More initiatives for improvements around Waikiki

The more than $11 million budget for sand nourishment and other improvements in the Waikiki Beach area expired on June 30, but the Legislature plans to reallocate the funds in 2025.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources was authorized to spend $11.5 million on the project, of which about $5 million came from capital improvement programs. The remainder came from private and trust funds.

According to Michael Cain, administrator of DLNR’s Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands, DLNR allowed the funds appropriated by the Legislature for the Waikiki Master Plan Improvements project to lapse because the environmental impact report had not yet been completed and possible design changes to the original proposal were being considered.

“The EIS hasn’t been approved yet, so it was premature to keep the funding, so it’s expired,” said Sen. Sharon Moriwaki (D, Kakaako-McCully-Waikiki). “The idea is that once we have a clearer idea of ​​what we’re going to fund, DLNR will come back and reallocate the funds that we need to make that improvement.”

The Waikiki Master Plan Improvements project is a public-private partnership between Moriwaki, the Waikiki Beach Special Improvement District Association, DLNR and, more recently, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

DBEDT Director Jimmy Tokioka said DLNR first contacted his department on July 5 to collaborate on the project. By July 15, they had agreed that DLNR would transfer some responsibilities, including the application process, to DBEDT.

The DBEDT Office of Planning and Sustainable Development is preparing an Environmental Impact Assessment for the Waikiki Beach Improvement and Maintenance Program. This will assess the environmental impacts of a series of phased projects. These projects may span multiple locations or geographic areas and take place over an extended period of time.

The Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement has not yet been published or accepted, but once it is approved, DBEDT will select a project, assess whether further impact disclosure is required, finalize engineering designs, and submit an application for a permit to use the protected area to the Land and Natural Resources Council for a public hearing.

If permits are approved, DBEDT will work with stakeholders to estimate costs and develop a budget for the initial project. There is currently no estimated time frame for permitting or project completion due to the scope and duration of the program.

While DBEDT manages the permit application process, DLNR continues to oversee the project and issue permits.

“DLNR would historically apply for a permit and oversee the permit, so we — the team of Governor Josh Green, myself and DLNR Chair Dawn Chang — felt it would be more appropriate for DLNR to apply for the permit through the Office of State Planning at DBEDT,” Tokioka said.

Both Moriwaki and Rick Egged, Chairman of WBSIDA, stated that the new agreement with DBEDT is a positive step toward completing the EIS and advancing several projects funded by the legislature.

According to Moriwaki, the collaboration with DBEDT makes sense, as the Bureau of Planning and Sustainable Development is already working on the Waikiki Resilience and Sea Level Rise Adaptation Project.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Moriwaki said. “Now it looks like we’re getting some movement, so it’s important to act now rather than procrastinate.”

According to DBEDT spokesperson Mary Alice Evans, the last sand replenishment for Waikiki Beach took place in 2021.

“Waikiki is our greatest asset on Oahu and in the state, so we are committed to submitting the best application for an environmentally friendly beach restoration process to continue to replenish Waikiki’s sand,” Tokioka said.

In addition to the $11.5 million, the Legislature appropriated two amounts in 2023 — $4 million and $650,000 — that have not yet expired and have been released by the Green administration.

The DLNR plans to use the $4 million for smaller projects in Waikiki that are not dependent on the EIS, including small-scale beach restoration work at the two swimming areas between Kuhio Beach and the Kapahulu Groin. Sand from the areas will be returned to the shoreline, both restoring the swimming channel and widening the beach.

Cain also indicated that DLNR plans to replace a sandbag girder at Kuhio Beach with a more stable and aesthetically pleasing small rock girder. They also plan to repair the broken portions of the toe of the pool, which will provide better access between Kuhio Beach and the pools.

Moriwaki said the $4 million is allocated for beach improvements along Waikiki Beach, while the $650,000 is specifically targeted for the Halekulani section, also known as Kawehewehe, which currently has no beach.

This funding will support a pilot program to bring sand to the area.

“The idea is to add sand to the area to create and replenish a beach,” Moriwaki said.

She said that while there have been many initiatives to improve Waikiki over the years, and the area continues to improve, there is always room for further improvement.

“I want Waikiki to be that destination hub,” she said. “We need to replenish and revitalize the area as quickly as possible.”