Land swap might
open Stairway to HeavenThe city offers acreage and house lots
to the Hawaiian Home Lands Department
The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will need several months to decide if it wants city land in Ewa in exchange for its Haiku Valley land.
If it happens, the proposed trade could finally provide public access to the Stairway to Heaven.
The city spent $875,000 to repair the 3,922 metal stairs that lead to a stunning view of Oahu from atop the Koolaus. The work was completed in June 2002, but the city hasn't reopened the hike because it can't provide public access to the base of the stairs.
The city is offering Hawaiian Homes about 20 acres in Varona Village, valued at $3.6 million, and 57 house lots in its Ewa Villages redevelopment, with no value stated, in exchange for the 142-acre former Coast Guard Omega Station in Kaneohe, said Mike McElroy, the agency's land management administrator.
The city proposed the land swap to Hawaiian Homes last week, McElroy said. It is the first time in years of discussions about a possible land swap between the two entities that an offer has been made on paper, he said.
City Managing Director Ben Lee could not be reached for comment.
McElroy said the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands evaluates the Haiku Valley land at $4.4 million, while the city values it at $3.6 million.
The city hoped to reach agreement with nearby Hope Chapel to provide parking and access to restrooms for hikers; however, those talks have apparently fallen through.
Residents near the stairs have also complained that trespassing hikers have trashed their neighborhood, and they are skeptical that public access would make things better.
The Kaneohe Neighborhood Board is forming a task force to address residents' concerns.
"We thought the city people had a good handle on it, but that is apparently not true," said Kaneohe Neighborhood Board Chairman Roy Yanagihara.
"The stairs are a very valuable asset to the community, and it would be a tremendous loss to close them," Yanagihara said. "We need to find a way for people to freely go up and down with minimal impact on the neighborhood."
