HONOLULU (KHON2) — A judge has sided with the City and State to dismantle the historic and iconic Haiku Stairs.
The Friends of Haiku Stairs filed a temporary restraining order on May 6 to halt the removal of the prohibited hiking trail.
In a statement, the City revealed that it will proceed with the removal of the stairs as planned. However, due to the weather, it does not plan to fly any pieces away from the mountain for at least a few days.
“It’s unfortunate the judge didn’t agree or see the value in protecting what could otherwise be a world-class amenity. We were also shocked by the judge’s decision that we lacked standing to enforce the historic preservation deed covenant put in place to protect the stairs in 1999,” said the Friends of Haiku Stairs in a statement.
For the Friends of Haiku Stairs, the fight is still far from over. Their case will be presented to the Hawaii Historic Places Review Board on Tuesday in a closed-door hearing at 2:30 p.m.