Mayor Harry Kim says his administration will check on the status of a nonpermitted seawall built at Lalakea pond following complaints from some park users.
A portion of the wall and some fill placed on public land were removed as of Dec. 1, though it’s not yet clear if Robert Iopa, who owns the adjacent property, is in compliance with an order from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
A DLNR spokeswoman said Wednesday the agency was scheduling a site inspection.
Iopa extended an existing wall and removed several trees on public land through a “Friends of the Park” agreement with the previous county administration. He did not receive approval for the shoreline work from DLNR, as required by law.
The agreements are meant to allow volunteers to help improve or maintain county parks, but critics say the work simply extended Iopa’s backyard beyond the certified shoreline and had no public benefit.
“He created a private beach on public land,” said neighbor Andrew Plack.
The pond is managed by the county Department of Parks and Recreation as part of Leleiwi Beach Park.
DLNR ordered Iopa to restore the shoreline in May, and gave him six months to comply.
Iopa missed the deadline, but Sam Lemmo, Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands administrator, told the Tribune-Herald last month that he gave him a verbal extension until Dec. 1.
The wall construction was not permitted and no fines have been issued.
Kim said the county will check on the progress and review permits it issued for other work on the property to make sure there are no other violations.
“We’re going to review the whole thing,” he said.
Plack said the wall and fill were placed in an area frequently inundated by waves, and that the added sediment has been washed into the pond. He said he doesn’t care if fines are issued but wants the landowner to be held accountable for restoring the area.
“I’m not trying to get anyone in trouble, I just don’t want the ocean harmed by this guy or anyone else,” said Plack, who has lived there for 30 years. “If there’s a rule, then it’s for everyone.”
Iopa, a Honolulu architect who was raised in Hilo, didn’t return a phone call requesting comment.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.