Erosion of beach Work could begin late this year to restore a beach pounded and eroded by waves, threatening Makaha Surfside Condominiums.
threatens condos
The city proposes a breakwater
to protect the Makaha shorelineBy Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.comCondo owners have pushed for years for the city to protect the beach, said Bob Benson, chairman of the Makaha Surfside's beach erosion committee.
The "pocket" beach has lost 60 feet since 1972, according to an environmental assessment of the project.
"When you get the high surf and waves, they do splash up onto our property," Benson said.
"The city did fix the (temporary) sandbags about a month ago -- and it's lucky they did," he said, because high surf Thursday was again washing through the chain-link fence that separates the condos from the city's park.
The city is proposing a breakwater offshore to stop shoreline erosion and to replace up to 5,000 cubic yards of sand, city project manager Don Griffin said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asked that the breakwater be relocated to avoid coral, he said.
That change slowed permitting from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Griffin said. If both those are received this fall, work on the beach restoration could start before the year is over, he said.
Richard Namba has been awarded the $800,000 city contract to install the breakwater and put sand on the depleted beach, Griffin said.
Now in the planning stage are additional improvements for the beach park, including a paved parking lot for 22 cars, a new comfort station, a pavilion, a lifeguard tower, additional picnic tables, landscaping and relocation of the bus stop. These changes have a price tag of $1.4 million, according to planning documents.
The bus stop and comfort station are being moved to an area of the beachfront that is less susceptible to high surf.
A third phase of improvements for the area is the idea of a Mauna Lahilahi "cultural garden" on 5.4 acres at Lahilahi Point. An environmental assessment of that project suggests planting native Hawaiian plants, a medicinal garden and picnic tables.
The area appears to include significant remnants of early Hawaiian stonework, petroglyphs and other items such as a carved fishhook. Any improvements would require more archeological study, said Griffin.
In the meantime, Benson is hoping that the breakwater is finally on the way. He noted that a recent Department of Land and Natural Resources public hearing on the matter attracted only a handful of residents -- most of whom favor it.
Benson recalled that Hurricane Iniki did significant damage to the condos.
A few vocal opponents "would just as soon this place be washed away," he said.