Vice Chair Champions Residents' Rights in Haiku Stairs Closure

Haʻikū Stairs, also known as the "Stairway to Heaven," has been a major safety concern for the Windward side of Oʻahu, particularly neighboring residents in Haʻiku living at the foot of the entrance who’ve had to deal with trespassing hikers disregarding their property and privacy for years.

Haʻikū Stairs, also known as the "Stairway to Heaven," has been a major liability concern for the City and County of Honolulu and safety concern for Windward communities, particularly neighboring residents in Haʻikū living at the foot of the entrance who have had to deal with trespassing hikers disregarding their property for years. 

But in 2021, with Vice Chair Esther Kiaʻāina leading the charge, the Honolulu City Council adopted Resolution 21-154, urging the City Administration to remove the stairs and accessory structures to mitigate impacts, including trespassing, disturbances to local neighborhoods, public safety concerns, potential liability to the city, environmental protection, and of course, the safety of our first responders who put themselves at risk whenever they are called upon to rescue trespassers who find themselves in trouble. 

Speaking at a press conference announcing the commencement of the work to deconstruct and take the stairs down piece by piece via helicopter transport, Vice Chair Kiaʻāina said, “It is a day that I welcome because it is a closure of an issue that has been kicked down the road for decades as far as I am concerned. We have made collectively a decision for the good of the community.”

Despite closure orders and increased enforcement efforts, there has been a surge in illegal hikers attempting to access the stairs ahead of the scheduled deconstruction. This has resulted in a notable increase in trespassing incidents, posing safety risks and exacerbating environmental damage to the area. “It’s not about you, and don’t be selfish,” said HPD Major Randall Platt, warning that the stairs are now an active work site and therefore much more dangerous than ever before.

News Stories: Hawaii News Now, KITV, KHON, MSN