Following a temporary pause in the demolition of the Haʻikū Stairs, a state court has ruled that the City and County of Honolulu can continue the removal process as planned.
The Friends of Haʻikū Stairs filed a lawsuit in April, arguing the city’s effort to dismantle the stairs didn’t follow proper historic preservation procedures.
The group asked a judge to halt the city’s actions during a First Circuit Court hearing last week.
“When we filed the lawsuit, we knew we had to prove that demolishing the stairs would cause irreparable harm," said Justin Scorza, vice president of the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs, in a statement.
The judge denied the injunction and temporary restraining order to halt deconstruction, saying the argument for irreparable harm was not valid because the trail is already illegal to hike on.
It was also ruled that state protection for historic sites does not apply to the stairs.
"Frankly, we think it's obvious that destroying the stairs will permanently harm them. It's unfortunate the judge didn't agree or see the value in protecting what could otherwise be a world-class amenity," Scorza continued.
In a statement, the city says that it will proceed with the removal of the stairs as planned.
"The stairway is currently an active work zone and is considered extremely hazardous," Scott Humber, city spokesperson, said in an email to HPR.
"The city is not responsible for injuries sustained by thrill seekers who violate posted 'no trespassing' signs and enter an active construction zone, where access is restricted to authorized personnel only," he wrote.
Humber said that because of current weather conditions, the city's contractors are not expected to fly any of the stair's modules away from the mountain for at least a few days. The demolition will start once weather conditions allow for it.
The case from the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs is being presented to the Hawaii Historic Places Review Board in a closed-door hearing on Tuesday.
Last August, the Friends of Haʻikū Stairs filed a different lawsuit saying the city violated the state’s environmental protection act. The lawsuit was denied in December and the group is currently working to appeal the ruling.
The stairs are a military installation from World War II that climbs along the ridge of the Koʻolau mountains.
The decision to remove the stairs was made in 2021 due to legal liability and complaints about trespassers from residents.
