Condemned Hāna Pier Slated for Removal

The state Department of Transportation is proposing to remove the deteriorated Hāna Pier in East Maui which they say is a public safety hazard, but continues to be a utilized as popular recreation spot.

The department filed an Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice detailing the plan, which includes the removal of the 95-year-old concrete pier and its access trestle, which are condemned.

Existing piles would remain in place to avoid adverse impact to corals that have colonized below the surface.

According to the document, the removal coincides with community opposition to commercial use of the pier, which would be required under the Harbor Division’s mission if the pier were repaired instead of demolished.

The document further states that the action is needed because individuals continue to access the deteriorated pier despite barrier fencing and warning signage, presenting the DOT with ongoing exposure to liability.

In January, the HDOT said the estimated cost of the removal was $3.5 million.  At the time, the department stated that it planned for the additional $16.5 million assigned to the project to be returned to the Harbors Division for other improvement projects within the state.

The Hāna Pier was built in the early 1920s, originally as a commercial harbor. State officials say the facility was transferred from the HDOT to the Department of Land & Natural Resources Boating Division in the early 2000s, then conveyed back to HDOT in 2010.

In 2011, a Hāna Harbor Development Plan was completed that included recommendations for improvements to Hāna Pier.

Records show that shortly after the transfer, investigations of the facility determined it was unsafe and the pier was condemned and closed.

Comments on the document will be accepted through Nov. 7, 2016.

Hāna pier, file photo 2011 by Wendy Osher.

Hāna pier, file photo 2008, by Wendy Osher.

Hana Pier. File Photo by Wendy OSHER.

Hana Bay 2010. File photo by Bobbi Kalama.