Natatorium debate
heats up amid
health concerns

By Alisa LaVelle
Star-Bulletin

Commercials supporting full restoration of the Waikiki War Natatorium have kicked off another round of bickering.

Supporters and opponents say the other side is giving false information to the public about the Natatorium, for which building permits were to be issued yesterday to start the $11 million project for complete restoration.

Meanwhile, after questions about possible diseases, the city said it will restrict use of the saltwater pool, including a prohibition against children 4 years old and under.

A study by Roger S. Fujioka, director of the University of Hawaii's Water Resources Research Center and a specialist on coastal standards, recommended ways to reduce getting diseases in the Natatorium:

Swimmers need to shower before entering to reduce bacteria-causing infections;
Ban people with liver disease, skin infections and staphylococci.
Clear the pool daily between noon and 1 p.m.

The city plans to enforce the recommendations and test the pool frequently, said Randall Fujiki, director of the city Department of Design and Construction.

The project's anticipated completion is next summer, Fujiki said.

Construction on the arches and bleachers will begin at the end of this month.

The controversy stems from differing ideas of how to use the Natatorium, built in 1927 and closed in 1979 because of poor circulation in the water. It is dedicated to veterans who served or died in World War I.

"Mayor (Jeremy) Harris wants to lead us, not use us," said Nancy Bannick, vice president of Friends of the Natatorium, which wants full restoration.

Friends of the Natatorium spent "several thousands of dollars to get the facts out (about costs and health concerns)," Bannick said about the commercials.

The opponents say restoration puts public health and money behind personal agendas.

Attorney for the Kaimana Beach Coalition, Jim Bickerton, said the Natatorium is being set up for commercial usage.

"Mayor Harris is placing his political career ahead of the public's health," Bickerton said.

Rick Bernstein, a member of the Kaimana Beach Coalition, said the Friends of the Natatorium are well-intentioned, but being used for political agendas by the mayor.

Bernstein said a beach would honor the veterans, satisfy the community and keep public health a priority.

The coalition filed a suit in an attempt to stop the restoration of the Natatorium next to Kaimana Beach.

The suit demands that the Natatorium be recognized as a pool and maintain pool standards.

A hearing on Kaimana Beach Coalition's suit will be held Friday.

An opinion issued by the state attorney general last November, saying the Natatorium falls outside the definition of a swimming pool, allowed the city to continue the move forward with its plans.

Bernstein says the city is skirting the real issues. He called the restoration a waste of taxpayers money and a heath hazard.

If the city followed the plan favored by the coalition, it would cost $6 million, compared with the $11 million allotted by the City Council for full restoration, he said.

Fujiki said that the Kaimana Beach Coalition's proposal would cost almost as much as the city's project.