News That MattersSupport us. News That MattersSupport us. Investigative stories and local news updates. Coverage of the 2023 wildfire destruction of Lahaina. Latest elections news, candidate info, ballot drop box locations, how to register to vote, financial disclosures and more. Commentary, Analysis and Opinion. Award winning indepth reports and featured ongoing series. Get the week s news delivered straight to your inbox. The order allows the city to remove stair sections only if they were already separated from the mountain. The order allows the city to remove stair sections only if they were already separated from the mountain. Haiku Stairs will remain standing for at least a couple more months. The Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals Wednesday ordered the City and County of Honolulu to partially stop its dismantling of the stairs. The city can finish removing stair sections known as modules that it already had separated from the mountain, which it said is a public safety hazard for trespassers. But under the court order, it isn t allowed to dismantle any of the other modules. As of late June, about 75 modules of more than 600 had been separated from the mountain, primarily near the top. The city has been dismantling the stairs since April using its contractor, The Nakoa Cos., a move that previous administrations had consideredbut never implemented. But Friends of Haiku Stairs alleges that the city didn t follow the correct procedures. The group has two ongoing lawsuits against the city. The first is based on environmental laws and the secondis related to historic preservation. In January, a judge decided the first lawsuit against Friends of Haiku Stairs and the group appealed. It requested a preliminary injunction in June asking for the stairs to remain standing until the appeal is decided. The court granted that injunction Wednesday afternoon after hearing oral arguments the previous week. The city s environmental impact statement from 2020 isn t sufficient, according to the lawsuit. One big reason is that an alternative back way of hiking to the peak has seen much more impact since that EIS was completed, an argument that the court said is credible enough that the group could prevail. That comes about a month after a judge rejected the group s request for an injunction based on their other lawsuit. Haiku Stairs is a trail made of a metal staircase that climbs from Kaneohe to the top of the Koolaus. It has been illegal for decades, but a group of loyal fans would climb to the top anyway by either sneaking past security guards at the bottom or by hiking up the legal Moanalua side. The city and the state shut down the Moanalua side in Junefor at least the remainder of construction, which at the time was thought to be about six months. Wednesday s halt is likely to lengthen that timeline. This ruling underscores the urgency of addressing public safety concerns while allowing us to proceed with necessary actions in a responsible manner, city spokesman Scott Humber said in a statement. We feel great about this decision, Friends of Haiku Stairs Vice President Justin Scorza said. We know that the fight s not over yet, but we look forward to continuing the fight. . The deadline for each side to file opening briefs is Aug. 5. That s only 1 of readers!. If you are among the 99 of Civil Beat readers who haven t made a donation before in support of our independent local journalism,you can change that today. A small donation makes a big impact. . Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 13th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter. You're officially signed up for our daily newsletter, the Morning Beat. A confirmation email will arrive shortly. In the meantime, we have other newsletters that you might enjoy. Check the boxes for emails you'd like to receive. Inbox overcrowded? Don't worry, you can unsubscribeor update your preferences at any time.
Haiku Stairs dismantling in Honolulu is partially halted by court order. Only separated stair sections can be removed, not others. Friends of Haiku Stairs alleges legal missteps by the city. A judge granted a preliminary injunction, extending the stairs' standing for now. The city must address safety concerns while the legal battle continues.