Path at Wailua Beach moving forward

LIHU‘E — The multi-use path at Wailua Beach is moving forward, regardless of an enduring resistance from some Native Hawaiians and community members, unbent on agreeing to concrete slabs covering any sliver of beach sand.

“The scope of work — temporary re-striping of Kuhio Highway and install safety barriers — this is taking place effective on Wednesday,” Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo said at a special Kaua‘i County Council meeting Friday morning.

This first phase is due Friday, when construction workers are supposed to begin excavating, then build forms, place rebars and pour concrete, to be finished with a “stone stamp” and color, according to Rapozo. The last phase will include permanent re-striping of Kuhio Highway.

Council Chair Jay Furfaro set up the special meeting, on a request from Councilman Mel Rapozo, to hear from the administration a briefing on the Wailua Beach portion of Ke Ala Hele Makalae, or “the path that goes along the coast.” A good chunk of the meeting, however, was taken up by public testimony.

The meeting, as Furfaro said several times, was merely for information purposes, and there would be no decision-making involved.

The first two speakers, Koloa resident Ted Blake and Kaua‘i Path board member Thomas Noyes, gave an erroneous indication that there could’ve been a balance of opinions in the audience. Blake talked about desecration of ancient Hawaiian burials, while Noyes talked about a path that has community support and is being recognized nationwide.

But as soon as Noyes finished his testimony, it was all over for path proponents. The following 13 public speakers were all against the path touching the sand at Wailua Beach.

“Our people is being oppressed … To protect our ‘iwi and to protect our sacred sites in Wailua, no matter what we say or do, we are not going to be heard,” said Wailua resident James Alalem, adding that the administration will proceed with the project because of money.

Alalem was arrested April 28, 2011, for blocking excavation work by Wailua River, after bones and artifacts were found.

“The only way that we can stop it, is that we are going to get arrested again,” Alalem said.

Former Councilman KipuKai Kuali‘i said, as a Native Hawaiian born and raised on Kaua‘i, he was concerned about any further desecration of the sacred sites along Wailua Beach.

Kuali‘i suggested shaving off up to 2 feet of the path’s width, and moving it a few feet inland, completely onto the highway. Additionally, the highway lanes would need to be narrowed from 11 to 10 feet.

“We seem to be very close to a win-win solution, and taking just a few months more would be well worth it in the long run,” Kuali‘i said.

Lenny Rapozo, however, said it would cost a lot of money to stop the project at this point.

The notice to proceed has been given in June, and once it’s issued, there is a lot of cost involved, said Doug Haigh, chief of Building Division of Public Works Department.

Years ago, stopping the path’s construction in Kapa‘a for a few months because of concerns, cost the county $375,000, according to Councilman Tim Bynum.

Public testimony

Some of those who gave public testimony included Kapa‘a residents Sharon Goodwin, Glenn Mickens, Ken Taylor and Debra Kekaualua, Wailua residents Waldeen Palmeira and Richard Stillman, Lihu‘e residents Judy Dalton and Joe Rosa, Moloa‘a resident Charles Pereira and North Shore resident Caren Diamond.

Rosa said the public money could’ve been better spent on buses and bus shelters.

Goodwin said Wailua Beach is sacred grounds, the final resting place for ancient Hawaiians.

“If you don’t believe in the sacredness of the Wailua site, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” Goodwin said.

Stillman said he is not against the path, but is against it on the beach.

“The obsession of those who would want to pursue this ill considered project with reckless disregard of the cost is appalling,” Mickens said.

“A path that goes along the coast may sound like a good thing, but is it really a good idea for Wailua Beach?” said Dalton, adding that the path on Wailua Beach will likely cause irreversible cultural and environmental damage.

Diamond said the council was basically saying the sand at Wailua would be replaced by concrete.

Palmeira said there are “major flaws” in the project, regarding following proper environmental and cultural review process.

Pereira had concerns with the erosion.

‘Tarred and feathered’

Taylor, the sixth public speaker, relaxed the mood in the council chambers by starting with a joke, which caused laughter throughout the chambers.

“I’ve been wondering where you all have been; I haven’t seen you all year,” he said, as Friday was the council’s first meeting of 2013.

But Taylor’s honeymoon with the council soon ended. He blamed the council for allowing the path by Wailua Beach, and suggested they should have held the administration hostage by not releasing funds for other sections of the path. He said the council is part of the problem, and saved his strongest remark for last.

“The mayor, his team and you folks should all be tarred and feathered,” Taylor told the council.

Furfaro said that per County Charter, the council, “whether we’re tarred and feathered or not,” cannot give directions to the administration.

Taylor had suggested re-routing the path behind Coco Palms. When Councilwoman Yukimura asked how that could this be done without disturbing the many burials found there, Taylor’s answer was merely that he believed it could be done.

“We’re not just going by belief, we are going by real alternatives,” said Yukimura, telling Taylor that when he says there is an option, her hearing is he is saying “go over the burials.”

Taylor said he wasn’t aware if an “investigation” had been done behind Coco Palms, and it should have been done.

But when Yukimura asked if he had read the area’s archaeological study which has been published, his answer was, “parts of it.”

And when questioned by Bynum, Taylor said he had not read the 2007 Environmental Assessment about the area, which is published online.

Hours later, on his closing remarks, Furfaro said Taylor’s comments were disrespectful to the council.

“It takes a special temperament to let that roll off our backs, but it’s important for the community that we have this dialogue,” Furfaro said.

Concrete slabs

Deputy County Attorney Mauna Kea Trask said the administration, “absolutely, 100 percent,” gave Native Hawaiians full consideration in the process.

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., who was present at the meeting for a good part of it but did not provide testimony, has said the administration has made numerous adjustments to the path after consulting with the community and weighing public input “heavily” into their decision making, in line with the promise to deal with the “emotional side” of the project.

Bynum said the initial plans were for the path to be on stilts over Wailua Beach, but there was community opposition. The administration went back to the drawing board, consulted with community and the state Department of Transportation and moved the path onto the highway as much as possible, he said.

The final project currently under way is for removable concrete slabs, 8-feet wide by 10-feet long, to be laid partly on the highway, partly on the sand. Part of the removable slabs, when resting on asphalt, will be 1-foot deep, while the portion resting on sand will be 1.5-foot deep, according to plans presented by the administration.

Lenny Rapozo said early in December that a surveyor hired by the administration excavated the sand in several spots where some of the path is supposed to be laid, and found only modern trash.

Haigh said the slabs will be removed if erosion threatens the foundation of the highway. In that case, there are many local contractors who have the right equipment to lift and transport to storage the concrete slabs.

The Garden Island has published that based on the plans provided by the administration, and assuming a cubic foot of concrete weighs 150 pounds, the removable concrete slabs may weigh 15,000 pounds.

Friday, Haigh said the “removable” slabs actually weigh 20,000 pounds.

Erosion

One of the main concerns raised by the public, and also by Mel Rapozo, was the evident aggressive erosion in Wailua Beach in 2012. Most of the sand, specially in the middle of the beach, washed away.

In the last few months, however, the sand has been slowly returning, although experts said it’s impossible to predict when or if all the sand will return.

Ruby Pap, from the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant, said that from a hazard perspective alone, the path is scientifically supportable whether it follows its current plans or it goes mauka of the highway.

Available data since 1927 actually show the beach has been growing, despite episodes of temporary erosion, such as last year’s, she said.

But as far as going forward, she couldn’t say what would happen, as UH Sea Grant only analyzed data from aerial photographs. And even then, there are large gaps where data wasn’t available, such as between 1927 and 1950, and between 1950 and 1972.

Additionally, Pap said there are various scenarios of sea level rise. By the end of this century, if only historical data is taken into account, there will be an 8-inch rise in sea level. But with global warming and ice melt thrown into the mix, by 2100, the sea could rise anywhere between 1.6 feet to 6.6 feet.

Dolan Everson, also from UH Sea Grant, said the rule of thumb to calculate erosion is that 1 foot of sea level equals to 100 feet of erosion.

UH Sea Grant, Everson said, does not advocate positions; their job is primarily to provide scientific information.

Councilman Ross Kagawa said the decision was made before he was in council, and he would have voted against it. “I hope that our history holds true, that the path will be safe,” he said.

Distinct opinions

Haigh said the only federal permit required is the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, and at the state level, they are only required a permit to work upon state highways. As far as county permits, they only need a Small Management Area, Shoreline Setback permit, he said.

Planning Director Michael Dahilig said the SMA permit is current and good for another two years. Yet, Mel Rapozo said he believes the SMA permit is invalid.

Regarding the scientific background provided by UH Sea Grant, Mel Rapozo said he appreciates science, but to him the issue was cultural. And even with available scientific data suggesting erosion has not touched the highway in the last 80 years, he still had concerns.

“We know that the beach is eroding,” he said. “We don’t need a study from UH.”

Bynum said the county has bent over backwards to listen to Native Hawaiian concerns, but anybody who lives here knows there is no “monolithic Hawaiian thought.” Hawaiians are an important part of the community, and they have different opinions, he said.

Councilman Gary Hooser said the decision with going with the path’s current plan represents poor planning from the administration.

Yukimura raised the question if the project could be modified without delaying it, by moving it a few feet inland, narrowing the highway and adding some mechanism to encourage drivers to slow down. But if not, she would still support it, as she said the path is not on the sand and on the highway.

“This is not an easy problem to solve,” she said, “I cringe when I hear really easy criticism about how people should be ‘tarred and feathered’ because I think we’re all trying to solve a very difficult problem and honor all the different aspects that have to be addressed.”

Furfaro closed the meeting by saying he was pleased with the dialogue, and thanked those who participated.

• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.