number of native birds and on a clear day, the view at the top of the Haiku Stairs includes most of Windward Oahu, Pearl Harbor, and parts of Leeward Oahu; and

WHEREAS, in 1998 the City and County of Honolulu proposed reopening the Haiku Stairs and Haiku Valley to the public as a park and nature preserve and have been working to obtain either the land surrounding the Haiku Stairs or access to this land; and

WHEREAS, as part of the City and County of Honolulu's efforts to reopen the Haiku Stairs and Haiku Valley, the city and county appropriated $2,500,000 to not only renovate the Haiku Stairs, but also formulate a master plan to determine the feasibility of a nature preserve and park in this area; and

WHEREAS, the Haiku Stairs has remained closed since June 2002, after the City and County of Honolulu completed much-needed repairs, over the issue of access to the base of the stairs; and

WHEREAS, although the Haiku Stairs have not been formally opened to the public, many neighboring property owners report that people repeatedly ignore warning signs and other security measures and constantly trespass over private property, causing property damage and harassing residents in the process of gaining access to the stairs; and

WHEREAS, one issue that remains problematic is access, as the surrounding community has been disturbed by potential hikers who trespass, litter, and tie up parking in the area; and

WHEREAS, there are numerous proposals and ideas currently being discussed and debated over the issue of access to the Haiku Stairs by state and county agencies as well as community organizations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the City and County of Honolulu is requested to take further action to prevent illegal entry to the Haiku Stairs until the issue of permanent access to the Haiku Stairs is finally resolved; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in devising a permanent access route for the Haiku Stairs, the City and County of Honolulu is requested to be mindful and sensitive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhoods, especially near and around the Haiku Stairs, as to issues of parking congestion, trespassing, and vandalism, to ensure that these communities are no longer imposed upon when the Haiku Stairs are reopened; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City and County of Honolulu is urged to give direct participation to all interested parties in the development of any contingency plans for access to the Haiku Stairs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu is requested to submit to the Legislature the current plans for opening the Haiku Stairs and Haiku Valley to the public when this plan is finalized but not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2005 Regular Session, and include the following information:

(1) An estimate of additional capital improvement costs to complete the Haiku Stairs and Haiku Valley project and the projected annual operation and maintenance costs;

(2) Specific efforts undertaken by members of the Mayor's administration to inform Haiku residents of the specific access point as well as to work to resolve issues relating to trespassing and traffic mitigation;

(3) Specific information regarding the expenditure of city and county funds, including past and present contracts and the scope of work currently planned for the Haiku Stairs and Haiku Valley;

(4) Specific information regarding anticipated city and county expenditures and contracts to be executed once the land acquisition and access issues are resolved, including the disclosure of information regarding the amount of funds and scope of work planned for the Haiku Stairs and Haiku Valley;

(5) Specific information on all land exchanges, purchases, leases, easements, or licenses necessary to compete the project, including the maps of all city and county properties to be exchanged and the values thereof;

(6) The nature of any contingency plans should current plans fail to be consummated, including a possible land exchange with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and arrangements for access to the Haiku Stairs via Windward Community College and the Hawaii State Hospital, under the management of a nonprofit organization;

(7) An estimate of the daily, monthly, and annual usage of the Haiku Stairs by hikers and any limitation, if any, sought to be imposed on the number of hikers allowed to utilize the stairs;

(8) The city and county's plan and timetable for providing public access to the stairs;

(9) Plans which will ensure the protection and preservation of twenty-one archaeological and sacred Native Hawaiian sites within Haiku Valley, including two heiau, a burial cave (Kaualehu), and a large lo`i complex; and

(10) Plans for warning signs to minimize the City and County of Honolulu's liability; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, the Managing Director of the City and County of Honolulu, the Director of Planning and Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu, the Director of Budget and Fiscal Services for the City and County of Honolulu, and members of the Honolulu City Council.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Haiku Stairs; Restricted Access by the City and County of Honolulu