FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM A couple struggles setting up their umbrella in the wind, next to the structure that holds the movie screen for Sunset on the Beach at Queen's Beach in Waikiki.

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Waikiki screen
raises debate

Opponents question the structure’s
place as Sunset on the Beach
is privatized

On one of the most storied -- and well-frequented -- beaches on Oahu sits a 30-foot-tall metal frame, kept steady by four large concrete blocks and bounded by black, wooden planks, metal rods and a plastic security fence.

In all, the permanent structure -- situated on Queen's Surf Beach for nearly four years and used to hold the movie screen for the city's Sunset on the Beach -- takes up a good piece of beach real estate.

And it has drawn fire since its construction, with several Waikiki residents contending the frame is an eyesore and a waste of valuable beach space.

Now, as a private organization prepares to take over the costs of Sunset on the Beach, opponents of the structure are raising new questions about how the city can continue to defend the frame's 24-hour placement -- with no permits -- on a city beach.

The Waikiki Improvement Association is culling sponsors to cover the expenses and planning involved in Sunset on the Beach, which will no longer get city money after July 1.

But, said city spokesman Bill Brennan, the event will still be city-sponsored.

"The use of city manpower and staff is out as of the new budget," he said, "but the city is still very much involved in providing the venue and some of the equipment" -- which includes the screen's frame.

He also said that the Queen's Beach structure never required permits -- from the state or city -- because it is "city property on city property."

State Department of Land and Natural Resources spokeswoman Deborah Ward agreed that no state permits would be required for the screen.

But several members of the Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights Neighborhood Board, whose district includes Queen's Beach, dispute the city's claim that the structure does not need a city Special Management Area Use permit, which has been required for other structures built on city parks and beaches.

They also say they want the metal frame taken down.

"This is an illegal structure," said Michelle Matson, a member of the board. "It is an obstruction on a public beach, and it's for a commercial use. ... Is this an appropriate use of public beach and park land?"

At a recent meeting, Matson asked city officials to look into the issue. She pointed out that other small-scale construction projects on city property have required special management permits, including:

» Parking lot improvements at Maili Beach Park in September.

» A comfort station at Kaaawa Beach Park in March 2004.

» Construction of a bathhouse, outdoor showers and other improvements at Kaiona Beach Park a month earlier.

» Repairs at Nanakuli Beach Park in November 2003.

The event has been popular with tourists and residents alike, who flock to the beach in the hundreds for a free movie and a range of foods from more than a dozen vendors.

When Mayor Mufi Hannemann stepped into office, he cut the number of Sunsets for this year to 24 -- or twice a month -- from 35 and made a deal to transfer the event's costs to private sponsors, which would be sought by the Waikiki Improvement Association.

Rick Egged, the association's executive director, said it would be too expensive to erect and then take down the structure for each Sunset on the Beach.

"We would love to be able to take down the frame," he said, adding that its "visual situation" -- or distraction to the landscape -- has always been an issue. "But the decision was made that being able to have Sunset on the Beach was worth leaving that screen in place. Economically, the event doesn't work if we have to take the frame down."

On Queen's Beach yesterday, sunbathers were packed in tight, and a free space on the sand was hard to find.

Tucked under an umbrella, Marissa Stone sat with her back to the screen's metal frame -- looking out at her family in the water. For a moment, she glanced back at the structure behind her before returning her gaze to the Waikiki waves.

"It kind of ruins the whole Waikiki Beach," said Stone, quietly.

Kaneohe resident Bill Oku, who sat on a folding chair adjacent to the metal frame, agreed. Sunset on the Beach, he said, is "good for the tourism industry. But it (the frame) doesn't look appealing, eh?"

Nearby, friends Ruben Carrillo and Lisa Jensen sat in the shade, snacking on sandwiches and taking in the view. They said they are not bothered by the movie screen structure, as long as it continues to serve a purpose.

"I know it's too costly to keep breaking it down and putting it up," Carrillo said.

Jensen nodded and, with a laugh, added, "It's a landmark for us."